India celebrates National Science Day on February 28 but few are aware of the contribution of modern scientists, says Shatavisha Chakravorty
SINCE TIME immemorial science and technology has profoundly influenced the course of human civilization. Science and technology has been an integral part of Indian civilization over the past several millennia. We are all aware that India was the fountainhead of several fundamental scientific approaches and developments. In celebration of Indian contribution to science, National Science Day is observed on February 28 every year. The Arabic number system that originated in India, Aryabhatta, Bhaskara, CV Raman, JC Bose and Meghnath Saha are names we are all familiar with. But many of us might not have heard of contemporary names like Pradyut Ghosh, D Sivananda Pai, Ashoke Sen or Krishna N Ganesh.
Being an agricultural country, monsoon is more than just another season in the country. The statistical model of five category forecast designed by D Sivananda Pai has drastically improved the accuracy of monsoon predictions in Kerala and has a promising place in the future of weather forecasting.
Many of us are aware that excess of fluoride can retard human intelligence by inhibiting brain development in children. Pratyut Ghosh of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science has come up with molecules that free potable water from excess fluoride.
In recent years, string theory has enabled us to get a deeper understanding of quantum gravity. One of the pioneers in this field of physical science research, Ashoke Sen believes that string theory may soon change the way we perceive the universe.
Mankind has been battling diseases caused by faulty collagen since generations. The artificially produced modified collagen developed by Krishna N Ganesh is indeed a great boon for the families of thousands of patients across the world fighting their daily battle with faulty collagen. The world has always looked up to the Indian values of respect and care for the elderly. Keeping these values in mind and medical science as his tool, Upinder S Bhalla of National Center for Biological Sciences has come up with revolutionary research in neuro degeneration for the elderly.
Wasted rubber tyres lying around is a common sight. But using the activated carbon from these tyres to develop a low cost waste-water cleaning technique, Vinod Kumar Gupta has shown us that it is possible to make this world a much cleaner and better place to live in.
All this while if you have been thinking that modern Indian scientific research community is being sphere headed only by men, well, it is high time you wake up to the new era of ‘Nari Shakti’. For it is women like Paramjit Khurana who have come up with drought resistant seeds. A messiah for the poor farmers in the drought-hit northern region of the country, when these modified seeds hit the market we can expect the country’s economy to reach its zenith.
The Dhruva reactor in Trombay, a pride of Indian nuclear science owes its existence to the painstriken efforts of hundreds of scientists at Bhaba Atomic Research Centre. The success of Mangalyan is also credited to the hundreds of scientists of Indian Space Research Organisation who dared to dream of making India a space super power. A month back, we proudly witnessed the display of India’s indigenous missiles like BrahMos and Akash, the weapon-locating radar in the Republic Day parade. Indeed all this has been made possible by the dedication and hard work of our Indian scientists of Defence Research Development Organisation.
India has the third largest scientific and technical manpower in the world. In the field of missile launch technology, India is among the top five nations of the world. The recent India-US nuclear deal is not a mere political treaty but a pat on the back for the Indian scientific community at large. A strong advocate of the use of atomic energy for peace, today India has eight nuclear power stations that produce over eight billion kilowatts of electricity. The latest nuclear reactors have been designed completely in India making us believe that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India’ is not a distant dream. The PM, in his speech at the 102 Indian Science Congress held in Mumbai last month, called for efforts to ensure that science, technology and innovation reaches the poorest, remotest and most vulnerable person in the country. Considering the huge strides Indian science and technology is making every day, we are assured that in a few years this will no longer be a dream but the reality.
Today India has immense scope and opportunity in the world of technical research and development. The 3,00,000 engineers, scientists and IT professional who have returned back to the country after working oversees are a testimony to this fact. The unprecedented development in the field of scientific research and technology in the recent years is just the beginning of a road with endless possibilities. As the Gen X and Gen Y takes on the batten of scientific research, I am sure with their dynamic ideas, hard work and guidance of the veteran scientists, India will awake to a new dawn of scientific progress and achievement.