At the opening ceremony of the National Physical Laboratory by C. Rajagopalachari in 1950, hopes were raised for quality research. I recall the discordant note by microbiologist John D Bernal making a plea for research not to be isolated from teaching. Scientists carrying out research should teach as well and teachers should devote themselves to research. 

The Government has taken a typical bureaucratic approach by instituting 12 hours of teaching by all scientists of CSIR laboratories. Some of the scientists may not be good teachers and some teachers may not be good research workers. Basically, the scientists can always talk about their work. Questions by the students may lead to investigation and solution of even difficult problems and it is certainly a source of inspiration to the students to be taught by the original research scientists. To have organizations exclusively committed to research is not an ideal solution.

Brig. (retd.) SURESH C. SHARMA, Mumbai, 

sureshsharma236@yahoo.com