Survey of Pharmacy Students of Gujarat to Envisage their Potential to Innovate

Abstract

Gujarat has a strong presence in the drug manufacturing market of India. It is also a state that has given the country some of the top businessmen and industrialists. The government is therefore trying to enhance the overall development of students not just academically, but moving towards a frame where students become entrepreneurs. The Government of Gujarat has initiated several schemes and developed institutes in this regard. Talent in sports is recognized and encouraged right from school level and is an important step in developing a sports culture of the country. Similarly, if a child can be recognized as one possessing the aptitude for innovation and hence, good scope in research and development and entrepreneurship, then he/she may be honed and provided opportunities accordingly. The present survey is an attempt in this direction. The analysis is based on factors such as age, gender, religion, and professional background which affect their aptitude for innovation. The central research questions are based on: (1) Creative problem-solving, (2) Forward thinking, (3) Willingness to take action, (4) Design thinking, and (5) Mindset. The areas of inference drawn from this survey are: (1) Positive attitude vs. negative attitude, (2) Openness to change vs. conservative thinking, (3) Novel vs. conventional, and (4) Self-enhancement vs. self-transcendence. An innovation-oriented industry will lead to the generation and commercialization of homegrown intellectual property, which will help position India globally as a knowledge-driven economy, and will advance its capacity in science and medicine.