Page 46 - Scientech 2016-17

Science & Technology For Resurgence:
Science & Technology For Resurgence:
Re-Engineering Indian Science
Re-Engineering Indian Science
Prof. B.N. Jagatap
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
Mumbai
India is perhaps facing some of the stiffest every month about 1 million Indians enter
challenges in the field of economic and the job market. While the economy is poised
social developments. India figures in world’s to grow at a healthy rate of in excess of 7.5-
ten largest economies. However, in terms of 8.0%, this growth rate is not accompanied
the per capita GDP, which is a meaningful by matching growth in creation of new jobs.
measure of the economic prosperity, Experts argue that the Indian economy has
her world rank is 164. IMF data of 2013 become more of capital intensive economy;
suggests that if Indian economy grows therefore its potential to create new jobs is
annually at 8% and other economies remain weakening day by day. India’s world ranking
stagnant, India will take about 20 and 50 as per the human development index is 135;
years to match per capita GDP of China and the low rank speaks of the accessibility of her
US respectively. Economic survey of 2014- citizens to energy, health care, education,
15 shows that the country has become a sanitation, drinking water etc. etc. For
services hub; the manufacturing sector’s example, more than 50% of India faces high
contribution to the economy is about 18%, to extremely high water stress and over
which translates into about 1.8% share in 600 million are at the risk of water supply
the world manufacturing. Compare this disruption. The quality of water in respect
situation with China where manufacturing is of contaminants like chloride, fluoride, iron,
about 34% of the GDP and share in the world arsenic and nitrate is also a big concern; out
manufacturing is 13.7%. It is imperative of 632 districts surveyed, only 59 districts
therefore to ask whether manufacturing in had safe drinking water.
India can be 25% of the GDP in near future
considering the fact that its contribution has Interestingly almost all issues discussed
remained near stagnant over past several above fall in the realm of science and
years. Needless to say that this issue is at technology (S&T). In fact S&T permits us
the heart of the national campaign namely to view these problems in an integrated
‘Make in India’. Employment is also a manner and provide appropriate solutions.
subject of immediate concern. India’s 65% Prof. John Holdren, in his presidential
population is below 35 years of age and address at the annual meeting of the
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- www.sifbahrain.com www.sifbahrain.com
-
American Association for the Advancement in the output per head due to technical
of Science (San Francisco, February 15,
2007), has highlighted the importance of
S&T in sustainable human development
with specific role such as, improvement the aggregate production function’ wherein
of the understanding of threats and he has considered ‘segregating variation
possibilities;
in
enabling
advances
technology to drive economic growth via new change from those due to changes in the
increased productivity; reducing resource progress contributes to the economic growth
use and environmental impact; managing through discovery of new materials, new
products/services with reduced cost and availability of capital per head’. Technical
the competition for land, soil, water and resources, new processes and new products,
primary productivity; mastering the energy- upward shift in production, lowering of
economy-environment dilemma; meeting input/output ratio, technical progress in
the needs of the poor through eradicating inputs, substitution of limitational inputs
poverty and hunger, and improving health; by new materials etc. etc. These benefits of
and so on so forth. These issues are also well technical change must be made available to
appreciated and understood in the context India’s manufacturing sectors as well as to
of Indian S&T ecosystem. However, the the social sectors through appropriate S&T.
S&T community seems to have got caught Harvey Firestone had said ‘Capital isn’t so
between the trappings of ‘global’ vs ‘local’ important in business. Experience isn’t so
S&T, and therefore appears to have got important. You can get both these things.
disconnected from the national economic What is important is idea. If you have ideas,
and social realities. This disconnect can you have the main asset you need and there
be very well understood from the fact that isn’t any limit to what you can do with your
in 2015, India’s world rank in publication business and life’. The challenge before the
of scientific papers was 6 while that in the S&T community of India is to produce such
human resource development was 135 ideas, which build new business, make old
and that in per capita GDP was 164. What business competitive and which can empower
India needs today is a paradigm shift in our the youth of the country as entrepreneurs.
approach and practice of S&T to encompass Embedded in this challenge and the related
three essential elements: S&T for social and endeavors are the issues such as enhanced
economic development, S&T solutions that productivity, creation of wealth and jobs,
are India centric and S&T solutions which sustenance of environment, access to water
have significant diffusion potential in the and low cost health care etc. etc.
India context. In the Chemistry Group of Bhabha Atomic
Noted economist R. Solov has made significant Research Centre (BARC), we have been
observations on the contribution of technical experimenting on a model of S&T that
change to economic growth in his famous is focused on the social and economic
paper of 1957 entitled ‘Technical change and development. These efforts have resulted in
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