A north pole for science and engineering

Mankind has been formed by numerous historical civilisations, illustrations becoming Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek, Chinese, and the Indus Valley. These civilisations have progressed because the time human beings 1st made the decision to give up their nomadic, hunter-gatherer way of life in favour of settling down in a person position. It has been a very long journey of several thousands of decades right up until we grew to become customers of what is termed the modern day civilisation, with its frequent capabilities and aspirations throughout the globe. The crucial attribute of this journey has been the accumulation of bounteous awareness and the pursuit of bigger requirements of residing, propelled by swift strides in the fields of science and technologies.

So considerably so, a human currently being has now to be referred to as a ‘technological animal’, at any time wanting for new resources that additional his increasing ambitions. This relentless quest for superior living has thrown up some really serious problems about the values, the intent, the relevance, and the effects of a blind-folded pursuit and application of science and technological innovation. Who is the learn? Science or the folks? Agenda-environment is the essential difficulty.

Troubles on values, pursuits

This is the delivery centenary 12 months of Dr. Y. Nayudamma, Padma Shri receiver, mentioned scientist, former Director of the Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai and previous Director-Basic of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. His operate, contributions and philosophy threw distinctive mild on a variety of troubles about science and technological innovation. He experienced outlined a very clear set of targets and aims and the values that should guide their progress.&#13

The key difficulties are: no matter whether science and engineering should adapt to the people today or men and women must adapt to them whether or not they should really arise from the felt demands and considerations of the people or really should be driven from the leading what the values are that should really guideline and govern the pursuit of science and technologies and their apps how to comprise and manage the undesirable penalties of an indiscriminate application of these impressive resources, and whose passions these instruments should really be serving.

Dr. Nayudamma’s function and contributions held a mirror to these fears and shown how scientists and technologists could (and can) be powerful brokers of this kind of adjust. Science pursued in an ivory tower may well not by by itself serve humanity. It should be taken to the people today in the kind of effective technological tools that each individual man or woman could use to resolve their difficulties. Science should really be for society and technological innovation should really be pushed by the demands of the persons.

Reshaping leather sector

As a renowned leather-based scientist, Dr. Nayudamma designed a groundbreaking contribution to change the facial area and the mother nature of the tannery sector in the country. The job of accumulating hides and skins of dead animals, which is pursued by some common communities, utilized to be looked down upon because of to factors this sort of as the stench and the challenging character of operate concerned. He mirrored on how science and technologies could make a change in generating this job greatly suitable. He succeeded in this by enabling the elimination of the stench and enhancing the capabilities of these concerned in this career. He promoted leather products and solutions to enhance the incomes of tannery workers. In the procedure, he proved that the software of science and engineering could aid in boosting the economic viability of the activity to which these equipment are applied, other than advertising and marketing more gainful employment.

As a result, the leather-based products and leather-based market have received improved public acceptance. Indian leather-based solutions are in good need in intercontinental markets. The possession of high quality leather goods this sort of as footwear and handbags have arrive to form a component of one’s image. Persons from various communities are now concerned in the leather-based field, breaking traditional barriers and prejudices. So, Dr. Nayudamma was evidently an agent of social adjust.&#13

Values tutorial the selection of technology. The focal values guiding individuals across the globe are ‘materialism and consumerism’. The unbridled pursuit of such ends does not assistance men and women dwelling in peace with them. For this reason, Indian philosophy and assumed lay worry on a spiritual pursuit for inner peace to reside in harmony with society and nature. Science and engineering should really allow progress that is in harmony with character.&#13

Programmes and threads

I am struck by the vision of Dr. Nayudamma as some of his sights are now reflected in some of the major initiatives of the Government led by Key Minister Narendra Modi.

Chatting about the require for empowerment of all sections of modern society, Dr. Nayudamma — in 1 individual context — reported that if a woman has a bank account, she would be addressed otherwise and highly regarded in the household. This helps in her emancipation. This is evidently at the main of the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) below which about 50 crore financial institution accounts have been opened to help fiscal inclusion and empowerment. The PMJDY is described as “a national mission on monetary inclusion encompassing an integrated technique to bring about complete money inclusion of all the households in the country”.

Self-reliance was at the core of Dr. Nayudamma’s philosophy. He was of the opinion that our colonial previous and western schooling, orientation and instruction have made us search to the West for the import of technologies and answers, and western treatments may perhaps not clear up India’s difficulties, which are different and context-certain. He strongly advocated self-reliance in science and know-how. This is also the essence of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative (a vision of self-reliance) of the Key Minister.&#13

Referring to the provisions of the United Nations Constitution, Dr. Nayudamma had emphasised the point of enabling all to are living in dignity, have worthy of, equality of rights, improved specifications of daily life, stability, and so forth. with the participation of all in national endeavours. This is the fundamental theory of the philosophy of ‘Sab Ka Sath-Sab Ka Vikas-Sab Ka Prayas’.

It is unusual to locate this kind of far-sighted and visionary experts like Dr. Nayudamma. It is unfortunate that a airplane crash in June 1985 claimed his everyday living when he was only 63 a long time. India considerably misses this guy of great vision.

Dr. Nayudamma was a url in the chain of India’s wonderful scientific heritage. Hundreds of years ago, we had great researchers these types of as Baudhayana, Aryabhata, Brahmagupta, Bhaskaracharya, Mahaviracharya, Varahamihira, Kanada, Susruta, Charaka, Patanjali, and so on. who created pioneering contributions in different fields of knowledge. This tradition experienced dimmed for the duration of the medieval interval, which was marked by overseas invasions.

There are now concerted attempts getting manufactured to restore the pleasure of currently being a ‘Vishawaguru’ — that India was in the previous. All of us require to take part in this exertion by streamlining our units of training, modes of science and analysis.

We are residing in occasions in which expertise is the genuine electrical power. We will need to empower all with the knowledge that is the very best resource of each individual person. We need to offer these kinds of knowledge that allows a resolution of the challenges of our country collectively.

Dr. Nayudamma lay tension on the position that education is not to present relief and that it really should launch the interior opportunity of all to make anyone self-reliant and self-confident. We need to have these units of information providers in each individual area.

Nationalism is a good force

Dr. Nayudamma firmly believed that an individual prospers and is at his/her greatest only with a sense of community participation and in an natural environment of collective endeavour. These an ecosystem is greatest delivered when we are guided by the spirit of nationalism. Nationalism, appropriately, is a optimistic pressure for making certain the fast development of our nation by realising the total probable of just about every specific. It is not a damaging component, as is remaining sought to be propagated by some.

The developmental methods followed globally, based on modern-day scientific and technological developments, are ensuing in immediate useful resource depletion, and ecological imbalances and inequities. What is required are alternate enhancement styles to guarantee sustainable and harmonious development. For Dr. Nayudamma, the surroundings was not a piece of real estate. It is a heritage to be held for long term generations and is a significant obligation of all.

In his delivery centenary year, 1922, I spend tributes to all scientists and technologists who are striving for the betterment of humanity with care, issue and duty.&#13

M. Venkaiah Naidu is the Vice-President of India