Kerala’s bio-economy ambitions are being constrained by weaker support for basic science. The Hindu uses the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) as the main example of a research centre that built deep scientific capacity but now faces staff decline and reduced institutional strength.
What The Hindu says
Kerala has literacy, scientific temper, and environmental awareness, but public policy has increasingly favoured visible, short-term outcomes over long-term investment in fundamental science.
The Hindu says JNTBGRI began in the 1970s and grew into a major tropical plant research and conservation centre. It maintained tens of thousands of plant accessions across thousands of species, documented biodiversity, conserved endangered plants, and contributed to medicinal plant research and sustainable use.
Current problems highlighted
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