Dr CM Gupta,
Director, Central Drug Research Institute(CDRI), Lucknow

Q. What is the admission procedure followed by your organizations? Is there any remodeling on the cards?

Dr CM Gupta:

CDRI is a government funded non-profit organization. Employment opportunities for faculty recruitment are advertised in leading national dailies, scientific journals like Nature and Science and on CDRI-website to attract the best talent, interested in serving the nation. Ad-hoc appointments are also made through "Quick Hire Scheme" of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) in the case of extremely suitable candidates.

Research trainees constitute a major workforce of the institute. For admission to the PhD program of the institute, the CSIR-NET qualified candidates can directly join the institute in their area of interest subject to consent from the institute’s faculty to be the candidate’s supervisor and director’s approval. Considering the emergence of new specialized disciplines and their need in drug R&D, CSIR has recently permitted fresh engineering and medical graduates and M Pharma candidates with a valid GATE score to avail CSIR fellowships for pursuing a research career, in addition to CSIR lateral entry as senior research fellow. Besides, CDRI holds a written examination-cum-interview for selection of research fellows to work in grant-in-aid projects and research schemes.

A "Centralized Recruitment Cell" at CSIR like DRDO and ICAR may be a future possibility.

Dr Lalji Singh:

For scientists: A large number of Indian scientists from all over the world apply to CCMB every year. We also advertise in internationally reputed journals giving details of specific expertise that we are looking for. All the potential job applicants are requested to give a seminar and have one-to-one discussions with our scientists. An expert committee (which includes experts from outside CCMB and outside CSIR) would short-list the candidates for interviews. Selection of candidates is based on their publication record, their research proposal that they want to take up in CCMB, suitability of the research proposal in the context of the on-going projects in CCMB and CCMB’s aspirations to initiate new fields.

For students: We select CSIR-NET or ICMR-JRF qualified students (about 250) for a written test. Those (about 50) who clear our written test would appear for interviews, which are done in two rounds. Success rate of the final selection is between 5 and 15.

Although CSIR is fair and more flexible than any other government organizations in the country, yet there are many areas related to recruitment and promotion, which needs substantial improvement.

Dr SK Brahmachari:

Students come to IGIB either during their post graduation for two-six months as trainees or as PhD students. The trainees may apply by directly writing to Head, PME, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), Mall Road, Delhi - 110 007. They may also contact scientists directly either in person or through e-mail addresses available on our website (www.igib.res.in). Students who have cleared CSIR/NET examination are eligible for applying to join for PhD under the guidance of scientists at IGIB. Usually they have to be selected through an interview conducted once in a year.

Currently, scientists are recruited on the basis of applications against advertisements, which appear in popular dailies and international research journals. The recommendations of previous employers and a proven track record in terms of publications of good impact are critical factors in the selection procedure. In future, we intend to make the admission procedure more hassle-free. The first few steps towards this like information dissemination through Internet and rapid screening of applications reducing the time between application to selection by as much as two-three months have already been implemented.

Q. What are your strengths? How are the government institutions planning to face the challenges posed by the private sector?

Dr CM Gupta:

CDRI is a unique combination of medicinal chemistry and biological sciences which is key to solving major challenges of new drug-discovery R&D. The institute’s strength lies in its strong R&D and availability of wide-spectrum of properly validated in vitro and in vivo screening models in disease areas of national relevance. State-of-the-art infrastructure and technologies have further augmented the drug R&D program. These include new disciplines and expertise in combinatorial chemistry, high-throughput screening, genomics, proteomics, computational biology, bioinformatics and structural and molecular biology.

The concept of R&D-based pharma sector is fast picking up and private sector has invested in basic research for the discovery and development of new drugs. However, only a few disease areas are covered by these pharma companies as their selection is directed solely by the market size and business opportunities. The priorities of government institutions, especially a drug research laboratory, are driven more by societal welfare and knowledge contribution.

CDRI’s major contributions are two antimalarial drugs, a contraceptive agent, a memory enhancer and a spermicidal cream. Such institutions are therefore not only centers-of-excellence but also provide centralized infrastructure to cater to the practical skill development of students and mid-career professionals. In fact, there have been continuous efforts in bringing the pharma industry and R&D institutions together.

The major challenge posed by the private sector is the corporate culture, where timelines are met, appreciated and rewarded. For improving accountability in the CSIR system, regular monitoring at the level of headquarter had been introduced.

Dr Lalji Singh:

Our strength is in the academic performance of our scientists, their desire to apply the knowledge into some application, our infrastructure that helps to take up any project in modern biology and our support staff. Our instrumentation engineers, administrative and finance staff work over-time (without any extra benefits) to meet the deadlines. CCMB’s strength lies in the fact that every one, whether he/she is a scientist or a support-staff, consider CCMB as his/her family.

CCMB’s real strength lies in it being an institute having one of the best infrastructure in the world to carry out basic research in the area of modern biology. We have a very strong instrumentation division and all our equipment are maintained, serviced and repaired in-house.

CCMB has large intake of PhD students who are selected through a national selection process. Students prefer to join CCMB because it provides single occupancy hostel facility with kitchenette and attached bathroom, facility for gym and lounge, common washing facilities, solar water heating and canteen facility for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The institute and all the services operate round the clock. We provide transport to students and scientists at late hours to drop them at their residences. Most of the facilities at CCMB are centrally operated by trained technical staff. Everyone including students are free to go to any floor and use any equipment, if it is not already in use, simply by entering into a log book. The institute has a very congenial atmosphere with freedom and discipline, where human dignity is held very high. There is no hierarchy here. CCMB also recognizes, promotes and rewards excellence. The research atmosphere is unique which is not easy for private sector to create. CCMB provides appropriate accommodation for its staff in a beautifully maintained campus close to the institute. CCMB provides transport for the children of the staff to take them to schools and colleges and also bring them back.

All these features mentioned above make CCMB very unique in attracting the talent and retaining them. However, we do perceive the threat from private sector, which is prepared to pay any amount of salary to take the best persons from CCMB. Everyone cannot resist this. But, because of the features mentioned above, the institute does attract talent from outside the country, in fact even more than what we can accommodate.

We are strangulated by the rules formulated by our headquarters in Delhi causing enormous delays in procuring things and marching ahead because of the interference from the headquarters and essentially because CSIR follows typical government rules. This is partially a matter of concern because we are trying to compete internationally where time is money. Private sector, of course, implements things much faster and time is very valuable for them. Unless the things are improved, we might lose talent because they do not have patience to wait forever. An institution like CCMB needs more autonomy.

Dr SK Brahmachari:

IGIB offers excellent infrastructure and our mandate encompasses interesting areas of research. But our true strength is a unique environment where the researcher can strike an optimal balance between fundamental research and that oriented with application potential.

Q. Red-tapism is often said to be the major stumbling block faced by the researchers in government organizations …

Dr CM Gupta:

Organizations like CSIR, ICMR, ISRO, and BARC are premier institutions with considerable autonomy in their functioning and no visible red tapism.

Dr Lalji Singh:

This, in fact, is a major concern. However, CCMB is much more flexible in functioning and faster but still not up to the mark. CSIR laboratories have a lot of autonomy, which gives power to the director to speed up the process by convincing the administration. We do it by making administration a part of the day-to-day interaction with the scientists and trying to convince them that their first priority is not just to follow the rules but to help the director and other scientists in achieving the objectives of the institution. In doing so, if there is necessity to bend the rules, they should do so and strengthen the hands of the director. They should fully understand what work scientists do and what harm delays can cause. The staff at the managerial level, such as administrative officer or a stores and purchase officer or finance and accounts officer, when they join CCMB, around, showing them the facilities and educating them what it means if the equipment goes out of order and remains idle for a month. This convinces them and they should march on along with the director. We at CCMB have practically no problems with the administration. However, we have serious problems with the administration at CSIR headquarters in terms of speed with which decisions must be taken; things are improving but it has a long way to go. If this is not improved further, I am afraid we will lose out to the private sector.

Dr SK Brahmachari:

Indeed, the slow movement of papers has been a crippling factor to the rate at which decisions can be implemented in government organizations. At IGIB, we have initiated concrete and long reaching measures to correct them. Networking the institute and computerization of many processes was one of the first steps taken in this direction. More long-term steps, which are aimed at changing the underlying process, have also been initiated. People trained at leading management institutes have been brought into the organization to take a fresh look at the procedures, simplify them where possible and revamp them wherever necessary with input from the members of the organization.

Q. How do the Government institutes compete with the private sector on the facilities, growth prospects, salaries and environment offered to researchers?

Dr CM Gupta:

CDRI is one of the best institutions in the country with respect to the facilities, growth prospects and environment for research. The Ninth Five Year Plan is a witness to the modernization of this laboratory. The institute has acquired many sophisticated equipment like robotic multiple organic synthesizers, high-throughput screening facility, structural biology facility, LC-MSMS facility, confocal microscope, and microarray facility.

The institute has a conducive environment for research with incentives, empowerment, recognition and skill upgradation of its staff. The promotion policies for regular staff as well as research fellowships are also revised from time to time. The new recruitment and assessment scheme introduced in 1981 has since been revised and implemented as MANAS for the benefit of the employees. Research fellowships JRF/SRF/RA etc have also been revised to attract interested and deserving candidates.

There can be no comparison of salaries between the two sectors but the salaries offered to the scientists are the best in a government set-up with ample opportunities and freedom to learn and work.

Dr Lalji Singh:

As of now, no single private biotech company in India is as well equipped as government labs. CCMB is one of the most well-equipped lab in the country and we do not expect any competition in the near future. Furthermore, much of our work is academic in nature, which has no counterpart in the private sector. Regarding salaries, ours are far below those paid by the private sector. But, scientists still join us because we provide facilities for their research and create suitable environment around them. Only when we hire competent software engineers, we face stiff competition due to poor salary levels.

Our scientists are encouraged to apply for research grants to other organizations, other than CISR, within the country and abroad. As far as CCMB is concerned, we have been internationally competitive in bringing huge international grants for basic research. Our external cash flow is more than 50 percent of our annual grant, which is quite satisfying. In fact, our scientists prefer to compete for international grants because they do not have to give monthly progress reports and fill up hundreds of forms. For international grants, they have to give reports only annually and the final report to be submitted after the completion of the duration of the project. CCMB carries out high quality basic research, which leads to applications. In India, private sectors hardly spend any money for carrying out basic research.

Dr SK Brahmachari:

Government institutes and the Indian private sector establishments span a wide range in terms of facilities. But the best government organizations offer facilities superior to the best private sector establishments at present. Moreover, government organizations like CSIR have a large network, which enables optimal utilization of pooled resources. Growth prospects have traditionally been better in private organization but with the increasing need to break out of time-bound promotion patterns, the trend is likely to change. Salaries are relatively lower in government organizations but the freedom and creativity nurtured, factors, which are very critical in research, by the environment in a young and growing research institute like IGIB still attracts the best talent.

Q. By and large what do the institutions look for in the potential candidates and what do they expect from its researchers?

Dr CM Gupta:

The candidates are expected to have a good grasp of the basic subject and ability to pick up related areas, in addition to a good practical hand and observation skills. Since drug development is a multidisciplinary activity, the ability to work in a team would be an added asset. A strong commitment to the organization would be sufficient to fulfill the expectations of the institute.

Dr Lalji Singh:

We look for scientific performance, novel ideas, integrity, ability to provide leadership, ability to work in a team, desire to achieve goals in shortest-time possible and desire to apply the scientific knowledge into human cause.

Dr SK Brahmachari:

Originality and an innovative approach in research, the ability to work in a team are appealing qualities while sound scientific knowledge is a prerequisite. Scientists who are proud to work in India and see themselves as a part of this country’s progress are valued members of IGIB. When IGIB hires a young researcher, we try to see if he has the potential to grow into scientific figure of international repute in future.

Q. How do you see the opportunity for researchers in the government labs growing in the future?

Dr CM Gupta:

All national research laboratories in the country are being continuously refurbished with regard to modern infrastructure. The aim is to attract the best talent and build capability for new technology absorption.

Dr Lalji Singh:

It will grow at much faster rate. Several new institutes are coming up and many old ones are also initiating new fields in order to be in the forefront of biotechnology.

Dr SK Brahmachari:

By leaps and bounds. The research scientist sitting in a government lab is going to enjoy the rewarding experience of valuing his knowledge and capitalizing on it when the biotech industry comes knocking on his door with the impending IPR and patent regime.

Q. Would you also encourage scientists to become entrepreneurs in future and what are the steps that you are taking or intend to take?

Dr CM Gupta:

Yes. The scientists entrepreneur scheme, a pioneering scheme was launched by CSIR with the objective to generate a cadre of entrepreneurs amongst CSIR scientists and its scope was further extended later to include other aspects of knowledge base such as consultancy and software. There are many scientists from CSIR laboratories, IISc and other institutions who have opened their own industry.

Dr Lalji Singh:

CCMB offers consultancy to many companies. CSIR has a system for any scientist to become an entrepreneur.

Dr SK Brahmachari:

CSIR and IGIB have already moved ahead in this direction. CSIR allows a scientist to pursue entrepreneurship opportunities. We have examples where scientists from IGIB have indeed done that.

Q. Would there be increased private-public cooperation in research (i.e., scientists allowed to work for private firm and be allowed back or vice-versa?

Dr CM Gupta:

Since drug discovery and development involves large scale organized efforts, collaboration between private-public sector would promote better positioning especially for the 1,500 small scale pharma units currently in the country. There is a global trend towards alliances, mergers and acquisitions by major pharma companies also.

A number of industry sponsored projects are taken-up by CSIR laboratories and scientists are permitted to work as consultants for private firms as per CSIR guidelines.

Dr Lalji Singh:

Yes

Dr SK Brahmachari:

IGIB has very aggressively pursued private-public partnership in research. Scientists from IGIB have indeed already moved to the industry and are welcome to join back if they wish to do so. We have two models already in place: Genomed, a knowledge alliance with Nicholas Piramal Ltd is well on its way to patenting SNPs, single nucleotide changes in the DNA which can be of diagnostic value. The Center for Genomic Applications (TCGA), setup with the participation of government funding agencies and The Chatterjee Group will provide services to researchers all over the country. A researcher in IGIB can enjoy the pleasure of working on fundamental problems in a government research lab and at the same time participate in the more goal bound prospects of a private establishment.

CSIR

CSIR has a network of 40 laboratories and 81 field stations/extension centers/regional centers all over India to undertake R&D in several disciplines including biotechnology. It currently employs 10,000 highly qualified multidisci-plinary professionals.