Its
been quite some time now, that I have been reading about opinions of various
dignitaries from all walks of life, about India, its achievements and its path
towards progress. Recently I came across an article on NDTV,
about an opinion made by Infosys Co-founder Mr. Narayana Murthy. He said there
has not been any “earth shaking” invention from India in the last 60 years, which
would have “delighted” the global citizens. I thank NDTV for publishing this
article.
Mr. Narayana has rightly asked an uncomfortable question, about our contribution towards science and technology and other important fields of education and its impact on everyday life.
When we compare ourselves with the western civilization’s achievements and contributions towards human kind, science etc, we find ourselves on the back foot. What is wrong with us? What is stopping us from doing it? India has premier education institutions like IIT that produce thousands of quality engineers every year. We have thinkers, educators and pioneers in many fields. However still, we lack the punch that would be required to contribute something big, or an invention that would change the entire world’s views towards India.
No doubt, it does have something to do with education that we provide to our children right from the beginning. We need to provide quality education and a vision that would ignite the zeal to do something different, other than simply focusing on the academics. Children in India need proper guidance and supervision that would change their perception towards education. We must give more importance to open and uninterrupted thoughts of students and allow them to experiment with new ideas.
If quality education is the need of the hour, then we also need to focus on providing sufficient opportunities to the children from all walks- of-life, irrespective of their background. We must not advocate reservation of any kind and give more emphasis on merit. This is very important. I am not asking you to neglect the weaker sections of our society; however, we must focus more on the weaker section, as I believe, they too have the potential to push forward with their merit and hard work, if given an opportunity and a freedom to excel. This is our responsibility.
With 1.2 billion strong populations at our side, we have enough resources and the minds that would be required to contribute towards groundbreaking (earth shaking) inventions. How can we forget the engineers and experts in ISRO and their recent achievements? They have demonstrated what India and its work force are capable of, when it comes to contributing towards science and space technology.
Yes, the “magic of the 60’s must be recreated”. However, it will take lots of effort and patience from academicians, educators, private organizations and the Government to transform ideas into reality. We cannot ask for a reverse brain drain at this stage, however, we can (and must) provide a platform that would encourage the countries youngsters to stay here and fulfill their dreams. We must urgently invest hugely (and judiciously) on Research and Development.
Therefore, I too have a question for you Mr. Murthy and other Government and Private organizations, that how much are you spending on R&D that would create a platform for young engineers and scientist, so they can work on new ideas and deliver new inventions. You will find dreams and simple ideas in the countries rural areas too. However, we have stopped looking rural, which were once a primary source for many inspirations.
India has recently lost one of its genius, a beautiful mind, a teacher, a visionary and a nice person, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and we know how much he has contributed towards science and technology. An Indian, who studied in India, worked and achieved various milestones in India and devoted his entire life for the betterment of India. India salutes him. We have so much to learn from him.
Kanai Lal Banik (Retd.)
Mr. Narayana has rightly asked an uncomfortable question, about our contribution towards science and technology and other important fields of education and its impact on everyday life.
When we compare ourselves with the western civilization’s achievements and contributions towards human kind, science etc, we find ourselves on the back foot. What is wrong with us? What is stopping us from doing it? India has premier education institutions like IIT that produce thousands of quality engineers every year. We have thinkers, educators and pioneers in many fields. However still, we lack the punch that would be required to contribute something big, or an invention that would change the entire world’s views towards India.
No doubt, it does have something to do with education that we provide to our children right from the beginning. We need to provide quality education and a vision that would ignite the zeal to do something different, other than simply focusing on the academics. Children in India need proper guidance and supervision that would change their perception towards education. We must give more importance to open and uninterrupted thoughts of students and allow them to experiment with new ideas.
If quality education is the need of the hour, then we also need to focus on providing sufficient opportunities to the children from all walks- of-life, irrespective of their background. We must not advocate reservation of any kind and give more emphasis on merit. This is very important. I am not asking you to neglect the weaker sections of our society; however, we must focus more on the weaker section, as I believe, they too have the potential to push forward with their merit and hard work, if given an opportunity and a freedom to excel. This is our responsibility.
With 1.2 billion strong populations at our side, we have enough resources and the minds that would be required to contribute towards groundbreaking (earth shaking) inventions. How can we forget the engineers and experts in ISRO and their recent achievements? They have demonstrated what India and its work force are capable of, when it comes to contributing towards science and space technology.
Yes, the “magic of the 60’s must be recreated”. However, it will take lots of effort and patience from academicians, educators, private organizations and the Government to transform ideas into reality. We cannot ask for a reverse brain drain at this stage, however, we can (and must) provide a platform that would encourage the countries youngsters to stay here and fulfill their dreams. We must urgently invest hugely (and judiciously) on Research and Development.
Therefore, I too have a question for you Mr. Murthy and other Government and Private organizations, that how much are you spending on R&D that would create a platform for young engineers and scientist, so they can work on new ideas and deliver new inventions. You will find dreams and simple ideas in the countries rural areas too. However, we have stopped looking rural, which were once a primary source for many inspirations.
India has recently lost one of its genius, a beautiful mind, a teacher, a visionary and a nice person, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and we know how much he has contributed towards science and technology. An Indian, who studied in India, worked and achieved various milestones in India and devoted his entire life for the betterment of India. India salutes him. We have so much to learn from him.
- The points that I have mentioned in this article, are my personal opinion.
Thank you.
Indian Navy
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