In an event marking the conclusion of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav on October 31, 2023, the premier of the nation urged all the people of India to realize the dream of making the country a developed nation on its 100th anniversary of Independence- the year 2047. The Prime Minister asserted that it was through education, innovation, and sincere efforts of the Indian youth that the country could achieve this goal.
As India enters the fourth quarter of its 100 years of Independence, the country enjoys a demographic advantage as the country with the largest young population in the world. This population means that India is sitting on a goldmine of immense talent. If our young population is educated with modern techniques, especially in the high-relevant field of Science and Technology, then it has that capability to create enormous change and development for the country.
Several initiatives are being taken in this direction by the government in the last few years as it is realizing the importance of promoting skill-based education in the country. In another event last year, organized by the National Science Foundation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Joe Biden came together to discuss the possibilities of collaboration between two nations to boost research and education sectors.
Both the leaders, along with the First Lady of the United States, reiterated the importance of skilling and workforce redevelopment. The American counterparts also appreciated the efforts that were being made by the Indian establishment in this area.
India’s Rich History of Scientific Innovation
India, as an ancient civilization as well as an emerging global power in the modern world, has played a pivotal role in scientific advancements of the world. From the contributions of Aryabhatta, Patanjali, Bhaskara, and many others, to the works of Homi Bhabha, SN Bose, JC Bose, CV Raman, APJ Kalam, and Ramanujan, India has a long list of brilliant minds who proved their worth through their seminal works.
Today, India has made rapid progress in the field of Information Technology and other technology based scientific innovations. The country also provides affordable internet facilities to a large population. The country’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) system has been lauded and adopted by economies across the world.
Not just that, India also became the first country to land on the dark side of the moon through its latest Chandrayaan mission. Not stopping there, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has now expanded its solar mission and is ready to enter a new chapter of space exploration. The world is looking at India as it makes impressive strides in this area as well.
Adding to this, the country is building new capabilities in ocean exploration through new-age missions as well for its science ambition. Indians are today playing leading roles in the biggest technology companies around the world. This serves as a strong motivation for the young Indians who look up to all these icons and believe that they too can contribute through their knowledge once they develop the scientific skills.
Setting the Right Ambitions- the Science Ambition
The 21st century is undoubtedly going to be the age of science and technology. Within a span of two and a half decades, we have seen technological advancements that were probably unimaginable at the turn of the century. Artificial Intelligence has taken the world by storm in the last few years, and we are only seeing the beginning of this new revolution.
Then, there is a strong effort in the area of clean energy with India also playing an important role in testing hydrogen as a fuel. It will not be wrong to state that the world is going to witness some pivotal moments in the following decades. Scientific innovation, with the speed at which it is growing, can be expected to disrupt a lot of what our present understanding of the world is.
At such a juncture, countries that do not miss the opportunity and invest appropriately in developing their scientific capabilities are going to play a leading role in this change. India being the youngest country in the world and a country with immense human resources is ready to hold the torch. What it needs is the right approach and investment in the field of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) especially focused on school children like in our flagship education initiative.
This can be achieved through a renewed focus on Research and Development (R&D). There are still many areas where the country lags as compared to others, especially when it comes to manufacturing. However, this decade can be India’s decade if the country sets its focus on the right ambitions and works towards them consistently. This is how we can truly work towards the science ambition of India.
