WHAT INDIA NEEDS TO TRANSFORM TO OUTTHINK THE WEST
The New Indian Express Kottayam|December 11, 2024
We must act against the colossal bureaucratisation of science. Once, Indian science tried to answer fundamental questions. Today, it encourages technical answers to technical questions
SHIV VISVANATHAN
WHAT INDIA NEEDS TO TRANSFORM TO OUTTHINK THE WEST

OSTALGIA is a concept often misused to create distance. It captures with transparency the beauty of an era, and then distances itself from it. Nostalgia distances utopia and perfection from reality. One senses this when one talks about the early days of Indian science. What marked it was the conviviality of the eccentricity, creativity and play.

Patrick Geddes, the Scottish biologist and first biographer of Jagadish Chandra Bose, captured one such slice when he said what Indian science needs was good myth. A child fed with powerful myths by five is a potential scientist in two decades. Bose, in that sense, was a legend. I remember a cousin of mine who attended Nobel laureate William Shockley's lectures at Princeton. Shockley said Bose was a genius and then added, "The rest is toilet paper."

The same sense of play and confidence could be seen in C V Raman's career. Few people realise that the Indian Nobel winner declared he was getting the prize six months ahead of the declaration and arranged for his travel to Stockholm. There, with a quiet intensity, he informed the audience that he was receiving the prize on behalf of a free India and not the colonial regime.

There is an aftermath to this story that is even more hilarious. After researching flowers for a decade, Raman told his wife he deserved a second Nobel. Lokkasundari looked at him and retorted, "With one Nobel, you were intolerable. With the second you will be impossible."

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS KOTTAYAMView all
The New Indian Express Kottayam

WINE, VINES & A PERFECT GETAWAY

A long-awaited one-day vineyard getaway from Bengaluru is finally possible now; and it's as delightful as it is unexpected and affordable...

time-read
3 mins  |
December 19, 2024
The New Indian Express Kottayam

Boy who evolved as a match-winner

BACK then, few would have imagined a young boy from West Mambalam, Chennai, who enjoyed playing tennis ball cricket with his father Ravichandran, would one day go on to play for his state and then take 537 wickets for India in Tests.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 19, 2024
The New Indian Express Kottayam

Halep gets wildcard for Oz Open qualifier

SIMONA HALEP was handed a wildcard for Australian Open qualifying on Wednesday as the two-time Grand Slam champion attempts to ramp up her return to tennis following a doping ban.

time-read
1 min  |
December 19, 2024
The New Indian Express Kottayam

EVENTFUL CONTEST BEFORE RAIN FORCES A DRAW

IN the end, the result only seemed fitting. On a day that saw eight wickets fall in 24.1 overs in just over five hours and multiple rain and thunderstorm breaks, India and Australia shook hands to call it a draw at 3.25 PM (local time).

time-read
1 min  |
December 19, 2024
The New Indian Express Kottayam

PKL: Tamil Thalaivas rout Warriorz 60-29

MOEIN SHAFAGHI and Himanshu dished out superb performances as Tamil Thalaivas thrashed Bengal Warriorz 60-29 in their Pro Kabaddi League match here on Wednesday.

time-read
1 min  |
December 19, 2024
The New Indian Express Kottayam

Vinicius, Bonmati FIFA Best players of the year

REAL Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior won the FIFA Best men's player of the year award at a ceremony in Doha on Tuesday, while Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati picked up the women's prize for the second time.

time-read
1 min  |
December 19, 2024
The New Indian Express Kottayam

Navy's Kiran sails past stars to corner nat'l glory

UP against two established rivals, Navy's Kiran Ankush Jadhav held his own to come out on top in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) event of the ongoing national shooting championship at the MP State Academy Shooting range in Bhopal on Wednesday.

time-read
1 min  |
December 19, 2024
The New Indian Express Kottayam

Sensex sheds 2k points in 3 sessions ahead of Fed decision

AFTER recovering over the past three weeks following two months of selling, domestic equity market is once again under pressure as investors adopt a cautious stance ahead of the crucial Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting outcome on Wednesday night. Weakening rupee and underwhelming macroeconomic data are dampening market sentiment.

time-read
1 min  |
December 19, 2024
The New Indian Express Kottayam

GIC buys majority stake in AHH for $150 mn

BENGALURU-based Asia Healthcare Holdings (AHH) on Wednesday said that Singapore sovereign fund GIC will invest an additional $150 million in the healthcare delivery platform.

time-read
1 min  |
December 19, 2024
The New Indian Express Kottayam

GIC buys majority stake in AHH for $150 mn

AHH sees growth in specialty healthcare enterprises

time-read
1 min  |
December 19, 2024