Give Science a Chance
| Date :03-Jan-2023 |
Sir Shanti S Bhatnagar
“Before I begin my address, I must refer to the sad loss which our country and the world of Science has suffered by the passing away of our great Acharya Sir Prafulla Chandra Ray. He was President of the session when the Indian Science Congress first met at Nagpur in 1918. Men of his type are not born everyday, and our motherland will not easily recover from the shock caused by the death of a son so highly distinguished for his scientific achievements and patriotic services in many fields.
“The technique of operational research, the use of scientific methods of determining tactics of developing a national food policy, the discovery of penicillin and DDT all these have contributed much to the realisation by the common man and the Government that organised Science is one of the most important factors in national development. It is a tragedy that a ruthless war and almost universal bloodshed should be necessary for this new awakening, for it should have been obvious without it that Science can play and must play an essential part for human advancement. In fact, unless opportunities are provided for Science to explore these possibilities for human betterment, a better world cannot be created.
“Out of the many important recommendations made by the Association of Scientific Workers for the expansion of scientific activities in the universities, the following are quoted so that the Indian universities may take a lesson from what is now the train of thought in Great Britain:
1. Schools of fundamental research must be fostered in the universities, expansion proceeding as fast as talent appears.
2. All graduates with an aptitude for research should be offered full maintenance while working for a higher degree.
3. Research fellowships should be provided for those who have taken doctorate degree.
4. When men are appointed mainly to do research they should have the same status and salary as those appointed mainly for teaching.
5. Research committees should be set up in every university to watch over the development of research, especially in borderline subjects, and prepare an annual research budget.
6. The education and training of laboratory technicians should be given immediate attention. Courses should be planned for general education and technical training.
7. The wages of technicians must be revised upwards forthwith if the universities are to attract the right type of personnel.
8. Centralised technical services and supplies for research should be established in each university. These should include facilities such as a typewriting pool and a statistical service.
9. Departments of Applied Science should be brought into being, as they are bound to play an important part in the university.
10. Industrial development work should be carried out in Research Association laboratories; but where these Research Associations do not exist, the university laboratories may be employed.
11. Academic scientists should be allowed to act as consultants or advisory directors of research to research associations and should be given leave to spend long vacations in industrial laboratories.
12. Properly supervised research in selected Research Associations and Government laboratories should be allowed as part of or a full qualification for a higher degree.
“The future of Science in the British universities would thus be assured. This must serve as an incentive to our Vice-Chancellors who should ask the nation and Government for more grants for technical education and developments of Sciences in the Indian universities. I have been told that at least in two Universities in India, scientific research is now positively discouraged and (in the name of economy) admission to research students, in spite of the willingness of the professors concerned, is almost completely prohibited. I take this opportunity of drawing the attention of those who love their country and wish it well to see that the field of University education is kept as free from narrow communalism and politics as possible. Since politics has begun to play a part in the selection and election of Vice-Chancellors, the University standards in India have tended to deteriorate instead of showing an improvement and if these evils are not looked into by the Chancellors and the Courts of the Indian Universities, these institutions will cease to be real seats of learning and will turn into areas for political ambitions.
“If Indian industry has to rise, and rise it must, to its proper stature in time, it must begin to devote more attention to expenditure on research. There is hardly any industrial organisation in India except Tatas which provides even reasonable facilities for scientific and industrial research. Lately Mr G D Birla and Sir Shri Ram have shown some interest in scientific research, but much has yet to be done by Science to save the existing industries in India from extinction by outside competition after the war. The newly started industrial units of India should join together and form Industrial Research Associations, and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Government should subsidise the organisations so that they may blossom forth into hopeful industries of the future India.”
“Perhaps the most important factor which will have worldwide implications will be our attempt to raise the standard of living in India. Politics does play an important part in all events. It is obvious that the best and quickest way of bringing about national development is for India to have a National government, representative of the people. The present absence, however, of such a Government does not justify that the thinking men and women of India should not devise ways and means of bettering the lot of their fellow-beings to the best of their ability under present circumstances and in view of the future. I am not convinced that the rich and the wise in the land have done all they can for agricultural and industrial development of India.
“It has been urged by some that the problem of India is largely biological; that health, food and population are our real bottle-necks. Those who know India intimately are fully aware of the facts that attention to agriculture alone cannot solve the problem of India’s poverty. Biology must be helped by Physics, Chemistry and Engineering, even by Mathematics. India cannot be healthy, prosperous and self-respecting, and education, medicine, and agriculture cannot play their important role, unless a good bit of India’s population is devoted to pursuits other than agricultural.
“In a previous paper, I have described the orders of priority for some of the industries essential to India’s development. In that paper, the first place was given by me to the development of power and there seems to be now a general consensus of opinion that India must develop her hydro-electric and other power resources as her coal resources are already severely strained. This project will have to be largely financed by the State, as it is far too big for any private enterprise in India. The State will also have to help big basic industries and heavy engineering. We should, by all methods of persuasion and even threats, appeal to existing industries in India to develop the by-products industries associated with them. For example, the great jute industry in India should take immediate steps to manufacture such things as jute-boards, Brattice cloth, jute felt from jute waste, jute containers and jute cloth for wearing purposes. The State and the public should insist upon these industries being developed by the Jute industry itself.
“Similarly, it should be the duty of the sugar industry that their by-products such as molasses and bagasse should not be used wastefully as at present. Power alcohol furfural and its derivatives, acetic acid and all sorts of plastics and solvents can be made from these by-products and these should occupy the immediate attention of the promoters of our sugar industry. They have sufficient money to invest in these ventures, which may not start paying dividends all at once, but they will eventually be all very worthwhile in national planning and development. If I would not be misunderstood, I would make a suggestion to those European and Indian friends who are interested in the industrialisation of India not to fight for less or more to either side, but to come to terms honourable for both and do something to help Indian industry.
“It is obvious that European friends in India will have to yield to the natural aspirations of India, namely that industry in India should be largely managed by Indians themselves. Indian businessmen should see that co-operation with the allied powers is the quickest method of developing India. The energy spent in fighting may be better spent in co-operative development. If the by-product industries of coal distillation, petroleum industry, textile industry, woolen, cotton, sugar and jute industries and metallurgical and chemical industries are developed, the country will have a different complexion altogether, and a co-ordinated programme of development in all directions will become a possibility. This plea I am entitled to make as President of the Indian Science Congress, as I am convinced that Science has no future in India unless our agriculture and our industries are fully developed; more food and more health are dependent upon these factors. Scientific and industrial research thrives best when it is applied to material benefit to human kind and to existing industries and existing agricultural enterprise.
“It is my considered opinion that the members of the Council of State and Assembly in India could well form such an organisation as the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee. This would keep them in touch with all the problems of modern interest such as technology, science, agriculture, food and health. They could help by talking over matters with Honourable Members privately or by asking questions on the floors of the two Houses. Such an organisation would enable our legislators to take an intelligent interest in the terrific task of reconstruction which faces our country. This would also lead them to appreciate the role of scientific men in modern society.
“India needs not only scientific researchers but also technicians -- persons of the foreman type who can help in the running and repairs of machinery so essential for industrialisation.
“I dream of the Tennessee Valley, but not without hope; for all this may happen to any river valley in India, to the Damodar, to the Ganges, to the Sutlej, to the Nurbudda, to the Sone; if the people and the Government just give science a chance.”
(Excerpted from the version published in ‘Everyman’s Science’ Vol XLII No 4, Oct-Nov 2007.)
