There are numerous strands in the fabric of science. Some of these originate from purely philosophical and abstract thin king. But the main thrust of science is to attempt to solve 'problems not previously solved or solve the old problems in newer ways. Any country, rich or poor, has to have a national commitment to the policy of building up, on its own soil, a broad base of scientific endeavour covering the basic as well as applied R & D areas. It is of crucial importance that each country affords opportunities to its truly creative scientists to grow and function in the way their genius dictates. There cannot be two sets of standards in scientific research-one for the rich countries and yet another for the poor countries. Doubtless there will be quantitative differences between them with regard to funding and productivity; but qualitatively they have to be of the same class. And to be able to provide support to those engaged in extending the frontiers of knowledge,each country should put to work team of innovators-the applied scientists whose main concern will be to contribute to the growth of the GNP With the exception of a few truly backward regions of the world, all the countries are 20th century technological societies. On the technological highway, they have all travel led beyond the point of no return. Just a few decades ago, even the most astute of visionaries could not guess the pace at which technology would advance. What is baffling is that there is such a serious imbalance today in the global picture of development. In many areas, technology is imbedded in a primitive and stifling social matrix. Yet we cannot arrest the forward movement and stay put. Kenneth Boulding, the eminent economist makes this refreshing point: The spectacular changes that have taken place in a small segment of the earth's activity, such as in computer technology or cybernation, should not blind us to the fact that, over a larger section of human society, the great and intractable problem of today is not how to deal with technology that is advancing too rapidly but how to advance it rapidly enough to meet the challenge of fulfilling felt needs. Science and Technology have the power to obliterate, scarcity and to create abundance; conquer disease and assure for man a better life expectancy and health care during his journey on earth; and provide numerous devices that can help to eliminate the pain of human labour and leave time for leisure and the enjoyment of the good things of life. But these expectations have not come to fruition. Poverty and hunger were never a graver threat than today to large sections of the human population. Life continues to be a mixture of strife and antagonistic urges. Swedish Scientist, Hannes Alfven describes the current dilemma in these words: Medical Science has successfully fought epidemics, but has forgotten that the population explosion which has resulted from this success is a serious threat in the long run. Electronics has made communication the entire World over even much easier but communication between the rich and the poor in Society is today worse than at any time before. Despite the availability of very sophisticated observational techniques, scientists are unable to observe and understand social conditions prevailing just outside the walls of their laboratories. In this so-called age of Science, the number of illiterates is increasing at a fast rate. Science pays little heed to what was and still continues to be its primary task which is to fight ignorance, prejudice, superstition and violence wherever they appear. In many respects, the relationship between Science and Society must change. This calls for a new thinking and several bold initiatives. The role of Science in War was relatively small prior to the Second World War. The destruction wrought during that War in several parts of the World and the menacing, destructive posture of many nations in the decades that have followed-owing to the power that Science puts in their armouries have tarnished the image of Science in the public mind. Besides the horrendous weapons of annihilation, there are numerous ills that afflict human society and these are due to changes brought about by Science and Technology. Some of these applications were conceived of with very good intentions but, in the long term, their consequences have become untoward. Well-known examples are : resources depletion and environmental degradation. Every now and then, a technological innovation starts a new hazard e.g. use of DDT ; distortions produced by thalidomide ; climatological changes resulting from altering the characteristics of the atmosphere or the ocean ; experiments in recombinant DNA-technology which may inadvertently produce new plant, animal or human pathogens that may disrupt crucial biological equilibria. It is possible to conceive of the scientific community itself exercising a policy of restraint and conforming to a code of moral conduct, remembering the plea made by Einstein, for the attention of his fellow-scientists, that the concern for man and his destiny ought to remain the chief motivating force behind all technical effort. Independence of opinion on the part of all concerned, openness in discussion and a coupling of scientific capabilities with moral values are among the major ingredients of a possible solution. There is observable a marked imbalance between the rate at which the frontiers of knowledge are expanding and the rate at which the newly acquired knowledge becomes integrated and gets consolidated. The process of integration, making Science more coherent and hence more easily comprehensible, is a more difficult process than merely expanding the territories of knowledge. Science appears to show no concern for this aspect. In its cold and objective march forward, it has ignored and left behind humanism as a factor in the affairs of mankind. In our context, a strong-willed movement to integrate Science with Humanities should become the corner-stone of our educational effort. We should endeavour to create a perception in the minds of all concerned that Science supports and clarifies the philosophies of Nature and of man embodied in the arts of the classical cultures. We should equally strive hard to salvage human values inherent in the cultural traditions of the East and the West and to find in them meaning and relevance for our times. Where Science can help is to accept humanism as its foundation and then lend its methods of observation and reasoning to regions of human experience which lie in the domain of the moral and the ethical and which have thus far evaded an objective approach. It is only within the framework of precise, objective knowledge that we may hope to re-establish the old set of values as a factor of consequence in human relations. This process has to start with the individual, with the introduction of harmony between his inner and outer life, leading to harmony between him and groups and between groups and groups and eventually between nations and nations. The methods of Science can help to demonstrate the validity and force of some truths: that neither truth nor the implementation of an idea is the monopoly of the individual, a group or a nation ; the imperative of co-operation rules out the idea of domination of one group by another ; and progress can take place only on the basis of equality, mutual respect and concern for the common good. We need to generate a new quality of Science based on the understanding that Science should not confine itself to the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake but should become suffused with a moral force. We have landed ourselves in difficulties because Scientists, with rare exceptions, have been content to be the brick-layers of the edifice of Science. In the new World that we envision, in order to survive and to progress, the Scientist can no longer practice, as well. In the midst of our pragmatic concerns, we should do all that we can to safeguard this vision of Science and the pursuit of creativity that it inspires.
A plea is often made that we should turn away from the complexities
of today and go back to the age of simplicity of our forefathers. This
means calling a halt to the advance of technology. While it is desirable
that we look for simplicity in our lives and evolve value-systems that
make the minimum demands on energy, non-renewable resources and environmental
conditions, it is quite clear that, in order to meet the essential requirements
of food, shelter and clothing of the population, we need to make full
and judicious use of all the scientific advances that are taking place
; and many new and innovative developments are called for. It is time to give a new direction to Science and Technology-to change the course that has been followed since the Industrial Revolution. We must aim at a unified view of global-not only national-needs. A multi-national effort is needed to solve the elementary problems of all the peoples of the World-in the areas of food, medicine and health-care, housing and education. Research is needed to increase agricultural production with a minimum of inputs dependent on oil and coal. We must prevent the misapplication and the waste of the wealth of our rivers and lakes, forests and mines. We must befriend the sun. The wind and the tides and find ways to utilize some of their tremendous reserves of power for human welfare. A whole new technology of conservation is indicated and a new psychology that will teach people to overcome the logic of the jungle that the stronger has the right to consume more.
Technology makes spectacular advances through the use of the scientific method. Concurrently great scientific achievements take place because of the technological tools that become available. We witness development in the interconnected areas of nuclear science and technology, covering nuclear weapons-systems, nuclear power systems. The application of isotopes in medicine etc. Nuclear technology has been strongly influenced by scientific advances in materials science, chemistry, electronics and instrumentation. To cite another example, the rapid developments that have come about in the field of Laser Technology have given a new momentum to areas of Science such as Spectroscopy that were areas of fundamental importance in earlier times and were characterized by great discoveries. The new field of Quantum Electronics has emerged from this interplay of advances.
Thanks to rapid advances in the field of Computer Science and Technology, both in terms of hardware and software, the Electronic Computer is proving itself to be more than just a productivity engine. A U.N. Document refers to it as "the intellect-amplifier" invented by man. It is well on its way to becoming a responsive personal companion to ordinary people, at home as well as their work-places. Advances in micro-electronics make information-systems both affordable and sophisticated enough for wide-spread use. The innovation-challenge in this field is not just technical. It lies in the matching of the broad spectrum of new technologies for service to the informational, educational and cultural needs of people constituting contemporary Society. It is quite obvious that Technology has a key-role to play in determining the character and vitality of the socio-economic system as a whole. Less than a decade ao, the cost of energy remained a small part of the total cost of any output. This resulted from the historical situation in which the population was small and energy resources in the form of wood, coal, oil and hydro-electricity appeared to be of infinite capacity. Technological development was based on the idea that energy would be available easily and at low cost. Neither of these assumptions is valid today. The world population has escalated tremendously and there is no sign of abatement. It is now clear that the future of human society lies in the development of technologies that are not energy-intensive. This is a distinct change that has come about in a short spell of time. This represents an opportunity for countries like ours to leapfrog into technologies of the future which must be low energy-intensive and where everyone in the World is roughly at the same starting point. The environment has assumed a position of crucial significance within the last decade or so. Earlier the sea around us, the rivers and the atmosphere were capable of absorbing all the end-products of human activity. It did not matter what waste-products were produced; .and they, when produced, could be discharged into the air, the rivers and the sea. Today the situation is vastly different, with a large and growing population in many parts of the World, increasing human activities and the limited capacity of the earth to absorb the effluents. The environmental protection calls for urgent attention - regulations relating to air and water pollution; control of toxicities in the short-term as well as long-term; preservation of the global heat-balance; control of the temperature of water-bodies. It is clear that the development of future technologies must be directed toward attaining a greater degree of harmony with the environment, through the development of processes that result in lesser generation of pollutants and through steps to absorb or destroy pollutants. Technologies developed in industrial countries have addressed labour-saving techniques in view of the high cost of labour. On the other hand, our need is to provide gainful employment to large sections of our population. Energy is expensive and not easily accessible; the safeguarding of our environment has assumed special significance; the provision of gainful and satisfying employment to large numbers of men and women has become a key-issue. We have to look at the technological options in the light of the economic and social needs of our Society. We have to devise our own action-oriented programmes. No one from outside can be of genuine assistance to this in this regard. The pathway to self-reliance is not to set out to rediscover independently what as already been discovered not to invent what has been invented already elsewhere. It signifies the ability to analyze problems and define tasks and objects; to obtain specific information that is needed from sources that are willing and can provide what is relevant to our needs; to acquire self-confidence in our ability to develop what needs to be developed; to start from a base which may be a mix of indigenous and imported know how; and to more into the future on a contemporaneous basis through bold initiatives and new thinking. Self-reliance needs a national commitment and political will that supports it. It encompasses facets such as technology policy, managerial capacities and technical skills. `The most critical requirement is a self-reliant science and technology basis: We should dedicate ourselves to the following objectives:- The attainment of technological competence, with special reference to certain strategic areas, making the maximum use of indigenous resources; - Generation of meaningful and satisfying employment to all strata of society, with emphasis on the employment of women and the weaker social groups; - The use of traditional skills and capabilities, making them commercially competitive, and a continual effort to modernize them to make them competitive in the World of today; - Maximizing development with minimum capital outlay ; identification and removal of obsolescence in existing practices, both in terms of equipment and techniques ; - Fuller utilization of existing capacities and enhancement of the quality and reliability of performance and output.
We should reduce our demands on energy particularly from non-renewable sources; strive for greater harmony with the environment preserving the ecological balance and improving the quality of the habitat; and mount crash-programmes to recycle waste-material and achieve fuller utilization of by-products.
Universities and other institutions of higher education are invariably
idiosyncratic and it is in general impracticable to try simply to transfer
successful patterns from one institution to another. While it is myopic
and incorrect to dismiss Universities as remote ivory-towers, it is
equally a trivialization of the potential of a University to regard
it as standing in relationship to Industry as a supplier to a client,
producing graduates and research results on order. The kind of relationship
that ought to exist between academia and industry is a subtle one in
which the University utilizes its autonomy to try to take the longer,
strategic view, in a genuine spirit of cooperation in which, in fact,
there is a distinct complimentary of roles, as between the two partners.
Technology and its development are immensely important intellectual
endeavours that demand the very best of human creative skills. We should enlarge the scope of functioning of Engineering Consultancy Units of which we have many happy examples with successful accomplishments-to facilitate the conversion of ideas and capabilities from laboratory to production centres. In the process of transfer to technology from the donor to the acceptor, it is essential to provide basic information on those aspects that went into the generation of the technology or a particular design. The availability of such information will help to build the spring-board for further development. We all recognize that sizeable investments are called for at this critical juncture. If appropriate investments are not made on indigenous efforts, money that is available will flow out on import of goods, capital equipment and technology; and our backwardness will be perpetuated. In a White paper submitted to the Parliament of India on the vistas of our national development in the fields of Nuclear Energy and Space Technology, Indian Scientist Vikram Sarabhai made this observation: Our late arrival on the scene, our initial backwardness and the meagre investments made by us in the past need not be allowed to remain our handicaps but can be converted into our most valuable assets if we now clearly define our priorities, make judicious investments and rake firm forward steps with confidence in our ability to manage our affairs competently. Ever since we became a free nation, we have made a sustained effort to improve the economy of the country, to grow more food, to lessen the pain of hunger and malnutrition, to generate wider employment and to improve living conditions of the people as a whole. We have attempted to restructure our educational system and meet the awesome challenges posed by the immensity of our population. We have addressed ourselves to the imperatives of self-reliant growth of science and technology to fulfill our felt needs. We have succeeded on a number of fronts that will help to enthuse us
in our efforts to reach higher levels of performance. There are glaring
failures too that cast a doubt on our ability to rise above our difficulties
and move forward on the path of progress. There is in evidence a rising
crescendo of fissiparous tendencies challenging the integrity of those
who wish to preserve the unity of the country. The daily newspapers are
replete with reports that indicate a sliding down inhuman values, the
onset of violence for securing immediate material gains putting narrow,
selfish ends over the larger interest of the community and a lowering
of respect for truth and purity in public life. Many of our villages remain untouched by the changes taking place elsewhere. Whatever changes take place are the trickle-down effects of changes in towns and cities brought about by the introduction of modern industry and technology. The rural sector quite often acts as a drag on the rest of the economy. We complain about the slow pace of change. On the other hand, when change takes place rapidly, certain sections of the community tend to appropriate to themselves a larger share of the benefits than is their due. A sudden access to wealth; has led to several abuses including a penchant for black money, which started with the business community and has now spread to other classes. Can it be said that our growth has suffered due to lack of resources? This may have been true in the early years when nearly everything that we needed for development had to be imported -capital, technology and management skills. Today we are not short of capital of technology or management skills. What keeps us down is not lack of resources but the lack of ability to use them intelligently and efficiently. If we do not develop this capacity, we will surely descend into mediocrity and be pre-occupied with trivial activities
In the process of civilization, the cake of custom is broken and Society is set in dynamic motion along the course of change and progress. There are two Indian characteristics that we may take note of: One is that we do not fight. We absorb what we wish to absorb and reject most influences on us. We have learnt through centuries to fight these influences but we reject them peacefully. In India, reformers have found that when they try to chip at the cake of custom, it is the chisel that cracks rather than the cake; for example, the cake of the caste-system or the cult of the dowry-system. Introducing Computers into such a society will not by itself modenise the Society. It will only help to usher in another item of greed and exploitation. Modernization has to address itself to the motives, the values and conduct of each person in society. Arnold Toynbee, the eminent historian points out that, growth ceases, a sense of drift and a sense of sin take over. The sense of drift comes from a belief that the whole world ruled through chance or by Karma; that no change Can or will come and hence the effort is not worth making. We have lived under the thraldom of drift for centuries and must continue to do so. If there is a sense of sin, there is hope because it can serve as a stimulus for change.
All around us we see a heightened awareness of the problems being created by advances in. Science and technology, affecting our environment and threatening the future of the human race. Our concerns transcend or abilities to deal with these problems. We do not yet see with clarity how we may deploy our resources in a constructive manner and do this even as our scientific and technological capabilities get enhanced,
We should rise above certain illusions. Science and
technology cannot wish away poverty at one stroke though they can show
how this can be optimally done in the long run. Science and technology
cannot by themselves generate employment or counter under-employment
but they can be used to develop appropriate-techniques that may be employed
and to analyze their cost-effectiveness in attaining the desired goals.
How Science and Technology can be used to meet human expectations is
a matter of commitment to social justice. The exploitation of knowledge for the benefit of mankind is a complex, arduous process. Human societies are more difficult to deal with than we thought at one time. Every intervention in human affairs produces unforeseen complications. In the ultimate analysis, it is only an incisive understanding of the human factors-combined with the new capabilities that flow from advances in Science and Technology that will help to achieve a World of decency, of increasing opportunity for individual development and of social life based on compassion and cooperation. There is only one choice before us and it is the one that calls upon us to move to a higher level of understanding, of sophistication and of sensitivity in our use of Science and Technology and in our service to Society on mankind's behalf. Science and Technology affect the lives of all of us. Major decisions involving the investments that we make in the areas of Science and Technology should be the responsibility of all of us. These should be essentially public decisions. This, in turn, demands that all members of Society must be educated and made to feel concerned about the nature of the advances in Science and Technology and their impact on society. We need the visualization and articulation of a series of humane goals to me. It is only when we hold this that we will be able to lift Science & Technology from out of the rut into which they have fallen and invest them with meaning and purpose in human terms. We have met here to achieve a discernment of such goals and ways of moving towards them in a manner that is commensurate with our aspirations conditioned by our limitations and constraints. In the words of Prof. Alfred North Whitehead: The future of humanity is filled with threats, hazards and uncertainties. And it is among the merits of Science that it shows us the path towards progress and the way oat of difficulties. This Workshop is an attempt to promote thinking on the modus operandi,
in our context, of using the advances in Science and Technology to promote
the welfare of the Society to which we belong. * Paper presented in the curriculum Development Workshop, New Delhi on Social Responsibilities of Scientists, Technologists. Co-ordinator Prof Anuradha Sharam & Prof Raka Sharan.
One cannot ignore the danger to ecology and the environment due to lack of industrial discipline. It is common knowledge that the pollution in the big cities has reached alarming levels. There is little control on the quality of industrial effluents discharged in our water systems or on the quality of motor vehicle exhausts polluting the environment. Even in such routine activities as road building, construction, telephone system, power and water supply etc. This quality control is conspicuous by its absence. Little sensitivity is shown in such important activities as felling of trees, mining, construction of dams, location of industries, fire safety, traffic flow etc. The general apathy to such macro-level problems leads one to the depressing conclusion that the state of affairs will become much worse before it becomes better. kless consumption of petroleum products and industrial pollution has resulted in what is called `The Green House Effect.' Scientists believe that it is leading to a general rise in the earth's temperature. It is estimated that the temperature has already risen by about 2°C. Such a trend will eventually bring in its wake melting of polar caps and increase in the water levels. Many coastal cities and even some entire countries (e.g. Maldives) are in danger of being completely wiped out by the floods feared on this account. The protective ozone layer in our atmosphere has also suffered and holes as big in size as the continent of Antarctica have appeared in this layer. It is well known that this layer protects the inhabitants of the earth by filtering out harmful radiations from the sun (e.g. ultra violet rays). The depletion of this layer will bring in its wake a chain of diseases and disasters to the inhabitants of the earth. In the technologically advanced countries a number of voluntary and official agencies are working for the protection of environment. Consumer protection agencies also operate to ensure quality control. The increase in the volume of litigation and importance of legal profession in the U.S.A. today is an index of the awareness of the people to their rights of quality control and proper maintenance of all services e.g. telephone, and power supply. Public awareness of such issues is bound to increase in India also. One can safely conclude that all developing countries will pass through the same cycle of euphoria and depression as is witnessed in advanced countries in their technological progress. Developing countries often borrow technology from developed countries without realizing that much of the developed countries' discipline and attitudes are often built into the technology. It is essential that along with the machinery, the related work culture and organization is also transplanted for the optimum operation of the particular machinery. Environmental protection ensuring ecological balance, quality control and proper maintenance of services are some of the most urgent issues that need to be clearly understood and analyzed by the engineers and technocrats. To this end there are two essential requirements. Firstly the engineers will need to be experts in handling the sophisticated machinery and equipment. Secondly they will also need to develop leadership qualities to efficiently run huge engineering projects that will continue to proliferate in the course of development. In large complex projects it is essential that people work as a team. The days of lone heroes and indispensable autocrats are over. An engineer today has to work in harmony with his peers, his superiors and his subordinates. This democratization of work culture puts a heavy responsibility on engineers and managers to ensure regular training, updating of skills and career management of the staff engaged in a project. The Indian Scenario: In the following section we discuss few examples from India. Most of the
companies in their Annual Board meetings make it a point to discuss the
issue of Social responsibilities. Some organizations have adopted villages,
developed schools and are distributing facilities of training like handicrafts
and machines etc. at the level of government there are concerned towards
ecology and environment. Ganga cleaning project and Yamuna cleaning plans
are few examples. However there are areas where we have failed the test
of Social responsibilities. Municipalities for example need to gear themselves.
Issues of waste management are one of the challenging tasks for the municipalities.
Delhi city alone generates about 80 million tonnes of garbage; Sushil
has discussed waste management as social responsibilities of scientists
and technologists.
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