Need to take up research in information security stressed

BANGALORE: Information security has come to play a major role and though pervasive computing and grid computing are very convenient, one could not ignore the issue of cyber security, R Chidambaram, Scientific Advisor to Prime Minister, said while speaking at the inauguration of 2-day Garuda-National Knowledge Network partners meet here today.

Garuda is the national grid computing initiative of the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).

Efforts must be made to ensure computing and networks security. While research generates new knowledge, innovation seeks to add economic or strategic value to it, he said.

Chidambaram said research must have four layers--research that was highly high-end and involving the country's highest intelligence on fundamental issues; direct basic research where issues relating to India on long term basis are taken up in the specified area (example TB), research that was pre-competitive and finally applied research where research is used for industry products and applications.

He said while earlier there was a huge gap between pure research and applied research, now the gap was slowly closing up with research being undertaken in all the four layers.

Chidambaram also called for "altruistic collaborative innovation" on issues of global importance like climate change or a pandemic disease where value should not be the criteria for collaboration and information should be shared.