INDIA- VISION FOR NEW MILLENIUM

We believe that as a nation and as a people we need to shed our cynicism and initiate concrete action to realise the second vision for the nation. The first vision, for the nation. The first vision, seeded around 1857, was for India to become politically independent; the second one is to become a fully developed nation. Our successful action will lead to further action, bringing the vision much closer to reality…

We have seen the reactions to the [nuclear] tests within the county in the Indian and foreign media. We have also had the benefit of private conversations with many Indians. In all these, I observed one striking feature: a number of persons in the fifty plus bracket, and especially those who are in powerful positions in government, industry, business and academia, seem to lack the will to face problems. They would like to be supported by other countries in every action we have to take in the country. This is not a good sign after fifty years of an independent India which has all alond emphasised 'self-reliance'.

We are not advocating xenophobia nor isolation. But all of us have to be clear that nobody is going to hold our hands to lead us into the 'developoped county club'. Nuclear tests re the culmination of efforts to apply nuclear technology for national security. When we carried out the tests in May 1998, India witnessed issuing of sanctions by a few developed countries. In the process, the same countries have purposely collapsed their own doctrine of global marketing, global finance systems and global village. Hence India has to evolve its own original eonomic policy, as well as development, business and marketing strategies.

It is not just that the Indian nuclear tests are resented. If tomorrow Indian software export achieves a sizable share in the global market, becoming third or fourth or fifth in size, we should expect different types of reactions. Today, we are a small percentage of the total trade in software or information technology. Similarily if India becomes a large enough exporter of wheat or rice or agro-food products to take into an exclusive club of four or five top food grain exporting nations various new issues would be raised couched in scientific and technical terms ranging from phyto-sanitary specifications to our contribution to global warning. Multilateral regimes to these effects exists in terms of General Agreement on Trade and Traiffs (GATT) and other environment related multilateral treaties. India cannot afford not to sign these treaties though we could have done our homework a little better during the negotiations. We have to face what we have with us. We need to play the multilateral game, attract foreign investments, have joint ventures and be an active international player. Still we have to remember that those who aim high have to learn to walk alone too, when required.

We believe india can still emerge a major developed country and all its people can contribute to and share in the prosperity . Our hope lies in the fact that even in the older generation, there are a number of persons who are ready to face the challenges. Most of the people are proud to see an India that is bold. In addition the younger generation is ready to take

The explosive growth of technologies and the resultant environmental and other problems led many thinkers, scientists and technologists to question the single-track approach to knowledge. Many of the ancient knowledge bases, such as tribal societies are being revisited. Large amounts of data on traditional system of medicine the use of herbs, and even metallurgy have been gathered. After the analysis of possible patterns in these data modern scientific methodologies and new technological means can be used to considerably 'value add' to ancient knowledge and experience. This is what we see in the spate of inventions around neem or tamarind or turmeric or basmatirice. Similarily the knowledge base of other civilisations is also being extensively utilised. Chinese acupunture techniques are being used the world over. Serious studies are being undertaken for possible applications to computer langugage. It is noteworthy that developed countries many of which themselves are not rich in biodiversity. Are taking a lead in such studies . Since the developed countries jealously protect their intellectual property rights and trade secrets, they have ensured a lead in these areas as well. An officer in Andhra Pradesh who was in charge of tribal development

An officer in Andhra Pradesh who was in charge of tribal development found that the tribals put certain gums and wood materials in turbid water to make the water clear. Apparently sine chemical or physical action takes place which absorbs the materials that make the water turbid. Because curious this officer asked some scientists he knew to study the materials. After the experimentation they found that the materials used by the tribals even had the property of absorbing heavy minerals such as nuclear metals. The officer wanted to pursue the investigation further. As often happens in our system. He faced resistance. He tried to approach a few laboratories which did not respond. A foreign university showed interest. What the officer established was that a new technology based on tribal knowledge was a viable proposition. The case of sarpagandhi is another example. The ancient knowledge of this plant led to the invention of Serpasil which is used for controlling blood pressure.

We are aware of many foreign companies which are funding academics from indian universities to record such ancient knowledge. These companies can pay research scholars handsomely to recover this knowledge for them.

What should India's response be? Just to vent our moral indignation and talk about exploitation by the developers? We believe that the most crucial action India has to take is to step up our technology to chart out and understand our biodiversity to protect it and above all to forge new technologies out of our rich biodiversity. If we have to play the game of converting materials into intellectual products or actual products to be protected legally let us do so. Let us use these not merely to enrigh a few in our country but to create sustainable wealth for all people. Let us also attempt global leadership in the production of such commodities.

We believe that the newer turns in modern technological advances, be they studies of natural products, biotechnology or information technology, offer a new set of opportunities for us to not only catch up with the developed nations but also to surpass many of them.

The discussion of strategic industries mainly concerns defence, space, atmotic energy and also critical technology areas which have the potential of multiple uses in the defence and civilian commercial sector not have multiple uses. For example canning or processing of food or preservation of food is equally applicable to the civilian sector, to the export sector or for supplies to the defence forces. But since these are relatively well-stabilised technologies which can be handled by inputs from several sources, including, often, imports in the first instance, we are not covering such dual-use items

Newly emerging technologies such as robotics or artificial intelligence, which would have a crucial impact on future defence operations and also on many industrial sectors if they re to be really competitive, merit a closer look. As we look at the emerging manufacturing scenario, it will contain many elements of artificial intelligence and robotics in the medium-term future. If Indian products have to be competitive worldwide and if we aim to earn substantially through value-added products and services, India has to master these technologies. To import them fully from others will often not be cost effective since the competing foreign companies would not like to part with their best technologies. Often enough not even the better ones will be sold. Thus, even if we do manage to purchase some technologies from them, they will be at a point of technological obsolescence where one has to struggle with very low profit margins which is not good for any business.

The technology areas critical for growth of strategic industries for India, given the above broad considerations, are in the aviation and propulsion sector, high-end electronics, sensors, space communication and remote sensing, critical materials and processing, robotics and artificial intelligence.

DRDO has as entered into ramrocket systems where much higher energy levels (of above 500 sec with solid propellants and up to 1000 sec with liquid propellants) will be realised. The scramjet engine will give energy level of 3000 sec. Compare this with 450 sec of cryoengines! This is not only for military application. These supersonic combustion engines have application for cruise milliles, launch vehicles and hyperplanes of the future. India's proposed scramjet is designed for operating up to Mach12. In the long term it could become part and parcel of our jet aircraft too. Currently, only a few countries are working in this area. Based on our eexperience with LCA and GSLV, India should atleast take initiative in the elements of the hyperplane programme so that India's hyperplane and future aerospace vehicles can be built around this power plant. The hyperplane can deliver a pay-load of above 30 tons for a take-off weight of 250 tons, giving a quantum jump for the existing payload/takeoff ratios of max 3 percent to 15 percent through mass addition.

By 2010, commercial jet aircraft, military fighters, reusable satellite launch vehicle and the reusable terrestrial payload delivery vehicle will have one common feature, that is, the usage of supersonic combustion engines for flying in hypersonic flight regimes.

One aspect which is interesting is how, whenever India achieves something that is commendable, the developed nations tend to trace it to some knowhow, equipment or manpower that was provided by the west. For instance, in July 1980, when we launched our first satellite launch vehicle and put the Rohini satellite into orbit, India became one of four nations to have a satellite launch facility. But within a seek, a news item originated from the USA saying that I had had a few months' training at NASA and that is where I picked up the technology that was used for the launch. This was supported by the rest of the western press. In Germany they claimed that the wind tunnel test was carried out in their facility, and so they had indirectly enabled the launch.

When we heard the news about the reactions of the western scientists, technologists and the press, the general response of my team of scientists and technologists at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Trivandrum, was one of great amusement. We knew that thousands of scientists, engineers and staff had worked on the project from the drawing board to the development stage and right through till the launch. The technology was completely indigenous. The SLV used proportional control for its first stage control systems with a sharing logic software. This was a first in the world. Similarly, we had made other innovations in comparison to any launch vehicle at the point of time. As for the Scout, the American satellite launch vehicle form which out technology was alleged to be lifte, only the fifth launch of the Scout had proved successful. In comparison, our second, third and fourth launches were all successful. This is a pointer to the technological strength of our nation.

The efforts will usher in great prosperity to a large number of people in rural areas and small towns, through employment and wealth creation. It is not like chasing the mooon; the moon should come to us!

Again, when I WAS INVOLVED IN THE Guided Missile Programme and we successfully launched the Prithvi missile several times, the western press including some of our own analysts insisted that we were using a Russian technology. In fact, Prithvi had a distinctive design, using a particular gyro system with a uniquely configured software, which nobody in the world had tried; when the flight is in progress, the drift can be monitored through the on-board computer. It had other innovations too: the type of thrust termination is so innovatively configured that for a multiple payload, multiple ranges can be achieved. Today, Prithvi is comparable to any world class missile system, and probably is the best of its class in payload capability. Let us come now to a thir, very important milestone, namely Agni. We launched Agni in 1989 and it was successful. We have so far done three launches. Surprisinglyl again, there were two claimants who wanted to take credit for the success. Termany said that their guided system which was used for scientific experiments in India had gone into the making of Agni. And the USA claimed again that my NASA training was responsible for Agni. Actually, in Agni, there were innovations made in the guidance technology. We can manoeuvre the payload, and the complete re-entry hypersonic flow was simulated in the Computational Fluid Dynamics in one of the best computers that we ourselves had designed. The re-entry structure, in fact, has used a speciality designed material to withstand the 3,500 C heat generated upon re-entering the atmosphere. It is really amusing that the Americans think that it is only with their technology that India can succeed

Recently two department, the Department of Atomic Energy and the DRDO, working in an excellent partnership, tested several nuclear devices in Pokharan. Three tests were carried out simultaneously; there were two more tests subsequently.

We had excellent results, well reported universally by nearly 125 seismic stations. This indicates that India has reached the stage of nuclear weaponisation. We were extremely happy with our achievement. But the next day we found the western press alleging that Israeli technology had gone into the triggering system of the nuclear device. There was also the familiar accusation that the scientists and technicians who had visit the USA had helped India achieve this breakthrough. This was puzzling because nobody in the world has used the type of triggering mechanism we have developed.
coursy: Dr.abdulkalam.com