Bengaluru: Venting out the dissatisfaction in the scientific community over 'inadequate' funding, Bharat Ratna awardee and eminent scientist C.N.R. Rao on Sunday had an angry outburst as he called politicians 'idiots' for giving them 'so little'.
Addressing a press conference a day after the award was announced, Rao, who is the Chairman of Prime Minister's Scientific Advisory Council, stressed the need for providing more resources for research.
"....for the money that government has given to scientific sector, we have done much more," he retorted, when a reporter asked if he felt that the standard of the scientific research in the country.
"....Why the hell these idiots these politicians have given so little for us. Inspite of that we scientists have done something," Rao said, losing his cool.
CNR Rao is still young when it comes to science, says his wife
"Our investments are marginal, comes late.... for that money we have got, we have performed. For the money we have been getting it is not bad at all, after all this kind of money is nothing."
Asked about China progress, the scientist said that, "We also have to take blame on ourselves, Indians we don't work hard, we are not like Chinese. We are easy going and we are not as much nationalists...If we get some-more money we are ready to go abroad."
IT is not science; no scientific temper in the country: Rao
C.N.R Rao also said Information Technology (IT) has nothing to do with science and rued there is no scientific temper in the country.
"IT (Information Technology) has nothing to do with Science. IT is only to make money for some people, and they are whole bunch of unhappy people working there," Rao told reporters here.
"....because I see everyday in paper somebody has committed suicide, somebody is killed, somebody is unhappy because life is terrible. Look at me I'm so happy at 80," he said in jest.
"I have no complaints, I think happiness is something different- you must enjoy what you are doing;....obviously they suffer to do their work, they don't enjoy. I don't think they enjoy their work," he added.
Replying to a question, Rao said, "Yes, Of course. Scientific temper is something we don't have in this country."
On the proposed anti-superstition bill by the Karnataka government, he said, "I think that is only one part of scientific temper, scientific temper is nothing but the way of viewing life, everyday happenings in life."
"Science and God have nothing to do with superstition. If you are a godly person you don't do superstition. Actually being superstitious is ungodly if you ask me...."
