The Art of Nation Building through Science and Technology

The following are the topics presented by Vigyan Prasar for improving the scientific temperament in the country.

Science as a tool for Subjugation

This title seems to be incomplete and often leads to a wrong perspective about the matter. The real purpose of science is to eliminate miseries of human life, assist in the emancipation of the living being, and provide a platform that is infallible (located in the spiritual plane). The subjugation should help cure material diseases and should be as graceful as possible. Although it is policing, it should lead to a higher conscience and must be game-like. Graceful subjugation is always desired, however, it should not lead to the subject being unnecessarily eating fire. Effective policing will lead to a healthy lifestyle and is the basis for a healthy nation and healthy mankind. 

Science as a Tool for Liberation: Role of Scientist

Scientific thinking and scientific process enable us to lessen the physical burden of human beings, through mechanization and automation. For instance, the discovery of the electric motor has cut down human effort. In modern times, automation has paved the way to shape a society that is productive at work and focused on service. Artificial intelligence, robotics, and machine learning is building a network of computing devices in order to serve the public through environment sensing, warning natural disasters, and assistive technologies. 

Although the world is always beautiful and at the same time a learning center, at times as humans we encage ourselves in material anxieties. Keeping informed about their superior position or nature is vital for every conditioned person. The science of spiritual well-being should be taught and education should be made the priority. Scientists and practitioners should have the capacity to lead society and keep it occupied in the service of mankind and other living beings. The capacity to adapt is widely required by a scientist living in the scientific community.

Science as a Tool for Liberation: Role of Institutions-Academic, Industrial, Research

Academic institutions, industrial organizations, and research centers are the essential cranks for the development of the nation. Academic institutions aid in the formation of ideas, and are the bedrock for the free exchange of intellectual talent and pave the way to industry and original research. Industrial involvement is essential to convert research to products which are essential to maintain a supply chain. Such industrial involvement should nurture both academic and research centers in a cyclic process through regular engagement. The key research should focus on the right kinds of questions to seek for the benefit of society. It is to be emphasized that research should begin from the people and settle on the people themselves. Our researchers and physicists need to be trained in viewing the research problems objectively through the lens of experience and mentorship.   

Science as a Tool for Liberation: Role of Movements 

This country has seen several agricultural revolutions, viz. the green revolution, white revolution, and the blue revolution. These movements were inspired by agricultural scientists such as Dr. M S Swaminathan and Dr. Varghese Kurian. It is interesting to note that India's dependence on imports largely diminished after introducing the high yield varieties and the cooperative societies.  

The country is not unaware of its freedom movement. The civil-disobedience movement, the Brahm Samiti, etc were born out of the freedom movement. The real purpose of these movements is to liberate man from devouring ignorance. Real conquest is self-realization and the resource is available in our own knowledge and culture. Scientific temperament can be a great boon in mobilizing resources in the direction of eliminating the ill effects of superstitious beliefs and practices.

Science as a Tool for Liberation: Role of Policy & Planning ("Aiding liberation, and win-win competition")

The policy framework for science should consider sustainable planning and resource allocation. As there are plenty of elements associated with the continued interest and progress in science, one needs to pay attention to the quality of scientific research and its relevance. The government cannot afford to spend taxpayer money on liberal research projects when India is facing poverty and hunger. Our efforts should go on to revive the eternal culture and equip the youth to develop values that define our tradition. India has the potential to be a global guru and should set an example in stages such as spiritual growth, holistic medical care and should be a persistent partner in the manufacturing sector. Our policy and planning should revive India’s handloom and khadi products. We need to provide technologies that can be self-realized and should be able to maintain excellent quality while ensuring sustainable living.

Science as a Tool for Liberation: Vision of Our Scientists ("Vision for progress")

The vision of our social and spiritual scientists is to create a healthy nation, with the ability for Yogakshemam (welfare).  Scientists such as Vikram Sarabhai and Homi J Baba are pioneers who lead the space revolution along with nuclear technology. Through their vision, the ISRO has come into existence and India could elevate itself to the technology earlier known only in the western world. Similarly, BARC became an excellent learning center to pursue atomic energy education and became a center of excellence to provide civilian nuclear technology for human benefit.

I would like to sign off with a Desh Bhakti Geetham:

bhārataṁ en bhārataṁ
vindhyācalavuṁ himālayavuṁ niṟañña anugrahīta bhūmi en bhārataṁ
mahāpuruṣanmāruṭe gītaṁ oḻukiyettuṁ puṇya dēśaṁ en bhārataṁ

ഭാരതം എൻ ഭാരതം
വിന്ധ്യാചലവും ഹിമാലയവും നിറഞ്ഞ അനുഗ്രഹീത ഭൂമി എൻ ഭാരതം
മഹാപുരുഷന്മാരുടെ ഗീതം ഒഴുകിയെത്തും പുണ്യ ദേശം എൻ ഭാരതം

Introspection in the Age of AI

The mind-body relation

Whenever we think of the mind, we should understand that it is a resource that is shared between several living entities. Out of the several thousand thoughts that become images in the mind, only a tiny bit will become something of interest to an individual living entity.  We need to understand the need of the living being from these thought signals which are often buried in noise due to self-imposed conditioning. The living entity has to come to a constitutional position in order to execute this task. This constitutional position is one that of service, one that of love, and one that of purity. The emerging hype around Artificial Intelligence (AI) should be directed in setting the position of the living being along this direction. Beyond writing code for the development of AI, the governments need to formulate policies that look into the ethical practices that keep its progress more welfare motivated.

How to enliven each moment?

The twenty-first century is one that is knowledge-based and self-supervised. In this pedagogical setting ancient modes of knowledge transfer meets with modern technological advancements. We need to acknowledge this interdependence with grace and embellish the descending knowledge tradition with interactive case studies and objective vision.  Our teaching-learning practices should empower and expand rather than demotivate and deteriorate. In this context, our university education system should adopt the work on the 3 C's (i) Cocreate (ii) Collaborate, and (iii) Cooperate.  These values can change the current vacuum in our education where practice does not match theory and the expectation does not meet the market demand. A holistic need-based educational scheme that emphasizes the talents of the youth should be made our top priority. Also, our system has to adopt a bonafide goal-oriented approach rather than seeking temporary pleasures in low-hanging fruits.

Controlling human greed

In the human experience greed is the biggest foe in personal and organizational development. Greed leads to loss of vision for the bonafide goal and develops negative reactions that leave behind unwanted emotional stress.  Feelings of loss and gain are often in tension during events of greed and the thought process broods over unnecessary whimsical needs. It is strongly believed that AI companions are the best fit to remove the influence of greed and shift the human mindset to be directed more towards growth and learning. AI developers and software engineers can generate a regret-reward system to incentivize in creating an ecosystem that prevents individuals from harming themselves from the menace of greed. Modern AI-based language tools should enable the users to tone down the greedy segments through sentence or speech corrections.  

We are self-learners

The interesting feature of the human experience is in his ability to adapt to change and also to learn by himself or herself. The self-learning aspect benefits in achieving a long-term vision of happiness, wealth, and wisdom. The AI revolution brings along with it ample opportunities for lifelong learning coupled with happiness and fun. AI can be a companion in providing assistance and feedback immediately. This human-in-the-loop model will surely enable us in making this world a suitable and better place.

Let every living being be in a state of bliss - (सर्वे भवन्तुः  सुखिनः )