Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh on Tuesday targeted civil servants and state governments, accusing them of being stumbling blocks to innovation in India. Launching Niti Aayog’s report Pathways to Progress: Analysis and Insights into India’s Innovation Story, Singh said most states do not take innovation seriously, with nearly 24 out of 28 states saddling their science departments with “reluctant secretaries” as no senior IAS officer wants that posting. His remarks have sparked quiet but sharp reactions within bureaucratic circles.

Top officials, while acknowledging concerns over prioritisation, have pointed to the Union Government’s own limited spending on Research and Development (R&D). India’s R&D expenditure has hovered between 0.6% and 0.7% of GDP, significantly below global benchmarks: China at 2.4%, the United States at 3.5%, and Israel at 5.4%. Bureaucrats argue that without adequate funding, accountability falls unfairly on states and officers. Many officials also note that bureaucratic reluctance stems from the absence of resources or incentives to drive scientific projects at the state-level. Singh’s comments, they say, may open an important debate, but unless the central government raises allocations and strengthens institutional incentives, India risks lagging further behind in global innovation.