Why do I blog?

Should I or Should I not? Should I blog? This thought has crossed several times in my mind. My preoccupations at work keep me busy and I do rarely get breathing time, to sit back, to relax! To write, you need time. You need time to let your creative juices flowing. You need time to organize your thoughts. You need time to write it, read, reread and correct. Publishing the blog is probably the easiest task.

I used to write a regular column on Intellectual Property Case Law Developments in the Journal of Intellectual Property Rights, published by CSIR-NISCAIR. It continued for almost three years. But as I took over as the Project Director of Open Source Drug Discovery (OSDD) in CSIR, the pressure on my time subsumed my creative efforts. I almost stopped writing. No regrets though, all the time and effort has resulted in OSDD emerging as a major drug discovery effort on neglected diseases, now recognized around the world.

I realize that I work on several areas relevant to innovation and policies surrounding it. Working in the headquarters of CSIR as the Head of Director General’s Technical Cell brings you close to many policy issues surrounding scientific research and development. OSDD gives me first hand exposure to scientific discovery, issues surrounding such process, applied research, drug development. Much of this is trans disciplinary. So one gets to feel a gamut of challenges in coordinating the various components. Above all, we are implementing the programme within the framework of an organization controlled by government and surrounded by rules and procedures of the government.

Many a times, one realize that much of the stuff we are doing is unprecedented and unparalleled. Implementation can be a challenge that is enjoyable. But there are many roadblocks and hurdles that the system which gives us excellent learning on innovation. These learning go undocumented.

My training as a lawyer gives me an ability to look at facts, separate fiction analyse dispassionately and look at various sides of an issue, a 360 degree world view, you may say. The IP learning at Franklin Pierce Law Centre gave me a training to look at IP from a market perspective. The long years spend in the government exposed me to managing by practice, stuff you don't learn in books. And I always say, all said and done, one thing which government gives you is a broad canvas to work. The system is impersonal but well meaning. It is the persons that makes the difference.

A blog is always personal. It is the reflection of the persons thought process, undiluted many a times. Therefore much of what I write may have thoughts that may not be premeditated. There may be resemblance to real incidents but the intention is only to bring up issues and not to be person centric.

Therefore my blog may touch upon a wide area relating to innovation: research and development, intellectual property, information technology and policy space surrounding innovation in India and even outside. Bear with me folks!

Why do I blog? I blog because I have something to tell the world; on IP, innovation IT and may be just random stuff.