Friday, October 23, 2009

India: Science and Technology 2008

India: Science and Technology 2008

Publisher: National Institute of Science, Technology & Development Studies (NISTADS), New Delhi, India; 2009.

The country is entering the age of knowledge when increasing returns would be ubiquitous. The democratic governance structures of this country have evolved, over the course of six decades, sets of complex institutions systems and practices that bind or otherwise relate S&T to the other spheres. With about four thousand research and development organizations, large organized systems of knowledge production, millions of knowledge-workers and an even larger number of citizens trying to engage in knowledge-based activities ranging from agriculture through semi-skilled workers to industrial workers, coupled with the fact of the country being especially gifted with immense diversity in natural resources - the opportunity set of potential outcomes are immense and invigorating.

The long twentieth century in Indian S&T based developmental experiments, in particular at grass roots, has thrown up immense volumes of data, facts and artifacts. A crucial issue emerges. The country very badly needs a strong mechanism to capture data related to S&T and innovation right from the regulatory or executive levels to source-points where S&T output or innovations get generated.

This Report presents several facets of Indian S&T. In lieu of attempting the development of a set of traditionally known indicators of S&T, the attempt here has been to capture multiple facets of Indian economy and society where S&T makes contributions. With unstated theoretical bases, contributors presented research conclusions in the form of several portrayals. Given the fact that S&T interfacing the economy and society has very large dimensions this Report could take up only a handful. Such a collage offers albeit a picture of where Indian S&T is located.

The report is the first of its kind from this country. It is targeted at a wide readership ranging from policy makers and advisors to academic readers as well as the common person. The contents of the report are:

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