India focuses on theoretical science rather than experimental science: Noble Laureate

China has been successful in reversing brain drain in the field of science and it has invested heavily in experimental research, Noble Laureate Duncan Haldane said Friday. Haldane said, on the other hand, India has a lot of focus on theoretical science rather than experimental science, which requires a lot of investment. "China has invested heavily in experimental research like material science," he said in an interaction with reporters here.

He also suggested that conditions have to be made attractive by home countries for reversing brain drain in the scientific arena in the developing countries. "China has been quite successful in reversing brain drain, getting people to come home, making it attractive for excellent expatriates to come back and get support to build up a laboratory," Haldane said. India has a large number of people and diaspora around the world, he noted.

"Luckily, some Indians have come back. For cultural reasons they come back home, but is not so easy to come back from the US or Europe," he said. He also ruled that in some countries governments initiate programmes to promote brain gain, but a change in the regime sometimes affect the mission. This, he said, in turn, hampers the programme. The 2016 Noble Prize winner in Physics said in developing countries it was necessary to identify scientists working abroad to create centres of excellence.

(With inputs from agencies.)