Science and technology in the Republic of India

Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India (office: 15 August 1947 – 27 May 1964), initiated reforms to promote higher education, science, technology in India. The Indian Institute of Technology — conceived by a 22 member committee of scholars and entrepreneurs in order to promote technical education — was inaugurated on 18 August 1951 at Kharagpur in West Bengal by then minister of education Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Beginning in the 1960s, close ties with the Soviet Union enabled the Indian Space Research Organization to rapidly develop the Indian space program and advance nuclear power in India even after the first nuclear test explosion by India on May 18, 1974 at Pokhran.

As a direct outcome of the economic reforms of 1991, globalization was solidified into the Indian economy. The technologically inclined tertiary sector accounted for 40% of India's GDP and 30% of export earnings as of 2006 while employing only 25% of its workforce. Economic growth of over 6% per year was seen between 1993-2002.

1947–1967

Jawaharlal Nehru aimed "to convert India’s economy into that of a modern state and to fit her into the nuclear age and do it quickly."Nanda 2006] Nehru understood that India had not been at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution, and hence made an effort to promote higher education, and science and technology in India.

Nehru's Planning Commission (1950) fixed investment levels, prescribed priorities, divided funds between agriculture andindustry, and divided resources between the state and the federal governments. The result of the efforts between 1947-1962 saw the area under irrigation increase by 45 million acres, food production rise by 34 million metric tons, installed power generating capacity increase by 79 million kilowatts, and an overall increase of 94 percent in industrial production. The enormous population rise, however, would balance the gains made by Nehru. The economically beleaguered country was nevertheless able to build a large scientific workforce, second in numbers only to that of the United States and the Soviet Union.

Education — provided by the Government of India — was free and compulsory up to the Age of 14.Prabhu 2006] More emphasis was paid to the enhancement of vocational and technical skills. J. P. Naik, member-secretary of the Indian Education Commission, commented on the educational policies of the time:

On 18 August 1951 the minister of education Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, inaugurated the Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur in West Bengal.Vrat 2006] Possibly modeled after the Massachusetts Institute of Technology these institutions were conceived by a 22 member committee of scholars and entrepreneurs under the chairmanship of N. R. Sarkar.

The Sino-Indian war (1962) came as a rude awakening to Nehru's military preparedness.Khan 2006] Military cooperation with the Soviet Union — partially aimed at developing advanced military technology — was pursued during the coming years. Defence Research and Development Organisation was formed in 1958.

Radio broadcasting was initiated in 1927 but became state responsibility only in 1930.Schwartzberg 2008] In 1937 it was given the name "All India Radio" and since 1957 it has been called "Akashvani". Limited duration of television programming began in 1959, and complete broadcasting followed in 1965.

The Indian Government acquired the EVS EM computers from the Soviet Union, which were used in large companies and research laboratories.Desai 2006] Tata Consultancy Services — established in 1968 by the Tata Group — were the country's largest software producers during the 1960s.

1967–1987

The roots of nuclear power in India lie in early acquisition of nuclear reactor technology from a number of western countries, particularly the American support for the Tarapur Atomic Power Station and Canada's CANDU reactors.Raja 2006] The peaceful policies of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi may have delayed the inception of nuclear technology in India.

Stanley Wolpert (2008) describes the measures taken by the Indian government to increase agricultural output:Wolpert 2008]

The Indian space program received support from the Soviet Union, which helped the Indian Space Research Organisation achieve aims such as establishing the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station, launching remote sensing satellites, developing India’s first satellite—Aryabhatta, and sending astronauts into the space. The Soviet Union helped India sustain its nuclear program during the aftermath of Operation Smiling Buddha — India's first nuclear tests.

Though the roots of the Steel Authority of India Ltd. lie in Hindustan Steel Private Limited (1954), the events leading up to the formation of the modern avatar are described below: [ [http://www.sail.co.in/aboutus.php?tag=company-background SAIL (2008). "Background and History".] ]

1987–present

Indian agriculture benefited from the developments made in the fields of Biotechnology, for which a separate department was created in 1986 under the Ministry of Science and Technology. Sharma 2006, "Biotechnology Revolution"] Both the Indian private sector and the government have invested in the medical and agricultural applications of biotechnology. Massive Biotech parks were established in India while the government provided tax deduction for research and development under biotechnological firms.

The Indian economy underwent economic reforms in 1991, leading to a new era of globalization and international economic integration.Sharma 2006 "Globalization"] Economic growth of over 6% annually was seen between 1993-2002.

The effect of the technologically inclined services sector— which includes the IT industry in India—accounting for 40% of India's GDP and 30% of export earnings as of 2006, while employing only 25% of its workforce—is summarized by Sharma (2006) in the "Encyclopedia of India":

On 25 June 2002 India and the European Union agreed to bilateral cooperation in the field of science and technology.Ketkar 2006] A joint EU-India group of scholars was formed on 23 November, 2001 to further promote joint research and development. India holds observer status at CERN while a joint India-EU Software Education and Development Center is due at Bangalore.

In 2006, the American president George W. Bush confirmed his support for the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement. [ "Foreign Policy. (2006: from India)". Encyclopedia Britannica (2008)] Out of 400, 000 engineers produced per year in India, 100, 000 possessed both technical competency and English language skills.Alexander in "Encyclopedia Britannica 2008"] India developed a number of outsourcing companies specializing in customer support via Internet or telephone connections.

Notes

References

* Alexander, Steve. "E-Commerce. (2006: from Computers and Information Systems)". Encyclopedia Britannica 2008.
* Desai, Ashok V. (2006). "Information and other Technology Development" in "Encyclopedia of India (vol. 2)", edited by Stanley Wolpert. 269-273. Thomson Gale: ISBN 0-684-31351-0.
* Ketkar, Prafulla (2006). "European Union, Relations with (Science and technology)" in "Encyclopedia of India (vol. 2)", edited by Stanley Wolpert. 48-51. Thomson Gale: ISBN 0-684-31351-0
* Khan, Sultanat Aisha (2006). "Russia, relations with" in "Encyclopedia of India (vol. 3)", edited by Stanley Wolpert. 419-422. Thomson Gale: ISBN 0-684-31352-9.
* Nanda, B. R. (2006). "Nehru, Jawaharlal" in "Encyclopedia of India (vol. 3)", edited by Stanley Wolpert. 222-227. Thomson Gale: ISBN 0-684-31352-9.
* Prabhu, Joseph (2006). "Institutions and Philosophies, Traditional and Modern" in "Encyclopedia of India (vol. 2)", edited by Stanley Wolpert. 23-27. Thomson Gale: ISBN 0-684-31351-0
* Raja, Rajendran (2006). "Nuclear weapons testing and development" in "Encyclopedia of India (vol. 3)", edited by Stanley Wolpert. 253-254. Thomson Gale: ISBN 0-684-31352-9.
* Sharma. Shalendra D.(2006). "Biotechnology Revolution" in "Encyclopedia of India (vol. 1)", edited by Stanley Wolpert. 154-157. Thomson Gale: ISBN 0-684-31350-2.
* Sharma, Shalendra D. (2006). "Globalization" in "Encyclopedia of India (vol. 2)", edited by Stanley Wolpert. 146-149. Thomson Gale: ISBN 0-684-31351-0
* Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (2008). "India". Encyclopedia Britannica.
* Vrat, Prem (2006). "Indian Institutes of Technology" in "Encyclopedia of India (vol. 2)", edited by Stanley Wolpert. 229-231. Thomson Gale: ISBN 0-684-31351-0
* Wolpert, Stanley (2008). "India". Encyclopedia Britannica.

External links

* [http://countrystudies.us/india/101.htm "India: Science and technology". U.S. Library of Congress.]

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