“It can take months to procure, or if the equipment is faulty, return and claim a refund. “Scientists should be made accountable for the science they do and not be burdened with ensuring that their equipment is procured at the lowest cost. “Much of the equipment that is necessary for research falls into this price band and needs to be sourced internationally. “There have been representations to exempt research equipment,” he added. While there have been instances of scientists misusing public money, the [GeM] system doesn’t actually fix it.

Source: The Hindu July 30, 2023 08:34 UTC