An Indian transformation
DR. T.V. PADMA
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From 1947 to 2007, India has progressed to becoming a world leader in the realm of information technology. A quick look at some achievements.
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After Pandit Nehru was sworn in as the first Indian Prime Minister, he supported much technological advancement that effected an Indian transformation.
Photos: RITU RAJ KONWAR, AFP, K. Pichumani, AP, Shaju John
Great leap: From agriculture to space programmes, from ornithology to information technology.
At the dawn of India’s independence, our country’s name evoked images of abject poverty. Famines were common and the life expectancy was just 27 years. Today, there has been a tremendous improvement in lifestyle. Life expectancy has gone up to age 64 despite the tremendous increase in population. India has a space programme and a nuclear programme. It is a world leader in the realm of information technology. And the country’s economy is booming.
There are several reasons for India’s remarkable progress just 60 years after overthrowing the colonial yoke. One reason is that we have had several charismatic and intelligent leaders who propelled the country forward.
Scientific progress
After Pandit Nehru was sworn in as the first Indian Prime Minister, he supported much technological advancement that effected an Indian transformation. Some, such as the construction of large dams to produce hydroelectricity, are now known to cause more harm than good. Nevertheless, his interest in science and technology helped steer the country to where it is today.
The former president, Dr. Abdul Kalam, is another political leader dedicated to scientific progress. Before taking up political office, he was a scientist.
He led a team in the Defence Research Development Organisation which developed a prototype hovercraft, he helped set up a futuristic centre for work in advanced missile technology, and was the project director at ISRO during the launch of the Rohini satellite.
The father of India’s space programme was Vikram Sarabhai. He set up a number of research institutions, including a Textile Research Association, a Market Research Association, and the Indian Institute of Management. He helped many Indian scientists who were working abroad to return.
Green and White
Two men were behind India’s Green Revolution: the idea was C. Subramaniam’s brainchild, and it was executed largely by M.S. Swaminathan, who later founded a research organisation in his name at Chennai.
He has conducted research in basic and applied plant breeding, agricultural research, and in the conservation of natural resources, worldwide, in collaboration with colleagues and students.
India’s dairy development programme was the world’s largest, and it was known as the White Revolution.
Varghese Kurien was awarded the World Food Prize in 1989 in recognition of his contributions towards it.
The Birdman
One of the founders of India’s environmental movement was the conservationist, Salim Ali. Known as the Birdman of India, he saved the 200-year-old Bombay Natural History Society from being closed down. He also kept alive the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary and worked to preserve the Silent Valley National Park.
Medical research
A major effort at improving the medical environment in India can be credited to Dr. Badrinath, who started a clinic called Sankara Nethralaya, in Chennai, in 1978, with just 10 people. Today, it is world renowned. Quality ophthalmic care is extended to the economically weaker section of society. The institute is also a centre for medical research in cataracts, molecular biochemistry and virology.
In the sky
Another scientist with extraordinary administrative abilities was Homi Bhabha. Bhabha helped start the nation’s Atomic Energy programme and served at its helm until 1966. He created one of the premier research institutions of the nation, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. He mooted this idea and established it with JRD Tata’s help.
J.R.D. Tata himself was an aviator, who brought commercial aviation to India. Under his visionary leadership, the Tata Industry strengthened its base in the power and steel industries.
It has expanded to include a wide variety of businesses including chemical and pharmaceutical production and, more recently, Information Technology.
In June 2002, the U.S. Consulting Magazine named S. Ramadorai, CEO of Tata Consultancy Services, as one of the top 25 Most Influential Consultants today. Under his leadership, TCS has become the first billion dollar Indian IT servic
es organisation. To chronicle all Ramadorai’s achievements in this article is impossible.
It is equally impossible to even just name all the other great leaders who have helped to build today’s India. This article is one small attempt to highlight a few of those key people who helped lay the foundation for some of India’s current scientific, technological, and medical achievements.
Role of women
Today, Indian women have taken their place alongside men in various areas of science and technology. They are recognized as among the best in the world in acquiring and applying IT knowledge.
Among the many Indian women scientists who have made a mark are Aditi Pant, the first Indian woman to participate in a scientific cruise to the Antarctic, and Indira Nath, a medical researcher who recently won a UNESCO L’Oreal award for developing leprosy medication and treatment.
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