A specialized scientific cadre is essential to strengthen governance as science, technology, and environmental challenges increasingly take centre stage. The leading scientific institution of India, ISRO, is facing a sharp staffing shortage with over 2,600 vacancies that ISRO is unable to fill despite India having ambitious missions in space and technology. What is important about this is that there is a need to have a serious Indian Scientific Service that can infuse scientific knowledge into governance and thus provide evidence-based, future-oriented policymaking.
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Key highlights
- Why India Needs a Scientific Cadre?
- Current Gaps in India
- Organisation and Mandate of Scientific Service
- Governing and Societal Advantages of ISS
- Challenges and Safeguards for ISS
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The importance of establishing an Indian Scientific Service (ISS) cadre to improve science policy, efficiency, innovation governance and evidence-based decision-making in India. A specialized scientific cadre is essential to strengthen governance as science, technology, and environmental challenges increasingly take centre stage. In modern India, the issue of governance is becoming more dependent on the complex scientific, technological, and environmental problems. Traditional administrative systems, which are generalist-based, tend to find it hard to introduce the specialised knowledge into the policy-making process. Climate change, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and crises in the field of public health collectively pose the pressure of evidence-based responses, in which the absence of a specialized scientific cadre is one of the critical gaps. Within the context of these imperatives, the suggested Indian Scientific Service will have an institutionalisation of the scientific knowledge in governance, so that the decisions they make should not only be efficient, but also inclusive, transparent, and futuristic. It is a radical move towards closing the divide between science and statecraft.
Why India Needs a Scientific Cadre?
The creation of a dedicated Indian Scientific Service (ISS) is viewed as a vital structural reform to shift India from a generalist administrative framework to a modern system of evidence-based governance. Scientific, technological and environmental demands are becoming more of a governance environment in the twenty-first century. The historical dependence of India on the generalist administrators has created a gap between policy making and specialised science, and hence the need to introduce specific scientific cadres.
Need for change in Modern Governance
Modern governance requires expertise in areas like climate change, biotechnology, artificial intelligence and the health of citizens. Without institutionalised scientific contribution, policies will be reduced to mere reaction techniques and not a proactive one. The empirical evidence shows that those countries with strong science-policy interfaces, such as those of the United Kingdom with a Government Office for Science, have a much more resilient and successful result (The Hindu).
Current Gaps in India
The post-independence service codes governing India have historically stressed stability, based on the generalist civil service. Despite the entry of scientists into government structures, these individuals are still bound by models that were developed during a different time period, therefore restricting the successful incorporation of evidence-based policymaking into the system of governance.
Global Insights on Scientific Cadre
The Global Scientific sphere shows that the scientific cadres strengthen the system of governance through the introduction of experience into decision-making. An example is the fact that the United States employs more than 6,000 scientists in federal advisory positions, which has made certain that policy is data and research-based. In comparison, numerous shortages exist in India; in 2025 alone, the ISRO reported over 2,600 unfilled jobs and pointed to institutional flaws.
Organisation and Mandate of Scientific Services
The structure and mandate of scientific services often represented by institutions such as the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in India are designed to promote research, innovation, and technological advancement in line with national priorities. The Indian Scientific Service (ISS) should aim at institutionalising the knowledge in the scientific field in the administration. The structure of its organisation and its mandate should ensure inclusivity, efficiency, and smooth integration of various policy areas.
Process for Recruitment and Training of ISS
The cadres could be recruited through the examinations of the Union Public Service Commission, which included specialised cadres by majoring in climate science, biotechnology, data analytics and public health. The administrative acumen and strict scientific methodology would be incorporated in the training, similar to the United Kingdom in terms of the Civil Service Fast Stream of science graduates (The Hindu).
Roles and Responsibilities of ISS
The cadres would operate as policy mentors in the ministries, formulate evidence-based policies and watch over their execution. Being a bridge between policy-makers and research institutions, they would enable the transition of scientific results into governance.
Interdisciplinary Mandate for ISS
This service has to be a combination of the natural sciences, social sciences and technology. In a non-directional case, the meteorologists, economists and urban planners need to work together in climate-adaptation policy. The findings provided by the National Innovation Survey of India (2025) show that 68 percent of innovations fail to scale because of insufficient policy backing, and hence the need to have systematic scientific contribution.
Governing and Societal Advantages of ISS
The proposed Indian Scientific Service (ISS) envisions a dedicated, all-India cadre that embeds scientific expertise directly into policymaking, thereby overcoming the constraints of a predominantly generalist-driven governance system. It is expected that the creation of an Indian Scientific Service will help change the governance model, as it would introduce scientific professionalism into policymaking. Its advantages are not limited to administrative efficiency, because they include societal resilience and innovation.
ISS for Precision and Evidence-based decisions
The scientific cadres make sure that the policymaking is based on facts and research and not on guts. As an example, meteorological modelling and agricultural science are needed in climate adaptation. Evidence-based governance is proven to lower failures of policies by about 30 percent in similar cases around the world (Springer Nature).
ISS will increase Public Trust and Transparency
Policies that are scientifically investigated make the citizens trust stronger. Democratic accountability is enhanced by transparent decision-making, which is reinforced by verifiable data. The studies of governance in India report that participatory and evidence-based solutions foster responsiveness and legitimacy (IJPSG).
Innovation and Impact of ISS on Society
Incorporation of scientists in governance enhances speed in innovation. According to the Indian innovation survey of 2025, 68 percent of innovations are not scaled due to poor policy implementation. This gap could be filled by a scientific cadre, and their research will translate into the benefits of society.
Challenges and Safeguards for ISS
The ISS is not meant to supplant existing administrative systems, but to strengthen them. It would operate as a permanent, all-India scientific cadre collaborating closely with the current civil services. The establishment of an Indian Scientific Service is a revolutionary suggestion, but there are institutional, ethical and operational problems with its implementation. Protective measures will be necessary to ensure inclusiveness and sustainability.
Institutional Resistance to ISS
The civil services at hand might not welcome the introduction of a specialised cadre because they are concerned that their authority would be antagonised or their powers would be watered down. Data concerning administrative reforms in India indicates that there is usually bureaucratic backlash to cadre restructuring (Centre for Policy Research).
Ethical Concerns with ISS
When there is no democratic accountability with scientific expertise dominating the process of policy making, a technocratic bias may arise. The replenishment of participatory governance by scientific advice should be guaranteed by safeguards. Similar comparative analyses indicate that uncontrolled technocracy may result in the non-participation of citizens in decision-making (OECD Governance Report).
Capacity Building and Collaboration
Continuous learning and further cooperation with academics and business are essential. The National Innovation states that lack of institutional backing is a major cause of the trouble in innovations’ success, a fact that supports the imperative to have organised scientific integration.
Conclusion
The proposal to have an Indian Scientific Service is a progressive political reform. Through institutionalisation of scientific knowledge, India can reduce the gap that has always existed between policy and evidence, making sure that the decision is accurate, transparent and socially inclusive. Although the issues of integration and accountability still exist, interdisciplinary training and ethical supervision can be used as safeguards against the risks. Finally, integrating science with administration will enhance proficiency, develop innovativeness, and synchronise governance with the callings of a fast-changing knowledge society.