There are no limits to knowledge. 21st century has seen great advancement in the field of science and technology that has changed life. But to think that this is the end of knowledge and nothing more can be explored is not true. Human ingenuity has no limit and as long as it works, there will be deep probing in the realms of knowledge. Mankind is still at the threshold of space science. The future generations will be immensely interested to explore what lies beyond the planets we know or see.
Our country and our leaders attached due importance to science, technology and engineering as the vehicles of progress. As such the country developed a vast network of institutes, colleges and centres where student community was introduced to the world of science. The country developed technical institutes and universities expanded the scope of teaching and research in the fields of science in technology. This was necessitated by the size of the country. The net result is that today India has a vast scientific and technological manpower. This is a very encouraging aspect of our social and national development and we have to be rightly proud of it.
But we cannot rest content with just producing a large body of young people who are educated in science and technology. The ultimate purpose is that these instruments of progress and development have to be used in practical way so that the large population of the country derives benefit from it, changes life style and provides them with facilities that make for them a better life. We have still poverty and deprivation looming large and we have still illiteracy among a vast rural population. We need to remove this miserable poverty and deprivation through the use of science and technology. President, Pranab Mukherjee was the first who pointed out a big deficiency in our use of scientific and technological expertise for innovative purposes. This weakness or drawback is also pointed out by Mr. Avinash Chander, Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister and DRDO chief while he was addressing the 3rd convocation of Siksha O Anusandhan (SOA) University in Bhubaneswar. His advice to the students and teachers of science and technology was to develop the faculty of innovation. There was a time when our country needed to buy technology because we lagged behind in many ways. But with the passage of time that phase has gone, and in the new phase we have made great advances in the field of science and technology. However, it is to be pointed out that the type of education, research and work that is going on in many technical institutions of the country, is not helping in making innovations that would ultimately go to the benefit of ordinary citizen of this country. In other words, there still exists a gap between what our needs are and what we can make available. This country has great potential, and science, technology and engineering are the three branches of knowledge that are vehicles of progress and development. We need to cultivate the culture of originality and innovation. In the areas of agriculture, industries, communication, transport and other vital segments our innovative enterprise can bring about sea change. Science and technology have to be pressed into the service for alleviating poverty and deprivation of our people.
Research and innovative atmosphere in our universities is not up to the mark. Let us acknowledge that this weakness has to be overcome. Our universities and institutions of higher education are churning out educated youth but not innovative scientists and technocrats who can think and invent through sheer force of their intellectual prowess. The disturbing thing is that when a young Indian scientist or technocrat finds an opening in western developed country, he makes innovations and researches of high standard which are appreciated. Why is he not able to show same enterprise when in his own country? Perhaps the reason for this is that there is still some shortcoming in the environment and culture in which a researcher has to work in India while he finds a different, very congenial atmosphere when working in a foreign university. Therefore, we need to find out what is wrong with the research culture in our universities and institutions of higher education. The quality of research depends on many factors, teaching standard, guidance, scholarship, living conditions and institutional assistance. Researchers at higher institutions need to cooperate and conduct collective researches. This is also what the Chief of DRDO emphasized.
Incidentally Lord Swraj Paul, the Indian born British industrialist, while speaking at the convocation ceremony of his alma mater, Doaba College Jalandhar, had almost identical views to express in regard to fall in the standard of research and education in our institutions. He said that education was the key to all round development and the need was innovative research in Indian universities.
Finally, we come to the conclusion that our universities and technical institutions shall have to address the issue why innovative research has slackened and how it can be activated. Maybe there is need for reformation in the system to make it more research oriented. May be researches have to be given priority in these institutions and meritorious students have to be motivated to undertake researches that become beneficial to the civil society and to national development.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel