| Directions
of Science in 21st Century:
Indian and French Perspectives
A one-day
seminar on “Directions of Science in the 21st Century: Indian and French
Perspectives” was organised in New Delhi on February 17, 2003 by the Indian National
Science Academy in collaboration with the French Academy of Sciences and the French
Embassy. Almost 400 scientists, academicians and policy makers attended the seminar
held at the INSA premises.
The tone of the seminar was set by Prof.
Goverdhan Mehta, Past President of INSA. In his introductory remarks, he recollected
the long tradition of cooperation in science and technology between India and
France, besides interaction in areas of culture and other societal interests.
He said INSA and the French Academy of Sciences had a very laudable record of
cooperation spanning nearly three decades. In the past decade, there has been
a great upsurge of interest and interaction between the scientific communities
of India and France. It was therefore only appropriate that the French Academy
of Sciences and INSA, with active support of the Embassy of France, thought of
organising the current seminar on a theme of contemporary interest and concern.
Referring to the spectacular progress made by science in the 20th century,
Prof. Mehta said, while we may be proud of this success, the fact also remains
that in this process science has outpaced other knowledge streams as well as matters
of societal and cultural concerns. Therefore, we have now the consequences of
that fast growth of science staring at us. We now have concerns about issues related
to resources, consumptions, equity, gender, environment, energy and many others,
which can be broadly covered under the umbrella of sustainability, or sustainable
development. This concern for bridging the gap between science, society, culture,
and between science and other knowledge streams of social sciences and humanities
is something which has come to be recognised mainly in the past two decades.
Prof. Mehta referred to the Rio summit of 1992 and the recent meeting
at Johannesburg and said these meetings are just indicators of the concern that
scientists, social scientists and people working in other knowledge streams now
have of making sure that this developing gulf between science and society and
issues relating to sustainable development get bridged.
In his brief
address, the Ambassador of France in India, H.E. Dominique Girard described the
seminar as a new manifestation of the friendship, which ties the scientific communities
of India and France. He also referred to the apparent contradiction between the
benefits and risks of the accelerating development of science during the last
decades that has led to an unprecedented technology, which he said, can be admired
as well as it can be feared. On the one hand, he said, the discovery of powerful
medications such as antibiotics and anticancer drugs, or the arrival of new techniques
to increase crop production and quality, have undoubtedly improved human condition.
On the other hand, the technology that has been developed to this effect has also
led to the possibility to take complete control of life, and to dangers associated
with human cloning, for example. Similarly, the increase of industrial activity
and population has led to a significant increase in pollution levels, the effects
of which are now beginning to be felt, not in one or a few countries but all around
the world. The tremendous social consequences of the Internet are still not fully
understood.
Mr. Girard said the ethical questions must be at the heart
of today’s reflection about science for the 21st century because scientists
now have the ability to modify our environment and even our own organism. And
so, scientists now share a peculiar responsibility. They believe in the benefits
of science, but they must also think about all the consequences that their discoveries
can lead to. Paraphrasing the famous French writer André Malraux, he said, “the
21st century will be ethical or will not be.”
Mr. Girard said
this is one of the peculiarities of the new technologies and sciences: their effects
overpass frontiers, and the global reflection and analysis must be undertaken
in order to find satisfactory solutions to the challenges which they pose. He
said it is the conviction of the French government that it is essential to favour
the exchange of views between scientists of countries which have a deep tradition
of thought about nature and society and which are willing to act for the mutual
benefit of all human beings. India and France are such countries; this is why
the seminar is so relevant and important.
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