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Contents
©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8955177997/ 8448449709 1

Scientific and Technological Introduction............................................................................................................................... 6
Scientific and technological developments in Ancient India: ................................................................................................. 6
Scientific and technological developments in medieval India: ............................................................................................... 9
Science and technology in the post-Independence period .................................................................................................. 10
The Role of Technology in Nation-Building ........................................................................................................................... 12
Draft Science Technology and Innovation Policy .................................................................................................................. 22
Consultation process for new Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (STIP) initiated ................................................ 24
Bio Technology ...................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Principles of Biotechnology ................................................................................................................................................. 26
Types of Biotechnology ..................................................................................................................................................... 27
Applications of Biotechnology in India : ........................................................................................................................... 28
Gene Editing .......................................................................................................................................................................... 29
CRISPR-Cas9 .......................................................................................................................................................................... 31
Gene Therapy ........................................................................................................................................................................ 32
Space Technology................................................................................................................................................................. 33
Application of Space Technology ...................................................................................................................................... 34
Milestones in India’s Space Programme ........................................................................................................................... 34
Orbit .................................................................................................................................................................................. 37
What is an Orbit? ................................................................................................................................................................ 37
Satellite ................................................................................................................................................................................. 40
Satellite Launching Vehicles .............................................................................................................................................. 41
Cryogenic Engine ............................................................................................................................................................... 44
Recent launches .................................................................................................................................................................. 45
SPACE TOURISM ................................................................................................................................................................ 46
Space Sustainability .......................................................................................................................................................... 47
ISRO ACHIEVEMENTS ........................................................................................................................................................ 49
Webb versus Hubble Telescopes ...................................................................................................................................... 51
SATELLITE BASED INTERNET CONNECTIVITY ..................................................................................................................... 52
NASA'S MARS 2020 PERSEVERANCE ROVER MISSION ...................................................................................................... 55
HUMANS IN SPACE POLICY FOR INSIA 2021 ..................................................................................................................... 58
MANNED SPACE MISSION: GAGANYAAN.......................................................................................................................... 60
VENUS ORBITER MISSION: SHUKRAYAAN ......................................................................................................................... 63
Polar Orbital Experiment Module ..................................................................................................................................... 65
Argon-40 in Moon’s Atmosphere ..................................................................................................................................... 65
SARAS 3 Telescope ............................................................................................................................................................ 67
GSAT 7B & India’s Other Military Satellites ...................................................................................................................... 68

NASA’s Artemis Program................................................................................................................................................... 69
Nuclear Technology .............................................................................................................................................................. 69
Arguments for and against Nuclear Technology............................................................................................................... 70
Components of Nuclear Technology ................................................................................................................................. 71
Types of Nuclear Reactors ................................................................................................................................................ 72
India Three Stage Nuclear Programme ............................................................................................................................. 75
Applications of Nuclear Technology ................................................................................................................................. 77
NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) ......................................................................................................................................... 77
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) ......................................................................................................................................... 81
Defence Technology.............................................................................................................................................................. 82
Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme ...................................................................................................... 82
Cruise Missile vs Ballistic Missiles ..................................................................................................................................... 84
India’s Nuclear Triad ......................................................................................................................................................... 84
Anti Ballistic Missile Defence System................................................................................................................................ 86
Defence Indigenization ..................................................................................................................................................... 87
RAFALE DEL ....................................................................................................................................................................... 89
Military Exercises .............................................................................................................................................................. 90
S400................................................................................................................................................................................... 91
NASAMS ............................................................................................................................................................................ 91
INS Vikramaditya ............................................................................................................................................................... 91
INS Vikrant ........................................................................................................................................................................ 91
DRDO ACHIEVEMENTS ...................................................................................................................................................... 94
Information Technology ........................................................................................................................................................ 96
New IT rules ...................................................................................................................................................................... 96
QUANTUM Cryptography.................................................................................................................................................. 97
Crypto currency................................................................................................................................................................. 98
Central Bank Digital Currency ......................................................................................................................................... 101
Cloud and Edge Computing............................................................................................................................................. 101
Edge Computing .............................................................................................................................................................. 103
Internet Of Things (IOT) .................................................................................................................................................. 104
Artificial Intelligence ....................................................................................................................................................... 107
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chips ....................................................................................................................................... 110
QUANTUM COMPUTING ................................................................................................................................................. 112
5G .................................................................................................................................................................................... 114
BIG DATA ANALYTICS ...................................................................................................................................................... 116
Blockchain Technology.................................................................................................................................................... 123

National Strategy on Blockchain ..................................................................................................................................... 126
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYRULES 2021 ...................................................................................................................... 129
Bharat Net ....................................................................................................................................................................... 131
Net Neutrality ................................................................................................................................................................. 133
Public Wi-Fi Plan ‘ PM Wani ‘ .......................................................................................................................................... 135
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ................................................................................................................................... 135
Nano Technology ................................................................................................................................................................ 140
Application of Nano Technology .................................................................................................................................... 140
NANO IN HEALTH CARE ................................................................................................................................................... 145
Technology and Public Health ........................................................................................................................................... 147
Microbes And Disease ..................................................................................................................................................... 147
Pneumonia and Diarrhoea Progress Report 2020: IVAC................................................................................................. 148
First-Ever List of Fungal Infections .................................................................................................................................. 150
World Tuberculosis Report 2022 .................................................................................................................................... 151
Polio Eradication ............................................................................................................................................................. 153
Alzheimer Disease ........................................................................................................................................................... 154
Non-Communicable Diseases ......................................................................................................................................... 155
Kala Azar (Black Death) ................................................................................................................................................... 157
Anthrax............................................................................................................................................................................ 158
Draft Bill for a New National Public Health Law ............................................................................................................. 158
Guillain Barre Syndrome ................................................................................................................................................. 160
Health Data Management (HDM) Policy......................................................................................................................... 160
Artificial Light to Fight Against Malaria ........................................................................................................................... 161
HIV Drugs Shortage ......................................................................................................................................................... 162
Japanese Encephalitis ..................................................................................................................................................... 163
Chikungunya Vaccine ...................................................................................................................................................... 164
Avian Influenza ................................................................................................................................................................ 166
Hepatitis .......................................................................................................................................................................... 167
Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DTP3) Vaccine ......................................................................................................... 169
India and the Vaccination Drive ...................................................................................................................................... 171
Safe Drinking Water ........................................................................................................................................................ 174
Drinking Water: Quality & Challenges ............................................................................................................................ 176
Fluoride & Iron Removal technology of CMERI .............................................................................................................. 177
Energy ................................................................................................................................................................................. 179
Energy Sector - Overview ................................................................................................................................................ 179
Energy Security ............................................................................................................................................................... 179

Biofuels............................................................................................................................................................................ 183
Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 introduced in RS .................................................................................... 185
National Coal Index (NCI) ................................................................................................................................................ 186
Solar Energy – JNNSM, Solar Cities, Solar Pumps ........................................................................................................... 187
Type Of Technologies in Solar Panels ............................................................................................................................. 192
One Sun One World One Grid ......................................................................................................................................... 193
SHAKTI Policy .................................................................................................................................................................. 195
Coal linkage scenario in India .......................................................................................................................................... 195
Coal Shortages in India.................................................................................................................................................... 196

Scientific and Technological Introduction
• Science and Technology hold the key to the progress and development of any nation. Technology plays a
fundamental role in wealth creation, improvement of the quality of life and real economic growth and
transformation of any society.
• The role of Science and Technology in our daily life is altering the way people live, behave and
communicate with profound effects on economic development. Science and Technology are now the key
elements to development as the scientific revolutions reinforce economic progress, infrastructure and
improve health and education system.
• Innovation is the primary key to the technological growth and leads to better living standards. The degree
to which developing countries can emerge as economic powerhouse depends on their ability to apply
insights from science and technology
• The potential of Science and Technology for growth is endless. For example, the computing is unlocking
infrastructure backlogs and handling integrated supply chains which can transform economic performance
by enabling accessible and affordable services in healthcare and education. The emerging technology of
internet and cloud based solutions has transformed human experience.
Scientific and technological developments in Ancient India:
• In ancient time, India had made great progress in astronomy. The movement of planets came to be
emphasized and closely observed.
• Jyotishvedanga texts established systematic categories in astronomy but the more basic problem was
dealt by Aryabhatta (499 AD). His Aryabhattiya is a succinct text containing 121 verses. It contains separate
sections on astronomical definitions, methods of determining the true position of the planets, description
of the movement of the sun and the moon and the calculation of the eclipses.
• He gave good explanation for eclipse that the earth was a sphere and rotated on its axis and when the
shadow of the earth fell on the moon, it caused Lunar eclipse and when the shadow of the moon fell on
the earth, it caused Solar eclipse.
• In contrast, the orthodox theory explained it as a process where the demon swallowed the planet. All
these observations have been described by Varahamihira in Panch Siddhantika which gave the summary of
five schools of astronomy present in his time.
• Aryabhatta diverged from Vedic astronomy and explained it in scientific manner which became a guideline
for future astronomers. Astrology and horoscope were studied in ancient India. Aryabhatta’s theories
exhibited a distinct departure from astrology which stressed more on beliefs than scientific investigations.
• In the field of Mathematics, the people possessed optimum knowledge of measurement and geometry. By
third century AD, mathematics developed as a separate area of study.
• Indian mathematics is supposed to have originated from the Sulvasutras. Apastamba in second century BC,
introduced practical geometry involving acute angle, obtuse angle and right angle. This knowledge helped
in the construction of fire altars where the kings offered sacrifices. The three main contributions in the
field of mathematics were the notation system, the decimal system and the use of zero.
• The notations and the numerals were done to the West by the Arabs. These numerals replaced the Roman
numerals. Zero was discovered in India in the second century BC. Brahmagupta’s Brahmasputa Siddhanta
is the very first book that mentioned ‘zero’ as a number, hence, Brahmagupta has originated zero. He gave

rules of using zero with other numbers. Aryabhatta discovered algebra and also formulated the area of a
triangle, which led to the origin of Trignometry. The Surya Siddhanta is a very famous work.
• Varahamihira’s Brihatsamhita of the sixth century AD is another original work in the field of astronomy. His
observation that the moon rotated around the earth and the earth rotated around the sun found
recognition and later discoveries were based on this declaration. Mathematics and astronomy together
developed and scientists took interest in cosmology. These discoveries in astronomy and mathematics
became the foundations for further research and progress.
• During ancient time, medicine field was also progressed. Diseases, cure and medicines were mentioned for
the first time in the Atharva Veda. Fever, cough, constipation, diarrhoea, dropsy, sores, leprosy and seizure
are the diseases mentioned. The medications recommended were replete with magical charms and spells.
• From 600 BC, rational sciences were introduced. Takshila and Taranasi emerged as centres of medicine
and learning. The two important texts in this field are Charaksamhita by Charak and Sushrutsamhita by
Sushruta. These were considered as important as such knowledge of medicine was circulated in China,
Central Asia through translations in various languages.
• The plants and herbs also used for medicinal purposes during ancient time. It was mentioned in
Charaksamhita. Surgery came to be mentioned as a separate stream around fourth century AD. Sushruta
was an inventor of this discipline. He considered surgery as “the highest division of the healing arts and
least liable to fallacy”.
• He mentioned 121 surgical instruments. Along with this, he also mentioned the methods of operations,
bone setting, cataract and other. The surgeons in ancient India were accustomed with plastic surgery
(repair of noses, ears and lips). Sushruta mentioned 760 plants. All parts of the plant roots, barks, flowers,
leaves etc. were used for medicinal purposes. During that time, doctors put more stress on diet (e.g. salt
free diet for nephrites) to become healthy. Both the Charaksamhita and the Sushrutsamhita became the
precursors of the development of Indian medicine in the later centuries. However, surgery suffered in the
early medieval time since the act of dissecting with a razor became the work of a barber.
• Metallurgy was also developed to full swing in ancient period. The glazed potteries and bronze and copper
artefacts found in the Indus valley excavations which indicated towards a highly developed metallurgy. The
Vedic people were aware of fermenting grain and fruits, tanning leather and the process of dyeing.
• By the first century AD, mass production of metals like iron, copper, silver, gold and of alloys like brass and
bronze took place. The iron pillar in the Qutub Minar complex is symbolic of the high quality of alloying
that was being done. Alkali and acids were produced and used for making medicines. This technology was
also used for other crafts like producing dyes and colours. Textile dyeing was popular. The Ajanta murals
echo on the quality of colour.
• The study of geography was also main interest of people in ancient period. The constant interaction
between man and nature enforced people to study geography. Though the people were clear about their
own physical geography, that of China and also the Western countries, they were ignorant of their position
on the earth and the distances with other countries. Indians also contributed to shipbuilding.
• In the ancient period, voyages and navigation was not a familiar incursion for the Indians. However, Lothal,
a site in Gujarat has the remains of a dockyard proving that trade flourished in those days by sea. In the
early medieval period with the development of the concept of tirtha and tirtha yatra, a vast mass of
geographical information was accrued. They were finally compiled as parts of Puranas. In many cases
separate sthala purana was also compiled.

Field of mathematics
• Indus Valley Civilization was a business-oriented civilization. Therefore, weighing systems were developed
there. According to archaeologists, in the Indus Valley Civilization, a system of scale ratio of 16 was developed.
• The Yajurveda describes numbers up to 10 Kharab.
• The most prevalent number of the decimal system (0 to 9) in the present world was invented in India.
• The description of the innumerable (Infinity) is firstly found In the Jain text "Anuyogdwar".
• Geometry is described in Vedang literature.
• The knowledge of the description of trigonometry in Varahamihira’s 'Surya Siddhanta' (sixth century),
• Brahmagupta also provided sufficient information on trigonometry and he also constructed a sine table.
• Famous mathematicians like Aryabhata, Brahmagupta, Bhaskaracharya, Sridharacharya, etc. also had great
proficiency in algebra. The greatest achievement in the field of algebra was Brahmagupta's solution of the
square equation.
Astronomy
• Indian astronomy is thought to have originated from the Vedas. The use of astrology in Vedang literature was
based on the principles of astronomy.
• Indian scientist Aryabhatta told the circular shape of the Earth and the principle of circling on its axis. After
that, the famous German astronomer Copernicus give this theory.
• Brahmagupta confirmed the Earth's gravitational theory even before Sir Isaac Newton.
Geometry
• People of Harappan culture are familiar with geometry. The brick formation, construction of buildings, cutting
off roads at right angles are proof that people of that period knew geometry.
• In the Vedic period the Aryans used the knowledge of geometry to make the altars of the yajna which is also
mentioned in Vedang.
• Aryabhatta has established the value of the ratio "pie" to the circumference and diameter of the circle 3.1416.
Medical Science
• First written knowledge about the Indian system of medicine is found in 'Atharvaveda'. The treatment of
various diseases is given in Atharvaveda's 'Bhaisjya Sutra'. A detailed description is found on the topics of
general medicine and mental medicine.
• 'Sushruta Samhita', 'Charaksamhita' are authentic and world-renowned texts of the medical science of ancient
India. 'Sushruta Samhita' describes 8 types of surgery.
• Along with the treatment of humans, the science of veterinary medicine was also developed in India since
ancient times.There are many efforts related to the treatment of elephants and oxen. The texts of a
Veterinarian named 'Shalihotra' are available in Ayurveda, 'Ashva Symptoms' and 'Ashwa Praja'. These include
the description of diseases of horses and medicines for their treatment.
Chemistry
• India has proficiency in metallurgy since ancient times. India's proficiency in metallurgy was of the highest
order. Porus, 326 AD, Indian steel weighing 30 pounds was presented to Alexander. The standing iron pillar

(4th century) in the Mehrauli of Delhi has remained rustless for 1700 years despite the effects of heat and
rain. This is a sample of the ferocious ironwork of India.
• Besides, the Konark temple of Orissa, built in the thirteenth-century iron pillar of about 90 tons weight, is still
free from corrosion.
• The sage Kanad ( sixth century BC.) proved that every substance of the world is made up of atoms. Kanad's
atomic theory is the first atomic theory in the world.
Engineering and Architecture
• From the Indus Valley Civilization, India was a pioneer in the field of architecture. The urban system of the
Indus is an inspiration for the present cities.
• Buildings, pillars, cave construction, chaitya construction during the Mahajanapada period and Maurya period
are examples of advanced architecture of India.
• Ancient India has advanced series of temples. The Kailashnath temple built on the hillside is a great specimen
of engineering.
Scientist:-
• In ancient times, there have been great scientists like Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Brahmagupta, Nagarjuna,
Charak, Sushruta, Boudhayan.
Undoubtedly, ancient India was technologically advanced in the fields of mathematics, medicine, physics, in
the presence of scientists like Varahamihir, Aryabhatta, Nagarjuna. Contemporary civilizations of the Indus
valley were not as scientific as the Indus.With this, in ancient India, almost India was technically and
economically self-sufficient and was the leader of the entire world as a Vishwaguru.
Scientific and technological developments in medieval India:
• During the medieval period that was in eleventh to eighteenth century, science and technology in India
advanced in two ways. One concerned with the already charted course of earlier traditions and the other
with the new influences which came up as a result of Islamic and European influence. Muslim monarchs
tried to reform the curriculum of primary schools. Some important subjects like arithmetic, mensuration,
geometry, astronomy, accountancy, public administration and agriculture were included in the course of
studies for primary education.
• In the field of biology, Hamsadeva gathered Mrga-pasi-sastra in the thirteenth century which gives a
general, though not always scientific explanation of some of the beasts and birds of hunting. The medieval
sovereigns were as warriors and hunters, kept animals such as horses, dogs, cheetahs and falcons.
• Animals, both domesticated and wild, existed in their menageries. During medieval era, there was lots of
progress in the arena of mathematics. Brahmagupta the great who was mathematician of his time, had
given an account of negative numbers as debts and positive numbers as fortunes, which demonstrates
that ancient Bharatiyas knew the utility of mathematics for practical trade.
• In the beginning medieval period the two exceptional works in mathematics were Ganitasara by Sridhara
and Lilavati by Bhaskara. Ganitasara deals with multiplication, division, numbers, cubes, square roots,
mensuration, and so on. Ganesh Daivajna produced Buddhivilasini, a commentary on Lilavati, containing a
number of illustrations.

• In chemistry field, this period witnessed considerable reformation. Before the introduction of writing
paper, ancient literature was preserved generally on palm leaves in South India and birch-bark (bhoj-patra)
in Kashmir and other northern regions of the country. Use of paper began during the medieval period.
Kashmir, Sialkot, Zafarabad, Patna, Murshidabad, Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Mysore were known centres
of paper production. During the era of Tipu Sultan, Mysore possessed a paper-making factory, producing a
special type of paper that had a gold surface.
• The paper making method was more or less the same throughout the country, only differed in preparation
of the pulp from different raw materials. The Mughals knew the procedure of production of gunpowder
and its use in guns. Indian craftsmen learnt the technique and evolved suitable explosive compositions.
They were aware of the method of preparation of gunpowder using saltpetre, sulphur and charcoal in
different ratios for use in different types of guns.
• In medicine field, there was an attempt to develop specialised treatises on different diseases. Pulse and
urine examinations were conducted for diagnostic purposes. The Sarangdhara Samhita recommends use of
opium for medicines. The rasachikitsa system, dealt chiefly with a host of mineral medicines including
metallic preparations. The Unani Tibb is an important system of medicine which thrived in India in the
medieval period.
• In the medieval period, the form of agricultural practices was almost the same as that in early ancient
India. Some important changes, however, were brought about by the foreigners such as the introduction
of new crops, trees and horticultural plants. The principal crops were wheat, rice, barley, millets, pulses,
oilseeds, cotton, sugarcane and indigo.
Science and technology in the post-Independence period
India has succeeded in creating a sizable science and technology infrastructure within five decades of
independence. Modern India has had a strong focus on science and technology, realising that it is a key
element of economic growth. India is among the topmost countries in the world in the field of scientific
research, positioned as one of the top five nations in the field of space exploration.
Developments in science and technology in the post-Independence period making India modern:
1. Agricultural modernity: Since the independence government has achieved self-sufficiency in agriculture.
The Green revolution has enabled India to increase productivity through high yield varieties. Further,
Indian agriculture benefited from the developments made in the field of biotechnology, for which a
separate department was created in 1986 under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
2. Industrialisation: Technological advances such as industrialization, railroads, gas lighting, factory systems,
indoor plumbing, appliances, and scientific advances were rapidly made and these changes dramatically
affected the way people lived and thought about themselves. One consequence was that people in
industrialized areas thought of themselves as progressive and modern.
3. Space exploration: The Indian space program has made a lot of progress. Indian Space Research
Organisation achieved a lot launching remote sensing satellites since developing India’s first satellite—
Aryabhata. India has achieved a lot in the field of communication by launching communication satellites.
Mars mission, Chandrayaan mission has proved India a leader in space activities.
4. Secular nation: Modernity is characterized by increasing secularism and diminished religious authority.
India adopted scientific temper and secularism as a foundation of new India, and of dams as the temples

of modern India. This Idea of India has rejectedthe opposite idea of what led to Islamic Pakistan. Tolerance
and spirituality characterize the country’s rich culture.
Challenges to India’s progress as modern nation:
1. Corruption: Corruption is a big roadblock to India’s progress. For example, agricultural reforms like PDS are
marred by leakages and corrupt practices. Public resources are used inefficiently and subsidies do not
reach the poorest.
2. Social divide: India’s social divide is often linked to its centuries-old caste system. The caste system still
exist and lower castes still face discrimination from upper caste. This has hindered India’s emergence as a
modern nation.
3. Inequality: India has turned into a $3 trillion economy. But this growth is less inclusive with a high level of
growing economic inequality. Inequality led to many remaining under poverty and did not grow with the
nation. A modern nation is one where poverty is minimal, and poor having access to minimum basic like
food, health, education which is absent in India.
4. Health and Education: As India marches forward, it faces new challenges in health and education. Poor
education and healthcare in India remains a hurdle to India’s progress. Cities grappling with alarming rates
of congestion and pollution, together with an unhealthy population, significantly dampen the benefits of
India’s demographic dividend and urban growth.
Way forward:
1. Infrastructure development: A high priority should be infrastructure development, both physical and
digital, to enable rural dwellers to access the products and services matching their incomes, needs and
aspirations. The government already has flagship programmes such as Digital India, which envisions
transforming the country into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.
2. Collaborative effort: Working together, business, government and civil society will have to connect Indians
with their sustainable development. Policy efforts will be needed at the highest levels to harmonize India’s
growing need for housing, roads, transport services and packaged goods with the resulting impact on the
environment.
3. Education and health spending: Improving service delivery of health and education services for better
efficiency and access by the poor requires increasing public expenditures, reallocating expenditures away
from tertiary levels and toward primary ones, making institutional changes, and sharpening targeting and
incentives.
4. Focus on access: As India aspires to be a global leader in science and technology, it is important for Indian
policy to give attention to science and technology policy. Science and technology policy should focus on
access, inclusion and equity, to link societal development with science and technology policy. It also
reflects the current thinking on sustainable and inclusive growth.
India is aggressively working towards establishing itself as a leader in industrialisation and technological
development. Significant developments in the nuclear energy sector are likely as India looks to expand its
nuclear capacity. Moreover, nanotechnology is expected to transform the Indian pharmaceutical industry. The
agriculture sector is also likely to undergo a major revamp, with the government investing heavily for the
technology-driven Green Revolution. The Government of India, through the Science, Technology and
Innovation (STI) Policy-2013, among other things, aspires to position India among the world’s top five scientific
powers.

The Role of Technology in Nation-Building
INTRODUCTION:
• Science and Technology hold the key to the progress and development of any nation.
• Technology plays a fundamental role in wealth creation, improvement of the quality of life and real
economic growth and transformation in any society.
• Science, technology and the development of nations and society are all proportional to each other.
• Development is always linked with technological disruption, and it happens when there is an advancement
in the scientific field.
• Nation-building refers to how national identities are constructed and communicated. The term nation-
building is often used simultaneously with state-building, democratization, modernization, political
development, post-conflict reconstruction, and peacebuilding. Nation-building can take many forms,
including education policies or major infrastructure development to trigger economic growth and political
stability.
• Nation-building is a challenge in post-colonial states, especially in territories that were primarily used by
the colonial power to extract resources or obtain other economic benefits.
HISORICAL PERSPECTIVE:
• After nearly two centuries of despotic British rule, India gained independence in 1947. The British left
India as a poor, dependent, underdeveloped, socially, and economically backward nation. A few hold this
opinion that nation-building is an autonomous process that would develop itself after independence. But
past and later experiences indicate that this was a complex challenge.
• Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India in his address to the Indian Science Congress said, “New-born India
needed inputs of science not through hollow words, but through concrete efforts directed at building
the necessary infrastructure from scratch.” The cultivation of science and its benefits to humanity were
crystal clear to Nehru even before independence. He became the first non-scientist to preside over the
Indian Science Congress.
• Some of the greatest names of the time, including Homi J Bhabha, Sir C.V. Raman, Satish Dhawan, Nalini
Ranjan Sarkar, J.C. Ghosh, Meghnad Saha and S.S. Bhatnagar, were given a free hand in establishing the
country’s best institutes of scientific learning. J.L. Nehru, in consultation with Bhabha, established
the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) of the country on August 10, 1948, with Bhabha as its head.
• In India, science and technology have been given importance in nation-building since independence with
the establishment of institutes like DRDO, IITs, CSIR labs and the establishment of the Department of
Science and Technology (DST).
Challenges Faced by the Newly Independent India

• Rehabilitation of Refuges & Communal Riots
• Integration of Princely States
• Stability & Security of India
• Establishment of Representative Democracy & Civil Libertarian Political Order
• Restoration of Law & Order after partition
• Economic Development
• Social, Political and Economic Equality

• It was the vision of Pandit Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India, and the need of India at
that time that led to the foundation of the Indian Institute of Technology in 1950 after only three years of
independence. These institutes, with assistance from international institutes, promoted research in India.
Nehru aimed to inculcate the scientific temper among the Indians. He also aimed “to convert India’s
economy into that of a modern state, and to fit her into the nuclear age and do it
quickly”. The Department of scientific research and natural resources was also set up by him.
Science and technology system in India
ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

• Science and technology have been central to the progress and development of virtually all the nations of
the world. It contributes immensely to various sectors of the economy. Science and technology are
intimately connected with development because and share a symbiotic relationship. It leads to healthier,
longer, wealthier and more productive lives and alleviation of poverty becomes possible. The many ways in
which science and technology impact poverty alleviation across various sectors and economic growth
merit attention.

ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE HEALTH SECTOR:
• Advances in scientific knowledge and its application have helped slow the trend of high fertility, high
mortality and led to increasingly better health for people in India.
• In the Indian context, over the past century, science and technology provided the basis for the largest ever
aggregate improvements in human health.
• In 1950-51, there were 725 Primary Health Centres and in 1999, these rose to 22,446. As per the Rural
Health Statistics-2019, a total of 30,045 PHC both in rural and urban areas have been functional in the
country. It marks a big achievement for India.
• National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) for 2019-21 has revealed a mixed picture in terms of the health
indicators in the country. On the one hand, it observes a reduction in the Infant Mortality Rate
(IMR) (40.7 in NFHS 4 to 35.2 in NFHS 5) and 0 (49.7 in NFHS 4 to 41.9 in NFHS 5) and on the other hand,
there is an increase in anaemia among women and children, which in turn will have implications on
malnutrition in the future.
• The life expectancy of an average Indian was 33 years in 1951 which increased to 69.66 years in 2019.
• Stronger primary health care is essential to achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) and universal health coverage. It contributes to the attainment of other goals beyond the health
goal (SDG3).
Control of Communicable Diseases:

• The number of deaths from diseases like Malaria, Smallpox, Tuberculosis, has been declined.
• Smallpox: India had eradicated this disease from the country since April 1977. It was a big achievement of
the health care programme.
• Polio: India received 'Polio-free certification' from World Health Organization on 27 March 2014, with the
last polio case being reported in Howrah in West Bengal on 13 January 2011.
• Malaria: At the time of independence malaria killed more than 10 lakh people every year. It is due to
development in science and technology together with better planning we were able to control it. The
government took a major step to address the disease by launching the National Malaria Eradication
Programme in 1958.
• Tuberculosis: It is commonly called TB. To control TB, National TB Control Programme was started in 1955.
A number of TB hospitals have been opened across the country. Revised National Tuberculosis Control
Programme was launched in April 1977. National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Elimination (2017–
2025) purposes to achieve a rapid decline in the burden of TB, morbidity and mortality while working
towards the elimination of TB in India by 2025.
• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM): It was launched in September 2021 is a necessary
intervention to enable a National Digital Health Ecosystem. Implementation of this mission has manifold
implications. Creating a digital health ecosystem, for one, will enable the creation of health provider
registries, thereby aiding in the elimination of quackery. Digital prescriptions can help prevent
unauthorised doctors from prescribing to patients.
• The provision of a unique health ID for every individual, there are benefits of tracking patient case history,
diagnostic tests taken and their reports, interval between tests, etc., all of which is irretrievable in a pen-
and-paper system and lack of awareness/knowledge among patients.
• With 5G on the anvil, the healthcare delivery will change forever and India may lead the way in showing
the world how tech can transform healthcare and make it more outcome-driven.

Budget 2022-23 has acknowledged the real potential of information technology (IT) in addressing the gaps in
the health system. Therefore, the CAPEX under the Department of Health and Family Welfare has gone up
from Rs2,508 crore in FY2021-22 to Rs5,632 crore for FY2022-23, a more than 100% increase to building
strong foundations for the health system.
• ‘Make in India’ initiative is encouraging domestic manufacture of medical devices and helping lower the
prices patients pay for products such as stents and implants, which in the past were imported.
• India’s health care industry is becoming more and more attractive for investors, with technology-led
innovations.
Three ‘B’s of Health Care:
1. “Biology,” where technology could help lower the costs of genetic testing and facilitate targeted
treatments, precision medicine and preventive care.
2. “Bytes” or the steady drop in the cost of computing, driven by Moore’s Law (the number of transistors
on a microchip doubles every two years while the cost of computing in that period is halved).
3. “Bandwidth” in digital communications, which along with India’s growing teledensity could expand
health care access for rural India.
• Telemedicine: Development in ICT and the spread of internet connection has helped education reach the
corners of the nation through video lectures, interactive sessions with distantly located teachers and
educators. The health sector also reaps benefits from expanding its network through Telemedicine.
• CoWIN Platform: During the pandemic, the platform has proven to be successful in India where it has also
handled 2.5 crore vaccinations in a day, with a load of over 800 vaccinations per second. Achieving
the 100crore vaccines milestone in record time would not have been possible for India in the absence of it.
India has made its digital platform (CoWIN Platform) for Covid19 vaccination drive, CoWIN, open-source for all
countries to access, adapt and use. This was perhaps the first time that any country is made a software
platform developed by its public sector open for the world.
• Covaxin: The development of Covaxin has instilled self-confidence in us that India is now much more than
the pharmacy of the world. It is also a vaccine superpower.
• Vocal for Patent Waiver: Despite not getting much support India's pushed for COVID vaccine patent
waiver, medicines at WTO. This approach not only suggests the importance of healthcare in nation-
building but also how India looks at the world as one family and translates the underlying principle of
‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’.
ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE:

• Advances in science and technology have facilitated higher yields, greater efficiency and greater nutritional
content. Science and technology have played an important role in India’s evolution since its independence.
• India went through famine, starvation in many parts and national calamities and looked for ships to come
to our ports with wheat from western countries. After Independence, India looked forward to
development through Five Year Plans. Today India is in the knowledge age which provides an opportunity
to become a developed nation with a strong economy.
The era of stagnation in agriculture (the 1950s): A period marked by limited or insignificant growth,
agricultural production during this period witnessed.
• Low growth in crop and grain production (0.4 and 0.1 percent p.a.)

• Foodgrain production of 59.2 MT in 1952–53, with a yield of 579.8 kg/ha
• Foodgrain production of 59.2 MT in 1952–53, with a yield of 579.8 kg/ha
The 1960s-1980s: A good transition from stagnancy to high agriculture production, this period was
characterized by:
• Pioneering work of agricultural scientists and efforts of farmers that led to the Green Revolution
• High Yield Variety (HYV) of seeds, increased use of fertilizers and irrigation, resulting in a significant spike in
production
• Food security and reduced import of food grains
The 1980- 2000s: Surplus production and exports: During this period, India transitioned from achieving just
food security to surplus production. The key highlights of this period include:
• Expanding cereal production
• Economic reforms introduced that provided greater encouragement to exports
• Surplus of production of agricultural commodities over domestic demand
• India emerged as a net exporter of agricultural products
• Increase in population and strong income growth
2000 Onwards: Economic Reforms, Technological Advancements and Disruptive Transformation

2000 and beyond saw a great push to agricultural production with the introduction of supporting reforms,
new policies and adoption of technology. Some key highlights from this period include:
• Better technology adoption
• Rise in institutional credit for agriculture
• NFSM to increase the production of commodities
• Schemes like National Horticulture Mission (NHM) and Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India
(BREI) helped achieve record production.
• The National Mission on Oilseeds & Oil Palm
• Commodity exchanges that helped in fair pricing of commodities
Agricultural Progress under the various Five-Year Plans:

• Third Plan: The Government introduced the new agricultural technology known as the Intensive
Agricultural District Programme of using improved seeds, viz., High Yielding Varieties Programme
(HYVP). The new agricultural technology was expected to usher in the green revolution.
• Fourth Plan: A systematic effort to extend the application of science and technology to improve
agricultural practices
• Sixth Plan: It is hailed by the Indian Government as the second green revolution. The Second Green
Revolution from 1983-84 was said to be from expansion in supplies of inputs and services to farmers,
agricultural extension and better management.
Green Revolution:
• The Green Revolution was an endeavour initiated by Norman Borlaug in the 1960s. He is known as the

'Father of Green Revolution' in the world.
• It led to him winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work in developing High Yielding Varieties (HYVs)
of wheat.
• In India, the Green Revolution was mainly led by M.S. Swaminathan.
• The introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds after 1965 and the increased use of fertilizers and
irrigation are known collectively as the Green Revolution, which provided the increase in production
needed to make India self-sufficient in food grains, thus improving agriculture in India. Famine in India,
once accepted as inevitable, has not returned since the introduction of Green Revolution crops.
Other applications of Technology in Agriculture:
• India’s Rainbow Revolution: The rainbow revolution concept is a combination of Green Revolution, White
Revolution, Blue Revolution, Yellow Revolution and Brown Revolution. It was after these revolutions, that
Indian agriculture slowly shifted from traditional behaviour to scientific behaviour.
• Soil Health Card: The campaign to provide soil health cards with nutrient information of soil would help
the farmers to educate about the most viable and appropriate cropping pattern suiting the climatic
conditions in the region. Shortage of infrastructure like soil testing labs is hindrances but it’s a move in the
right direction.
• APMC farmers go cashless (2017): In January 2017, Indore Agricultural Produce Market Committee
(APMC) adopted a cashless payment policy and farmers started accepting alternative modes of payments
such as cheques and RTGS.
• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evem Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM):
• Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evem
Utthan Mahabhiyan b Scheme for farmers for the installation of solar pumps and grid-connected solar and
other renewable power plants in the country.
Digital Initiatives By The Indian Government in Agriculture:
• E-sagu: One of the latest digital initiatives, it provides expert suggestions to the farmers. By leveraging the
internet and audio-visual communication, insights from experts are provided to the farmers regularly on
the various techniques to increase farm productivity
• Community Radio (CR): Community Radio fulfils the information needs of the farmers using radio station
facilities by providing the latest information on weather and farming practices.
• Digital Green: The initiative disseminates agricultural information using online videos.
• National Agriculture Market (e-NAM): It provides an e-marketing platform at the national level and
supports the creation of infrastructure to enable e-marketing. The platform also ensures better price
discovery, brings in transparency and empowers farmers to get fair remuneration for their produce
• The Kisan Call Centre (KCC): This initiative provides information to farmers through a toll-free telephone
helpline. Under this project, call centre facilities have been extended to the farmers by establishing call
centres in different states so that farmers can get the information in their native language.
NEW-AGE AGRI REVOLUTION IN INDIA:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems:
• AI Systems are helping to improve the overall harvest quality and accuracy – known as precision
agriculture. AI technology helps in detecting disease in plants, pests and poor nutrition of farms. AI sensors
can detect and target weeds and then decide which herbicide to apply within the region.
• Accurate AI forecasts and analytical tools help farmers better plan their farming habits and help them
avoid losses, while also helping them better their yields with crops that could thrive in particular weather.

• Kisan Drones: It will be used to boost the agricultural sector in the country, the use of Kisan Drones will be
promoted for crop assessment, digitization of land records and spraying of insecticides and nutrients.
• Smart Farm Machinery: Smart Farm Machinery is about producing more with less. Smart machines and
technological breakthroughs have the potential to increase output, lower costs and boost farm incomes.
• Micro Irrigation: frees the farmer from vagaries of seasonal monsoon while also conserving the limited
water resources. With agriculture consuming about 80 per cent of the total renewable water resources,
the adoption of micro-irrigation practices will help conserve our precious water reserves and also boost
yields and productivity.
• Precision Farming: an approach to farm management that uses information technology to access real-time
data about crops, soil, weather etc. to ensure crops and soil receive exactly what they need for optimum
health and productivity.
• Digitization in agriculture is catching up fast. From platforms like eNAM to projects like Agri Udaan, the
commitment to the use of technologies in agriculture is strong and clear. It is now important for investors
and stakeholders to utilize this opportunity and ride the tide of long-overdue digital transformation in the
agriculture sector.
• Earth Observation Satellites (EOS): These are nothing but another Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT). Land
and forest mapping and monitoring, mapping of resources like water or minerals or fishes, weather and
climate observations, soil assessment, and geospatial contour mapping are done through these satellites.
The agricultural sector plays a strategic role in the process of nation-building by:
• Contributing to National Income
• Ensuring Source of Food Supply
• Pre-Requisite for Raw Material
• Provision of Surplus
• Creation of Infrastructure
• Helpful to Reduce Inequality
• Source of foreign exchange
• Employment opportunities for Rural People
Numerous raw materials, regardless of whether it’s cotton, sugar, wood, or palm oil, come from the
agriculture sector. These materials are fundamental for major industries. Adequate provision of Agricultural
education programmes, also helps a nation meet the challenges of food insecurity, poverty and
unemployment which has posed threats to the corporate existence and stability of the nation. We need a new
phase in Indian agriculture that will be defined by innovation and technology; an age where we will look to
balance productivity and economics with social and environmental considerations. This age will usher in an era
of unprecedented productivity and prosperity for farmers.
ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN AFFORDABLE/CLEAN ENERGY:

• The power sector plays a vital role in the economic growth and human development of any country.
It improves the quality of life of human beings and the biotics of this sphere. Electricity consumption is one
of the most important indices for measuring the development level of a nation.
• The power sector in India has grown significantly since independence, both in the Installed Capacity and
Transmission & Distribution (T&D) system. The total Power Generating Capacity has increased from a
meagre 1362 MW in 1947 to about 393 GW at the end of March 2021.
• The Per Capita Electricity Consumption which was a mere 3 units in 1947, has increased to 1208 units in
2019-20.

Scope of Technological intervention in the Power Sector:
• National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM)
• Integrated metering, billing and collection systems
• Energy accounting system to conduct an energy audit
• Complaint handling
• Increased Efficiency in the Distribution sector
• Evolved grid system
• Smart Metering
• Digital Asset Management
• Sustainable Energy
• Technological Up-gradation/Digitisation
• Energy Storage
• Renewable Energy
Renewable Energy (RE) Capacity of India:
• Production Linked Incentive Scheme “National Programme on High-Efficiency Solar PV Modules” was
introduced to promote manufacturing of high-efficiency solar PV modules, including the upstage vertical
components like cells, wafers, ingots and polysilicon in India and thus reduce the import dependence
in Solar PhotoVoltaic (PV) sector.
• National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHM): India's ambitious goal of 175 GW by 2022 got an impetus in
the 2021-22 budget which allocated Rs. 1500 crore for renewable energy development and NHM.
• Modern clean, renewable energy technologies (e.g., solar, wind, modern biomass) need to be developed
further and there needs to be an increase in the efficiency and sustainability of energy use in
transportation, industry, and housing. Power is one of the most critical components of infrastructure and
crucial for making the process of “nation-building” steady and sustainable.
ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION:

• To make India a front-line country and economy, the government has launched schemes such as Digital
India and Make in India, which require the education system especially higher education to gear itself to
the task of realising these missions. Hence, education becomes the fuel to achieve the other goals in the
process of nation-building.
“Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world.”—Nelson Mandela
• One of the core principles guiding the education system would be the ‘extensive use of technology in
teaching and learning, removing language barriers, increasing access, and education planning and
management.
• With the internet penetration rate estimated to reach above 55 per cent by the end of 2025 in
India, digitisation of education is the future of education. National Education Policy (NEP) emphasizes
digitisation besides the use of technology in education. But increased use of technology in education also
creates a digital divide, as not everyone has equal access to technology.
Bridging the digital divide:

• The shift to online education also brings forward the conversations around the digital divide and the digital
readiness of every stakeholder and institution. The digital divide in schools is significantly higher than in

higher education institutions.
• Work is being done to make education accessible through digital means for all school students, irrespective
of their location, financial background, and internet and bandwidth connectivity.
• National Digital Educational Architecture (NDEAR): The NDEAR aims to offer distinct education ecosystem
architecture for the advancement of digital infrastructure in the country and guarantee the autonomy of
stakeholders, especially states and UTs.
Initiatives by the Government:

• PM eVIDYA Programme: The government introduced the PM eVIDYA programme in May 2020 to make e-
learning more accessible for Indian students and teachers and promote & strengthen digital education in
India.
• DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing): National portal for school education, to offer
school curriculum-based engaging learning materials to students, teachers, and parents. The portal
supports >18 Indian languages and has been implemented by 35 states/UTs.
• SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds): It offers an integrated platform for
online courses at affordable costs to all citizens, especially the underprivileged section in the country.
• SWAYAM PRABHA: In 2017, SWAYAM PRABHA, a group of 34 DTH (Direct-to-Home) channels dedicated to
broadcasting educational programmes 24x7, was introduced.
• E-Pathshala Portal: In 2015, the government launched the ePathshala portal to build a resource store for
educational videos, audios, flipbooks, etc.
• NISHTHA: In FY21, the National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA)
- Phase II was launched at the secondary level to tailor modules for online education.
• OLabs: To offer students a lab learning experience via the internet, the government introduced OLabs in
November 2014 for those who do not have access to the physical lab.
• Virtual Labs: The Government of India introduced a pilot virtual lab in 2009 and the main one in 2010 to
enable undergraduate and post-graduate students (pursuing science and engineering courses) remotely
access the labs and enhance their study experience.
ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN ECONOMIC GROWTH:

In economics, it is widely accepted that technology is the key driver of the economic growth of countries,
regions and cities. Technological progress allows for the more efficient production of more and better goods
and services, which is what prosperity depends on. The role of technology in economic development can be
summarised as follows:
• Time is Money: Technology can save the time it takes to produce a good or deliver a service, contributing
to the overall profits of a business.
• Efficiency: Technology can contribute to the efficiency of a business's output rate, allowing for larger
quantities of products to be moved or of services to be rendered.
• Specialization: Technology has to lead to an increase in the division of labour and specialization of jobs
within a business, further contributing to the efficiency with which a business can run.
• Natural Resources: Technology has a huge effect on the ability of businesses and governments to access
natural resources and use them in the most effective ways possible to benefit both the business and the
economy.

• Industrial Expansion: Thanks to the increased efficiency of labour with the ever-improving state of
technology, businesses can increase total output, which in turn leads to higher profits and greater
economic development.
• Research: Better technology has led to further research into nearly every sector of business and science,
meaning businesses can benefit from all sorts of technological advancements.
• The Internet and International Trade: Information technology is the single most important element in the
success and growth of international trade and job market growth, allowing businesses to share
information and conduct trade in less time than the blink of an eye.
There are three distinct pillars sustaining any nation-building process.
1. The Government, which also could be categorised as political leadership
2. The Civil Society, and
3. The Business
4. The three work in tandem to drive the process forward.
Impact of Technology in Indian Economy:
Market Operations:
• The Telecom sector constitutes a critical building block of the country’s infrastructure. Broadband wireless
is going to be the order of the day and mobile money transfer and mobile commerce are going to open up
endless possibilities.
• Digital technology in capital markets is changing the market operations. The new technology-aided
solutions are only adding to the human capacities in the capital market scenario. Machine
learning and artificial intelligence are part of financial institutions among other aspects like investment
trading.
• Technology is further democratizing trading. Investors no longer have to rely on experts as data science
produces trading strategies that resolve investment challenges.
Banking Sector:
• The requirement for computerized banks in India was felt in the early 1980s. The Indian banks applied the
process at the branch level. Various national committees were formed by the government to modernize
the banking system in India.
• In the late 1980s, the then deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Dr C Rangrajan implemented
the concept of core banking in India. It formed a platform for facilities like telebanking, off-site ATMs and
customer terminals.
• In the 1990s, core banking was transformed when private sector banks and foreign banks started having
access to the Indian banking industry.
Objectives of Core Banking System:
i. It aims to provide convenient banking to its customers where the customers can access banks anytime
and from anywhere.
ii. Another objective of the core banking system is to make informed decisions with facts and figures.

• Advanced Self-Service Capabilities: With fintech banking solutions, self-service capabilities provide
customers with operational processes that were previously only available via a physical branch.
• Application Programming Interfaces (APIs): A decade ago, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced
NEFT and RTGS, followed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) introducing IMPS. This
was followed by API-led banking. In a nutshell, an API is a bridge that helps banks and third parties to
connect safely and leverage each other’s offerings in real-time.
• Instant Payments: Point of sale or POS terminals had begun to see acceptance only around 2016, the
rapid penetration of mobile internet services and demonetisation played a role in Indians’ larger
acceptance of digital payments.
• BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money): It is an Indian mobile payment app developed by the National
Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), based on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
• RuPay Payment Network: RuPay is the first of its kind global card payment network of India with wide
acceptance at ATMs, Point of Sale Devices, and e-commerce platforms across the country.
The government has recently approved a Rs 1,300 crore ($170 million) plan to promote domestic RuPay debit
cards and low-value digital transactions to boost their use in marginalised populations, in a move that could
challenge the clout of rivals like Visa and Mastercard.
• Aadhar: It is a 12-digit unique identity number that can be obtained voluntarily by the citizens of India
and resident foreign nationals. Aadhaar is the world's largest biometric ID system. Today, 99% of Indian
adults have an Aadhaar identity number. The government further interlinked the identity system with
bank accounts and mobile numbers, resulting in the JAM (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-mobile phone)
trinity. JAM has become the fundamental digital architecture ushering in holistic financial inclusion.
CONCLUSION:
Nation-building is constructing or structuring a national identity using the power and resources of the state.
Nation-building aims at the unification of the people within the state so that it remains politically stable and
viable in the long run. Growth in GDP is not the real measure of a nation’s progress. The aspect that matters
most is the rate at which economic wealth is translated into less poverty, more opportunities, better health
etc.
Technology simply put is a means of harnessing and exploiting our understanding of nature and resources to
improve the human condition, the natural environment or to carry out other socio-economic activities.
Therefore, science and technology (S&T) intervention becomes even more relevant for any successful
economy, especially today when knowledge-based economies are emerging stronger. In a nutshell, science
and technology is associated with modernity by all means and is essential to nation-building and the rapid
development of their subjects.
Draft Science Technology and Innovation Policy
The new Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy aims to bring about profound changes through short
term, medium-term, and long-term mission mode projects by building a nurtured ecosystem that promotes
research and innovation on the part of both individuals and organizations.
Data
1. Rise in Investment: India's Gross Expenditure on R&D increased by more than 3 times during last 10
years
2. Women Empowerment: Women participation in extramural R&D got doubled in last 6 years

3. Per Capita Expenditure: India's per capita R&D xpenditure at PPP got doubled in last 10 years Global
Rankings
4. Global Ranking
• 3rd in terms of no of publications in SCI journals
• 9th in terms of quality (13th in 2014)
• 3rd in term of no of PhDs
• 3rd Largest Higher Education System of the world
• 3rd in terms of No of Startups (~32,000)
• 3rd in terms of no of UNICORNS (Huron Global Unicorn List, 2019)
• 9th rank in terms of Resident Patent filing
• 46th rank in terms of Global Innovation Index in 2021(81st in 2015)
Need for such a policy

• Rapid Transformation in STI: Since 2013 when the last policy was formulated, India made some
unprecedented progress in STI.
• Pandemic: COVID-19 is likely to have short and medium term impact on STI Resources, Strategies and
Priorities.
• Disruptive technologies: There has been a rise in AI, IOT and other disruptive technologies which need
proper guidelines on implementation.
• Atmanirbhar Bharat: It is important to focus on development of indigenous technologies and
encouragement to grass root level innovation.
• Relation to Growth: A conducive STI policy is directly linked to India's economic growth especially that
led by the IT sector.
Key Highlights of Draft Policy

1. Open Science
• INDSTA (Indian Science and Technology Archive of Research): A dedicated portal to provide access to
the outputs of all publicly-funded research
• Open Data Policy for Publicly Funded Research: All data used in and generated from public funded
research will be available to everyone
• One Nation, One Subscription: The Government will negotiate with journal publishers for a "one
nation, one subscription" policy whereby, in return for one centrally-negotiated payment, all
individuals in India will have access to journal articles.
2. Capacity Development
• Engaged Universities: Created for the needs of community by conducting interdisciplinary projects
involving scientific and technological and social science-based interventions
• Creating Teaching-Learning Centres(TLCs): In urban and rural areas for upskilling of faculty members,
to enhance learning experience and engagement, for effective outcomes.
• Collaborative Research Centres (CRCs): To bring together industries, MSMEs, startups, R&D institutions
and HEIs with the government.
3. Financing
• Incentives: Boosting fiscal incentives for industries investing in STI through incremental R&D based tax
incentives, tax credit for investing in facilities.
• STI Development Bank: To facilitate a corpus fund for investing in direct long term investments in
select strategic areas.

4. Research
• Ease of doing research: To reduce the administrative burden on the researchers, digital platforms and
e-governance will be used
• Rural Focus: address solutions for different regions/socio-economic strata including a focus on rural
problems
5. Innovation
• Indigenous Technology: Increased focus on the indigenous development of technology
• Indigenous technologies will be promoted
• Strategic Technology Board: Set up a Strategic Technology Board (STB) to act as a connecting bridge
between different strategic departments
6. Inclusivity
• Women Empowerment: Enhanced representation of women, at least 30% of the total strength, in all
decision making bodies including selection and evaluation committees
• LGBTQ+: LGBTQ+ community to be included into all the conversations related to gender equity
• Rural: There will be equal opportunity in academics for women along with candidates from rural and
remote areas
7. International
• Brain Gain: Create a fine balance between attracting the best talent back home and creating facilitating
channels for the diaspora.
• Diaspora: An engagement portal exclusively for Indian scientific diaspora will be created
• International Knowledge Centres: Preferably Virtual, will be established to promote global knowledge.
Way Forward
• Implementation: Many frameworks get affected due to policy paralysis in India and thus political will is
required for implementation.
• Leveraging existing strengths: Private sector collaboration can help public interests as many Indian IT
companies can guide such policies.
• Centre-State Collaboration: There is a need for states to cooperate with the centre for more holistic
and uniform success of the policy.
• Address fears: There is also a need to address fears and challenges that emerge from cyber security
and patent thefts.
• IPR regime: India's IPR rules must be strengthened to reflect international standards, this will in turn
attract foreign investments as well.
• Industry-Academia: This vital linkage can also help in addressing employment mismatches and reduce
unemployment as well as underemployment.
Indian industry and academia can greatly benefit from a policy framework on Science, technology and
innovation, it can greatly help India in emerging as a world leader in innovation and as a technical hub.
Consultation process for new Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (STIP) initiated
Recently, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (Office of PSA) and the
Department of Science and Technology (DST) have jointly initiated the formulation of a new national Science
Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP 2020).

Key Points
• It will be the 5th STIP of India and is being formulated at a crucial juncture when India and the world are
tackling the Covid-19.
• It will integrate the lessons of the pandemic including the building of an Atmanirbhar Bharat by leveraging
India’s strengths in research and development, design, science and technology workforce and institutions,
huge markets, demographic dividend, diversity and data.
• The STIP 2020 formulation process will be six-months long and has been organised into 4 highly interlinked
tracks:
• Track I: It involves an extensive public and expert consultation process through Science Policy Forum, a
dedicated platform for soliciting inputs from larger public and expert pools during and after the policy
drafting process.
• Track II: It comprises experts-driven thematic consultations to feed evidence-informed recommendations
into the policy drafting process. 21 focused thematic groups have been constituted for this purpose.
• Track III: It involves extensive intra-state and intra-department consultation with Ministries and States.
• Track IV: It constitutes an apex level multi-stakeholder consultation.
Previous Four STIPs:
Scientific Policy Resolution 1958:
• India’s first major science policy can be traced back to the year 1958.
• SPR 1958 laid the foundation of the scientific enterprise and scientific temper in India.
Technology Policy Statement 1983:
• The primary feature of TPS 1983 was technological self-reliance through promotion and development of
indigenous technologies.
• Adoption of indigenous technology would reduce vulnerabilities in critical areas and would help maximise
the utilisation of local (human and material) resources.
Science and Technology Policy 2003:
• Its aim was to keep up the pace with science and technology, to stay competitive in an increasingly
globalised world and to meet the primary goal of equitable and sustainable development.
• It called to invest heavily in the research and development sector with the aim of increasing investment to
2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2013:
• The decade of 2010 to 2020 was declared as a decade of innovation.

• It was acknowledged that in order to stay globally competitive, it was necessary to make a transition into a
knowledge-based economy.
• This policy document was a step in the direction towards building a robust national innovation ecosystem.

India has advances in Science and Technology in following areas:
• Bio Technology
• Space
• Nuclear Technology
• Information Technology
• Intellectual Property Rights
• Nanotechnology
Bio Technology
United Nation Convention on Biological Diversity, defines Biotechnology “any technological application that
uses biological systems, living organisms or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for
specific use”. And “Biological resources” includes genetic resources, organisms or parts thereof, populations,
or any other biotic component of ecosystems with actual or potential use or value for humanity. India has
become the world’s 12th biggest biotechnology economy having the second highest number of USFDA-
approved plants. Biotechnology will help developing countries accomplish things that they could never do
Conventional biotechnology is a biotechnology practice conducted by using simple
methods and instruments, without genetic manipulation. It has been done since thousands of years ago to
produce many kinds of products, such as beer, wine, tuak, sake, yogurt, bread, cheese, soy
sauce, tempe,tapai, and oncom.
Modern biotechnology is a biotechnology practice developed with genetic manipulation technique, in
which transfer of genetic material(transfer of gene) from one living organism to the other occurs.
Through this technique, humans can control the production according to his desire. For examples, the
production of pest and disease resistant plants, imperishable fruits, and cattle which are able to produce
more milk.
In the genetic manipulation process, organisms whose body contains foreign genes are called
transgenic organisms. They can be transgenic plants, transgenic animals, and transgenic bacteria.
Principles of Biotechnology
1. Genetic Engineering: techniques to alter the chemistry of genetic material to introduce into host organism
and thus change the phenotype of organism
(NOTE: The genotype is a set of genes in DNA responsible for unique traits or characteristics while the
phenotype is the physical appearance or characteristic of an organism.)
2. BIOPROCESS Engineering: Maintenance of sterile (microbial contamination-free) ambience in chemical
engineering processes to enable growth of only the desired microbe/eukaryotic cell in large quantities for
the manufacture of biotechnological products like antibiotics, vaccines, enzymes, etc.
Concept
In order to attain a phenotype , desired gene should be sent in to host but this gene can not replicate by
itself.so it must be integrated with recipient DNA to replicate, once it integrates with host or recipient DNA it
will reproduce itself and also transferred to future generation. This replication of identical copies are also
called as cloning.

What is Recombinant DNA?
Recombinant DNA technology is the joining together of DNA molecules from two different species. The
recombinant DNA molecule is inserted into a host organism to produce new genetic combinations that are of
value to science, medicine, agriculture, and industry.
Steps involved in Recombinant DNA

(i) identification of DNA with desirable genes;
(ii) introduction of the identified DNA into the host;
(iii) maintenance of introduced DNA in the host and transfer of the DNA to its progeny.
Recombinant DNA Technology requires various tools like vector, host and enzymes such as restriction
enzymes, ligases, polymerases, etc.
Process involved
1.Cut the desired sequence of DNA through Enzyme called Restriction Enzyme
2.Use another Enzyme called Ligase to join DNA with plasmid(vector which can transfer to host DNA)
3.Plasmid reaches to host DNA ,integrates and then creates multiple copies
Types of Biotechnology
Like the stripes of the rainbow, the different biotechnology applications are grouped into seven colours or
research and development areas. In this section, we highlight the most relevant of each of them.
• Red biotechnology: This is the health branch and responsible, according to the Biotechnology
Innovation Organization (BIO), for the development of more than 250 vaccines and medications such
as antibiotics, regenerative therapies and the production of artificial organs.
• Green biotechnology: It is used by more than 13 million farmers worldwide to fight pests and
nourish crops and strengthen them against microorganisms and extreme weather events, such as
droughts and frosts.
• White biotechnology: The industrial branch works to improve manufacturing processes, the
development of biofuels and other technologies to make industry more efficient and sustainable.
• Yellow biotechnology: This branch is focused on food production and, for example, it carries out
research to reduce the levels of saturated fats in cooking oils.
• Blue biotechnology: This exploits marine resources to obtain aquaculture, cosmetics and health care
products. In addition, it is the branch most widely used to obtain biofuels from certain microalgae.
• Grey biotechnology: Its purpose is the conservation and restoration of contaminated natural
ecosystems through, as mentioned above, bioremediation processes.
• Gold biotechnology: Also known as bioinformatics, it is responsible for obtaining, storing, analysing
and separating biological information, especially that related to DNA and amino acid sequences.

Applications of Biotechnology in India :
Medicine
• Biotechnology techniques are used in medicine for diagnosis and treating different diseases. It gives
opportunities for the people to protect themselves from dangerous diseases.
• The field of Biotechnology, genetic engineering has introduced techniques like gene therapy,
recombinant DNA technology and polymerase chain reaction which use genes and DNA molecules to
diagnose diseases and insert new and healthy genes in the body which replace the damaged cells
• Genetic modification in mosquitoes can solve the problems of epidemic diseases such as dengue and
malaria
• Artificial insemination is the artificial introduction of semen into the reproductive tract of a female
animal. It is used extensively in breeding animals, such as sheep and cattle
• Medical researchers believe that stem cell therapy has the potential to dramatically change the
treatment of human disease. A number of adult stem cell therapies already exist, particularly bone
marrow transplants that are used to treat leukaemia.
• Stem cell transplantation was first used in the treatment of blood disorders and it was a
breakthrough. Conventionally known as bone marrow transplantation, the stem cells responsible for
production of the blood cells reside in the bone marrow
Agriculture
• Biotechnology has played a major role in agriculture by altering genes, studying and cloning various
crops in order to provide better quality products of foods ultimately improving our lives.
• Hybrid Seeds, Artificial Seeds, Photosynthesis improver, Stress resistant crops and plants,
Biofertilizers, Bio-pesticides are some of the potential applications.
• Potential advantages that biotechnology can confer across a wide range of agricultural applications
are in areas such as livestock management, storage of agricultural products and sustaining current
crop yields, while reducing the use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.
• Biotechnology offers a very promising alternative to synthetic foods and an improvement on
conventional plant-breeding technologies. Combined with other advanced agricultural technologies,
it offers an exciting and environmentally responsible way to meet consumer demand for sustainable
agriculture.
Animal Husbandry
• The application of biotechnology in this area, in increasing production efficiency through

manipulation and control of physiological systems and improving the health and well -being of
animals, assumes great significance.
• Embryo transplantation, used with cattle, goats, pigs, and sheep, aims to increase the number of
offspring from a quality female.
• Cloning embryos to artificially produce genetic duplicates of an animal has also become possible.
• Direct manipulation and alteration of an animal’s genetic material— genetic engineering—has the
potential to produce even more drastic changes in animal breeding. It is believed that genetically

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UPSC / IAS Prelims Cum Mains

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Scientific and technological developments in Ancient India:

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Engineering and Architecture

Scientific and technological developments in medieval India:

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Science and technology in the post-Independence period

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Challenges Faced by the Newly Independent India

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Science and technology system in India

ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

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Control of Communicable Diseases:

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ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE:

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2000 Onwards: Economic Reforms, Technological Advancements and Disruptive Transformation

Agricultural Progress under the various Five-Year Plans:

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NEW-AGE AGRI REVOLUTION IN INDIA:

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ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN AFFORDABLE/CLEAN ENERGY:

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ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION:

Bridging the digital divide:

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Initiatives by the Government:

ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN ECONOMIC GROWTH:

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Impact of Technology in Indian Economy:

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Draft Science Technology and Innovation Policy

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Need for such a policy

Key Highlights of Draft Policy

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Scientific Policy Resolution 1958:

• The decade of 2010 to 2020 was declared as a decade of innovation.

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Steps involved in Recombinant DNA

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• The application of biotechnology in this area, in increasing production efficiency through

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