Page:SELECTED ESSAYS of Dr. S. S. KALBAG.pdf/229

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get more attention than "frontier areas” not of immediate relevance. As Mashelkar has said, why cant Engineering Science give India a frontline position in railways, roads, irrigation, water shed developments, metallurgy etc. This will bring immediate economic returns and bring more funds for science. This will give the society faith in science and prepare the ground for real basic research. 3. There should be a strategy for getting a long-term foothoiù in basic science. This may include: i. Enlarging the catchment areas where young scientists are attracted. At present, it is about 5% or less of the total population. This should be increased to 50% by improving quality and amount of school science. ii. Remove the deadwood in science teaching and research institutions. Those who go for a masters degree, should "go through fire" to prove that they love science. Higher education should not be subsidised but prospective students should be given opportunities to earn their fees and material costs, by working part or full time on the campus or in the laboratory. This will eliminate non-scientific staff from the campus and bring a better work culture and perhaps make the scientists more skilled generally in life. iii. Instrumentation research, design, fabrication, repairs should get much wider and more intensive attention. This should be a "frontier area" for us. I believe that instrumentation is one of the major cost centres in today's basic research. We should follow Raman and JC Bose in this. Pioneers have necessarily, to design, and build their own instruments. 4. In the same issue, in the biography of JBS Haldane, there is a mention of his suggesting research in animal behaviour because it will cost less. I feel this is a good strategy. Should not, the topics for research for universities be selected such that, the research approach is taught without too high an expenditure? It may also teach the students how to measure when no ready instruments can Rural Development Through Education System 216