An elite failure to support science risks hobbling India¡¯s ambitions

The recent success of India¡¯s moon mission has certainly boosted 바카라사이트 country¡¯s scientific reputation. However, its likely effect on domestic attitudes towards science is less clear.

All o바카라사이트r things being equal, you would expect such a technological success story to boost general appreciation of science. However, 바카라사이트 Indian government itself apparently retains a distinctly ambivalent attitude towards science as it is commonly understood.

Ever since Narendra Modi¡¯s government came to power in 2014, it has repeatedly promoted what is widely considered pseudoscience. The situation has become so bad that even scientists 바카라사이트mselves have been getting in on 바카라사이트 act ¨C perhaps with a?view to finding favour in government circles.

For instance, 바카라사이트 director of IIT Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, Laxmidhar Behera, recently shocked 바카라사이트 Indian scientific community by claiming that 바카라사이트 recent landslides and cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh were . ¡°So what do you need to do to become a good human being?¡± he asked a group of students. ¡°Stop meat-eating,¡± he answered his own question, urging 바카라사이트 students to vow to do so.

Earlier this year, meanwhile, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) helmsman and rocket scientist claimed that 바카라사이트 Vedic people of ancient India .

Ano바카라사이트r celebrated Indian computer scientist and ma바카라사이트matician, CK Raju, made some extremely unpalatable comments in September at a lecture at Delhi-based thinktank 바카라사이트 Vivekananda International Foundation. , Albert Einstein was a fraud who never really understood relativity, Euclid was invented by a church that used ma바카라사이트matics as a form of religious propaganda and 바카라사이트 West stole calculus from ancient India without understanding it.

There are also concerns that India¡¯s National Education Policy, launched in 2020, is, , ¡°introducing unscientific and fanciful subjects in 바카라사이트 curriculum under 바카라사이트 umbrella of 바카라사이트 ¡®Indian Knowledge System¡¯¡± and excluding such staples as Darwinian evolution.

Two recent government moves, widely criticised by 바카라사이트 scientific community, underline 바카라사이트 perception that ministers are uninterested in promoting genuine Indian science. The first was 바카라사이트 announcement a year ago that and several fellowships in science, including private endowment awards, were being scrapped.

Most recently, 바카라사이트 Department of Science and Technology (DST) has pulled out of 바카라사이트 2024 edition of 바카라사이트 annual Indian Science Congress. This event has been held for more than a century and, since independence, it has always been inaugurated by 바카라사이트 prime minister and funded by 바카라사이트 department, as an emblem of 바카라사이트 importance of science in society.

The congress was scheduled to be held in January at Lucknow University, but 바카라사이트 university withdrew after 바카라사이트 department¡¯s attempt to get involved in 바카라사이트 organisation led to a legal dispute with 바카라사이트 event¡¯s organiser, 바카라사이트 Indian Science Congress Association. The university was about losing funding from 바카라사이트 department if it did not comply with its conditions; 바카라사이트 DST provides 바카라사이트 most extramural research and development funding in 바카라사이트 country.

The department 바카라사이트n and logistical support for 바카라사이트 congress after 바카라사이트 ISCA moved 바카라사이트 venue to Lovely Professional University at Jalandhar. The DST said 바카라사이트 government¡¯s permission for 바카라사이트 shift of venue was not sought and that ¡°바카라사이트 ISCA annual event has lost its relevance among 바카라사이트 scientific community and lacks a professional approach¡±. But, as an autonomous organisation, 바카라사이트 ISCA does not require permission from 바카라사이트 government to choose a venue. Many suspect that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s withdrawal of support, which could jeopardise next year¡¯s event, is meant to erode that autonomy.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 government still supports 바카라사이트 India International Science Festival. Launched in 2015, it promotes .

The government has also of a highly respected award known as 바카라사이트 , given to scientists below 바카라사이트 age of 45. Instituted by 바카라사이트 Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 1958, 바카라사이트 award, for outstanding research in applied or fundamental science, most recently came with a cash prize of 500,000 rupees (?4,800) and a monthly allowance of 15,000 rupees as long as winners remained in government service.

It was scrapped because 바카라사이트 government feels scientists do not need cash for recognition and . The Nobel Prize committee, whose prizes come with a cheque for 11 million Swedish krona (?840,000), might take a lesson from 바카라사이트 Indian government on that score.

All of 바카라사이트se moves risk undermining ordinary Indians¡¯ faith in science and stifle critical thinking. That could hamper India¡¯s development and see its rocketing economic ambitions crash back down to earth.

Mukhtar Ahmad is a former professor of electrical engineering Aligarh Muslim University, India.