The vital role of science in modern life is not
overstated in view of today's world. Science and technology have
profoundly influenced the course of human civilization. Science has
provided us remarkable insights into the world we live in. The
scientific revolutions of the 20th century have led to many
technologies, which promise to herald wholly new eras in many fields, As
we stand today at the beginning of a new century, we have to ensure
fullest use of these developments for the well being of our people.
Science and technology have been an integral part of Indian
civilisation and culture over the past several millennia. Few are aware
that India was the fountainhead of important foundational scientific
developments and approaches. These cover many great scientific
discoveries and technological achievements in Mathematics, Astronomy,
Architecture, Chemistry, Metallurgy, Medicine, Natural Philosophy and
other areas. A great deal of this traveled outwards from India.
Equally, India also assimilated scientific ideas and techniques from
elsewhere, with open-mindedness and a rational attitude, characteristic
of a scientific ethos. India's traditions have been founded on the
principles of universal harmony, respect for all creations and an
integrated holistic approach. This background is likely to provide
valuable insights for future scientific advances. During the century
prior to independence, there was an awakening of modem science in India
through the efforts of a number of outstanding scientists. They were
responsible for great scientific advances of the highest international
caliber.
Apart from the vast changes it has brought about, the
development of a scientific temper in the people is considered
important. In the planned economy of a country, science must
necessarily play an especially important role. Improvements in
techniques evolved as a result of scientific research brings about
great increases in production in the different sectors of the economy.
National resources are augmented by the substitution of cheap and
abundant materials for those in scarce supplies and by finding uses for
materials, which have remained un-utilized, prior to independence, very
little attention was given to the problem of scientific and industrial
research in India. A number of universities and institutes carried out
research, mostly on fundamental aspects of science. Certain industries
also had their own research organizations. However, industry depended,
by and large, on foreign techniques and did not develop research
programmes of its own.
A large number of products that had been imported
into the country had to be manufactured to meet both civilian and
military needs. Indian substitutes had to be found for imported
materials and processes had to be developed which would use these
materials in place of imported ones. In these circumstances, the
Government of India constituted die Board of Scientific and Industrial
Research in 1940. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research was
formed in 1942. Since independence there has been a greater emphasis
on the provision of additional facilities for the promotion of
scientific and industrial research. The most significant development in
this sphere has been the establishment of a chain of national
laboratories and research institutes in different parts of the country.
The establishment of national laboratories and research institutes has a
special importance in a country like India where medium and
small-scale producers contribute a considerable proportion of
industrial production. These industries cannot afford to have research
facilities of their own, as the larger producers can. Besides these
laboratories and research institutes, the Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research has made contributions towards the promotion of
fundamental and applied research at a number of institutions and
universities.
In the half century since independence, India has
been committed to the task of promoting the spread of science. The key
role of technology as an important element of national development is
also well recognized. The Scientific Policy Resolution of 1958 and the
Technology Policy Statement of 1983 enunciated the principles on which
die growth of science and technology in India has been based over the
past several decades. These policies have emphasized self-reliance, as
also sustainable and equitable development. Successes in agriculture,
health care, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, nuclear energy, astronomy
and astrophysics, space technology and applications, defence research,
biotechnology, electronics, information technology and oceanography are
widely acknowledged. Major national achievements include very
significant increase in food production, eradication or control of
several diseases and increased life expectancy of our citizens. While
these developments have been highly satisfying, one is also aware of
die dramatic changes that have taken place, and continue to do so, in
die practice of science, in technology development, and their
relationships with, and impact on die society.
Particularly striking is die rapidity with which
science and technology is moving ahead. Science is becoming
increasingly inter-and multi-disciplinary, and calls for
multi-institutional and, in several cases, multi-country participation.
Major experimental facilities, even in several areas of basic
research, require very large amount of materials, human and
intellectual resources. Science and technology have become so closely
intertwined, and so reinforce each other that, to be effective, any
policy needs to view them together. The continuing revolutions in die
field of information and communication technology have had profound
impact on the manner and speed with which scientific information
becomes available, and scientific interactions take place.
Science and technology have had unprecedented impact
on economic growth and social development. Knowledge has become a
source of economic might and power. This has led to increased
restrictions on sharing of knowledge, to new norms of intellectual
property rights, and to global trade and technology control regimes.
Scientific and technological developments today also have deep ethical,
legal and social implications. There are deep concerns in society
about these. The ongoing globalization and the intensely competitive
environment have a significant impact on the production and service
sectors.
Because of all this, our science and technology
system has to be infused with new vitality if it is to play a decisive
and beneficial role hi advancing the well being of all sections of our
society. The nation continues to be firm in its resolve to support
science and technology in all its facets. It recognizes its central
role in raising the quality of life of the people of the country,
particularly of the disadvantaged sections of society, in creating
wealth for all, in making India globally competitive, in utilizing
natural resources in a sustainable manner, in protecting die
environment, and ensuring national security.
India has the third largest scientific and technical
manpower in the world; 162 universities award 4,000 doctorates and
35,000 post-graduate degrees and the Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research runs 40 research laboratories that have made some
significant achievements.
In the field of missile launch technology, India is
among the five top nations of the world. Science and Technology,
however, is used as an effective instrument of growth and change. It is
being brought into the mainstream of economic planning in the sectors
of agriculture, industry and services. The country's resources are used
to derive the maximum output for the benefit of society and
improvement in the quality of life. About 85 per cent of the funds for
science and technology come directly or indirectly from the Government.
The science and technology infrastructure in the country accounts for
more than one per cent of the GNP. Science and technology in India is
entering a new frontier.
The prime objective of India's nuclear energy
programme is the development and use of nuclear energy for peaceful
purposes such as power generation, applications in agriculture,
medicine, industry, research and other areas. India is today recognized
as one of the countries most advanced in nuclear technology including
production of source materials. The country is self-reliant and has
mastered the expertise covering the complete nuclear cycle-from
exploration and mining to power generation and waste management.
Accelerators and research and power reactors are now designed and built
indigenously. The sophisticated variable energy cyclotron at Kolkata
and a medium energy heavy ion accelerator 'pelletron' set up recently
at Mumbai are national research facilities in the frontier areas of the
science.
As part of its programme for peaceful uses of atomic
energy, India has also embarked on a program of nuclear power
generation. Currently eight nuclear stations are producing 8 billion
kilowatts of electricity. Four more nuclear power stations have been
planned. The new nuclear reactors have been completely designed in
India. The peaceful nuclear programme also includes producing
radio-isotopes for use in agriculture, medicine, industry and research.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), under
the Department of Space (DOS), is responsible for research, development
and operation in space systems in the areas of satellite
communications, remote sensing for resource survey, environmental
monitoring, meteorological services etc. DOS is also the nodal agency
for the Physical Research Laboratoty which conducts research in the
areas of space science, and the National Remote Sensing Agency which
deploys modern remote sensing techniques for natural resource surveys
and provides operational services to user agencies. India is the only
third world country to develop its own remote sensing satellite. India
joined a select group of six nations on October 15,1994, when the Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) successfully .accomplished its mission
of placing the 800-kg remote sensing satellite, IRS-P2, in the
intended orbit.
The INSAT series of satellites launched earlier are
performing well and provide vital services for telecommunications,
television, meteorology, disaster warning and distress detection. The
latest INSAT series will include new features like Kit-band
transponders and mobile satellite service, transponders. The
remote-sensing satellites, launched in 1988 and 1991, have already
become the mainstays of the natural resource management system of the
country. The projected launch of advanced remote sensing satellite will
not only enhance the scope of their application, but will also offer
commercial service to other countries.
The most significant milestone of the Indian Space
Programme during the year 2005-06 was the successful launch of PSLV-C6.
On may 5,2006, the ninth flight of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV-C6) from Satish Dhawan Space centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota
successfully placed two satellites-1560 kg CARTOSTAR-1 and 42 kg
HAMSAT-into a predetermined polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO). The
successful launch of INSAT-4A, the heaviest and most powerful Satellite
built by India so far, on 22 December 2005 was the other major event
of the year 2005-06. INSAT-4A is capable of providing Direct-To-Home
(DTH) television broadcasting services.
The Indian space programme entered a new era when
ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch vehicle (PSLV)-C7 successfully launched
on January 10,2007 four satellites into high polar orbit from Satish
Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota. The four satellites put into
orbit were India's CARTUSAT-2 and space Capsule Recovery Experiment.
(SRE-1), Indonesia's LAPAN-TUBSAT and Argentina's PEHUENSAT-1.
The Indian achievement in the application of
space-based remote sensing technology has led a US company to enter
into an agreement for marketing the data from Indian satellites
globally.
India's progress in space technology has attracted
worldwide attention and demand, with leasing agreements for marketing
of IRS data and supply of space hardware and services. India also
believes in co-operation in space with agencies all over the world. A
high-level UN team selected India for setting up a UN Centre for Space
Science and Technology Education. India is on the threshold of
achieving self-reliance in the launch capability. It will be a
befitting tribute to the father of the Indian space program, Dr.
Vikararn Sarabhai, whose 90th birth anniversary was observed in August
2006.
India has been the forerunner among the developing
countries in promoting multi-disciplinary activities in the field of
biotechnology, recognizing the practically unlimited possibility of
their applications in increasing agricultural and industrial
production, and in improving human and animal life. The nucleus of
research in this area is the National Biotechnology Board, constituted
in 1982. A Department of Biotechnology was created in 1986.
Recently, the Biotechnology Consortium India Limited
was set up. It will play the role of catalyst in bridging the gap
between Research and Development, Industrial and Financial
Institutions. Some of the new initiatives taken include developing
techniques for gene mapping, conservation of biodiversity and
bioindicators' research, special biotechnology programs for the benefit
of die scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and activities in the area
of plantation oops. The areas, which have been receiving attention,
are cattle herd improvement through embryo transfer technology, in
vitro propagation of disease resistant plant varieties for obtaining
higher yields, and development of vaccines for various diseases.
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) was established in
1942, and is today the premier institution for scientific and
industrial research. It has a network of 40 laboratories, two
co-operative industrial research institutions and more than 100
extension and field centres. The Council's research programs are
directed towards effective utilization of the country's natural
resources and development of new processes and products for economic
progress. It is now playing a leading role in the fulfillment of the
technology missions evolved by the Government.
Thus, we see that India has made unprecedented
development in the field of scientific research and technology during
the post-independence period and this just seems to be the beginning of
a road with endless possibilities. All we need is to plan and organize
in a way so as to be able to harness our intelligentsia in the right direction and provide it with the right opportunities.
Source:-
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