Is India a Science Superpower?

Not quite, says Meera Nanda, philosopher of science, in this 2005 article in Frontline, which ends with these words:

If India wants to become a genuine "science superpower", Indian scientists will have to do much more than just get integrated into the global pecking order of corporate research and development. They will have to develop a genuine culture of open, fearless questioning and experimentation within their laboratories and in the larger culture outside the walls of the laboratory.

This will require an overhaul of science education so that science is not treated as merely a matter of rote learning of technical formulas, but is integrated into a new secular understanding of nature and life. It is not enough for the institutions of higher learning in India to produce doctors and engineers who can perform well in the West, or in the IT/BT jobs imported from the West. They must produce critical thinkers who are engaged with larger issues that affect the cultural climate of their societies.

Until then, India will remain the "pseudo-science superpower" of the world.

I haven't read much by Nanda. While this article seems reasonable, other bits I've read—like the opening pages of Prophets Facing Backwards—seem to me rather shrill and simplistic, and her analysis of modern India too reliant on caricatures of both "postmodern intellectuals" (ascribing them too much influence in India) and the religious. It was no surprise when I noticed Dennett's endorsement of her book, which her publisher has paired with Dawkins' on Amazon. To her credit, she has sharply distanced herself from Harris. If I can motivate myself to read her forthcoming, God and Globalization in India, I'll attempt a proper review.

Comments

[Usha]

She does come across as a bit shrill, but she makes some points that need to be made. Interestingly, did you notice she works for the Templeton Foundation?

[vp]

I find the question and the premise itself more than a little exasperating. In order to get some perspective, consider these questions:

1. In the last 60 years, how many Nobel prizes have Indian scientists (as opposed to India-born scientists) won ?

2. What major fundamental discoveries have Indian scientists made ? How many life-saving drugs have been developed in India ? What major technological breakthroughs can be attributed to Indian scientists ?

Superpower indeed. India is as much of a science superpower as it is a medal-winning powerhouse at the olympic games.

[Namit]

I took the question to be rhetorical.

It struck me that if each culture is seen as a middle-aged patient with multiple ailments—in this case, India—Nanda, I think, does a good job of describing many symptoms. Beyond that, I largely see the skills of a pharmacist on the diagnosis front, and those of a quack for the cure.