I am just back from attending the 58th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Hyderabad. I must say there was a shocking trend that unraveled itself, opening up the very mindset of Indian scientists. It had to happen there, for all to see!
Indian space scientists were busy ranting about their achievements rather than outlaying their plans hoping to collaborate with scientists from other countries who were there as delegates.
It was almost as a rule rater than exception.
There was this session on satellite services and applications, in which all foreign scientists presented imaginative, though achievable, projects and discussed possibilities of collaboration. These presentations evoked instant responses from the audiences through bright questions that further expanded the scope of future partnerships and technologies.
Then came our Indian guy, someone named P K Jain from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), appearing like someone with a mission in life to chatter all the achievements that ISRO has to its credit over the past 40 years.
To top it, he looks at the chairperson and says “Sir, I am sorry to rush through the presentation as you can see it is very difficult, nay almost impossible, to present what all we have achieved in the last four decades in just 15 minutes given to me for presentation.”
Wow!
One wonders whether it is an international congress meant to share and discuss future road maps or a platform to pat one’s own back over achievements in the past!
Come to think of it, it is hardly shocking. It is just an extension of the Indian mind. It is the Indian mind!
It also speaks volumes of an in-built Indian psychological complex that reflects a fear of not being acknowledged. And what better chance than an international congress where delgates from almost all space-faring nations have gathered, that too in your own home.
This fear and mounting pressures have also in the past led to a now-common feature in Indian science – plagiarism!
And how does one detect it? It is almost impossible. Thousands and thousands of papers are presented throughout the world and most are available on the net if one knows where to look for it. And you should know that Indian scientists are pretty good at that.
Why science in India suffers may not take too long for any person closely watching the “evolution of science“ in this country, if at all there is such a thing happening in India.
Forget the clichéd reasons given for the suffering of science and the scientific community – lack of infrastructure, inadequate funds, ignoring basic research due to lack of a sound foundation in school and college, dwindling scientific temper or even tendency of the youth to opt for lucrative careers rather than take up challenges posed by daily life for improving conditions of the people.
These are reasons that are easier sucked up by the mind than attack the root cause of why Indian science suffers so chronically that it has hardly got out of the bed it rests in, hoping to recover.
Looks like science would continue to suffer for eternity in India because of the very mindset of the scientists, not because of lack of assets required to boost science and technology anywhere.
Where is the direction of research? Is there dedication to help translate research into applications for people?
Former Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister of India, Prof V K Aatre, taking advantage of his presently being in retirement, mustered up enough courage to say what he would never have dared to while in service as the chief of India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). He said: “Where is research in India? Is anyone conducting research here at all? Where are the research labs? Do they exist?”
That, coming from the top man of the defence labs in India is truly something to ponder over, even if it came through his retirement, it did come nevertheless.
Now these are sirens calling out the danger signals.
Aatre also pointed out that no matter how much more funding (the S&T funding in India is a mere 0.8 per cent of the GDP) is added through government sanction, it would hardly be of help because the Indian mindset lacks the spirit of questioning that is mandatory for making good scientists.
India actually provides an ideal set-up for scientists to work on the needs of people, because India is a country where needs out-run the processes meant to meet those needs. But you may never come across heartening cases of people researching towards developing applications that could make day-to-day life more convenient for people.
In fact there are applications. But these are begotten by people from glossy malls where technology wrapped up in devices land up from other countries. Then we crib and cry, not knowing that the fault lies in our own mindset!
That also explains why we are struggling with our “prided” light combat aircraft, Tejas, programme, or even its engine, Kaveri. From the initial proud position of insisting on all-indigenous products, the defence scientists are now forced into submission to accept help from the likes of Lockheed Martin, Snecma and their brood.
The result? The indigenous element would be reduced to around 40-50 percent. Not more!
The lack of indigenous foray into scientific applications has left the field open to foreign technologies coming in and exploiting the gullible masses.
But foreign ka maal is still a much sought after thing among the rural people.
In the process they end up paying many times more than what they would have to pay for indigenised technologies and services. But where are they?
Sad, but true! Science really sucks!
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