IS SCIENCE REALLY NOW FOR HUMANITY'S SAKE ?
ARVIND K.PANDEY
Asian countries, especially Japan, are newly enamored with the wonders of science.Scientific innovations have great ability to untangle the painful complexities of human life but it seems that’s not researchers’ primary aim.Instead of pursuing humanitarian goals, science has become a tool for maintaining the rapid tempo of business globalization.In countries like India, scientific research has a vast but untapped potential for raising the living standards of the lower classes.
Asian scientists, however, see the Indian marketplace as a battleground for big brands, which are offering innovative products at attractive prices. It’s unfortunate that Asian governments have no agenda that includes bringing a change in the quality of life to the vast segment of humanity living below the poverty line.There is great need to revive interest in scientific projects that really make a difference in people’s lives.
In a recent survey conducted that only few thousands of students out of lakhs of engineering students go in for research projects.Only one percent of student graduating from IIT and IISc in B tech enroll themselves for M Tech and merely two percent M Tech students opt for PhD.According to report submitted by US study the research output in China has increased more than 25 times in comparison with India’s progression and the scientific papers of Chinese scientists published in quality journals increased by over 104 times.On the other hand,the Indian scientific research publishing increased only by 2.3 times.China spends about 1.3 per cent of its GDP on R&D while India spends about US$ 5 billion on R&D every year only that is 0.9 per cent of the GNP.
It’s really sad that for most of them good salary prospects is the real guiding factor for choosing engineering or medicine fields.No wonder we are nowhere during nominations for Nobel Prize.
