There is a curious paradox to India's much celebrated "World's
fastest growing free-market democracy". Even as this
success rides on Indian science and technology prowess notions
of democracy are largely missing in Indian science policy
processes. This article explores these distortions in science
policy and argues that in India's attempts to integrate
with the global economy, closer attention needs to be paid
to the democratic aspirations of large numbers of economically
poor but knowledge-rich people that science policy makers
ignore. The demands for inclusive growth in the 11th Five-Year
Plan is possible only if the science and technology component
of the Plan sees itself as laying the ground for a dialogue
with diverse approaches.
The article examines the recent steering committee report
on science and technology for the 11th Plan in the light
of current debates in innovation theory globally and asks
if the steering committee report is out of sync with recent
thinking on innovation on the one hand and democratic processes
on the other. The article also examines alternate pathways
to science policy urging that Indian policy experience needs
to learn from a wider set of critical thinking on policy
dialogues and public engagement with science in other parts
of the world. Reworking the dialogue between knowledge,
democracy and science policy in an interconnected world
needs to be seen as paramount. Promotion of internal democracy,
knowledge dialogues and learning alliances are processes,
the article argues, that are as important as greater investments
on R&D if India sees itself as realising its knowledge
super (soft) power.
The rise of India as a global economic power has become
the topic of several popular books with conversations with
Indian businessmen leading to popular and catchy phrases
such as `The world is flat'. In a comparison with the other
Asian giant in his popular book The Dragon and the Elephant,
David Smith narrates the atmosphere for the World Economic
Forum in January 2006 with posters advertising India as
the `world's largest free market democracy'. There have
been Festivals of India before but they were largely state-sponsored
events showcasing Indian culture. The Davos event was the
brainchild of the Indian businessmen. Nilekani and others
started the `India Everywhere' campaign. India had arrived
and achieved a critical mass, as some of the businessmen
felt, in diverse areas like software, automobiles, pharmaceuticals,
etc. The summit was perhaps a good example of Indian technological
prowess and helped the Indian elephant to be seen on equal
if not better terms than the Chinese dragon.
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