Contending that the government has laid down the foundation to foster research, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] on Saturday asked scientists to promote younger talent and strengthen leadership in universities and research institutions.

"The best science is done by young people. Our institutions must be receptive to the needs of the young people. They must promote younger talent and allow youth to lead," he said, inaugurating the 96th Indian Science Congress at the picturesque North Eastern Hill University campus in Shillong.

Dr Singh said the government can at best ease the supply side constraints on teaching and research and the demand side stimulus must come from institutions and the industry.

"India is lagging behind not just developed western nations, but also the newly industrialising economies of Asia," Dr Singh said, adding that while the government is doing its bit to ensure quantitative development, the leadership for qualitative development must come from the scientific community.

"Our universities must do more to foster a research environment. We need strengthening of institutional leadership in universities and research institutions," the prime minister said.

Seniority and age may be relevant in the bureaucratic system, but scientific institutions must be led by intellectual leaders, irrespective of age, he said.

Dr Singh asked the industry to invest more in R & D and boost the demand for science and technology graduates and researchers.

Citing the role of public investment in nuclear energy, space and defence related industry in creating a demand for science graduates, he said: "We need a new wave of such investment from the private sector so that young people will be encouraged to seek a career in science."

Outlining the initiatives taken by the UPA government to promote scientific research, Singh said Parliament last month passed a bill to set up a National Science and Engineering Research Board (NSERB) to fund research programmes.

The NSERB, an autonomous body, is seen as an attempt to de-bureaucratise science funding. It will have the freedom to establish new modalities of funding research and to improve quality as well as quantity of scientific research in the country.

Dr Singh said a key initiative to attract youth towards science -- Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) -- announced at the previous Science Congress at Visakhapatnam [Images] has been realised.

The INSPIRE programme awards scholarships right from the school level to doctoral research and assures career opportunities in the field.