In todays knowledge based economy, research is intrinsically linked to development. As India emerges a key player in a multi-polar world, increasing the number of doctorates, has assumed increased significance. Unlike several developed and even developing countries who have recognized the value of analysing the trends in the growth of doctorates for disciplines like science and engineering, India is still fraught with the problem of setting up an authentic database of PhDs. Furthermore, research in the 21st century will be dominated by real life problems that transcend disciplinary...