The Pacemakers Of Technological Progress

Education prepares one for life and by extension, the future of a nation. To generalise, education imparted at higher education institutions leads to knowledge creation which comes from research and writing and finds application in all fields that touch our lives. How does India fare in creation of knowledge through the contributions of researchers and scientists?

- Nimesh Chandra

The future of humanity and meaningful living is ideated by a strong focus on both academic and industrial research carried out by critical intellectuals. The interdisciplinary challenges in natural and social sciences, and the epistemological consequences of both traditional and emerging areas drive the researchers to make things better on this planet.

Dr. Vannevar Bush, the director of the Wartime Office of Scientific Research and Development, submitted his report to President Franklin D Roosevelt in 1945 that suggested the program for post-war scientific research, titled imaginatively as “Science, the Endless Frontier”. Dr. Bush stated the importance of research, particularly basic research, when he said, “Basic research is the pacemaker of technological progress… A nation which depends on others for its new basic scientific knowledge will be slow in its industrial progress and weak in its competitive position in world trade, regardless of its mechanical skill.” He specified that the publicly and privately supported institutes and endowed research institutes should act as centres of basic research that must furnish both new scientific knowledge and trained research workers.

In the years since this report was drafted, there has been a marked increase in research and talent creation; publications and scientific development in the United States and elsewhere, especially China, Japan, Germany, UK, Australia, Canada and even Korea. A young nation India; though distant from the above mentioned giants in public funding on R&D as a percentage of GDP and highly cited papers; the growth rate in publication count, human resource talent and as a popular investment destination in science & technology is quite impressive.

Setting the tone