A Perspective on Scientific Temper in India

The term “scientific temper” was first used in India by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1946. After he became the first Prime Minister of Independent India in 1947, Nehru relentlessly expanded the notion of scientific temper and strived hard to convince the political and scientific leadership to inculcate scientific temper among its citizens. However, this discourse is rooted in the pre-Nehruvian era. Though the term scientific temper was not in use, a number of social reformers, scholars and scientists advocated the need to instil a sprit of scientific enquiry in the society. The Post Nehruvian period witnessed the Government’s commitment in its science and technology policy statements and constitutional amendments to develop scientific temper. In 1981, a statement on scientific temper was issued by a group of individuals, which evoked support as well as criticism from different quarters. In 2011, an attempt was made to revisit the 1981 scientific temper statement and the outcome was a revised statement, now known as the Palampur Declaration. This was followed by two international conferences and workshops, which built upon the conceptualization of Scientific Temper as well as a plan of action to promote it. The present paper attempts to situate the notion of ''Scientific Temper'' in the Indian context, and expose the nuances of how this concept has been developed

Nehru’s Vision of Scientific Temper

Nehru articulated the concept of scientific temper in 1946. The term “scientific temper” is contemporary but appeals to rational enquiry are not new to Indian ethos. Nehru’s vision of scientific temper should be seen in the context of his understanding of science and religion for a better appreciation. For Nehru science was not merely an individual’s search for truth but it should be an integral part of one’s thinking and action. He was more interested in social consequences of science than science itself. Science has made it possible to view traditional beliefs in a new light based on facts. Religion in its narrow sense discourage people in understanding natural processes rationally because it encourage ‘an uncritical credulousness, a reliance on the supernatural.’ He viewed religion’s approach as totally different from scientific method. One should not accept tradition simply because it is tradition. Nehru insisted on giving up much of traditional ways of beliefs and living. Nehru wanted scientists should play more active role in spreading scientific temper in the country. Nehru’s legacy of scientific temper got reflected in its incorporation as a fundamental duty of every citizen in Indian constitution. The importance of spreading scientific temper in the country was highlighted in various science and technology policy statements adopted by the government. There were other attempts in visualizing the concept of scientific temper in the present context and working out action plans. However, India is yet to achieve scientific temper that Nehru wanted. Serious attempts should be made to remove the obstacles that undermine scientific temper for inclusive and peaceful development of Indian society

Conformational change of L7/L12 stalk in the different functional states of 50S ribosomes

Conformational change of 50S ribosomes takes place during protein synthesis. The primary change is most likely in the secondary or tertiary structure of rRNA in the L7/L12 stalk region. In order to throw further light on this conformational change, the change in fluorescence of tight couple 50S ribosomes on conversion to loose couple 50S ribosomes containing 5-(iodoacetamido ethyl)-aminonaphthalene-l-sulphonic acid-labelled L7/L12, following the treatment with elongation factor-G and 5'-guanylyl methylene diphosphate was measured. It was enhanced in agreement with the results reported earlier. Further, the quenching of fluorescence of 50S ribosomes containing 5-(iodoacetamido ethyl)-aminonaphthalene-1-sulphonic acid-labelled L7/L12 by acrylamide was studied. The quenching is more in case of loose couples. On conversion of loose couple 50S ribosomes to tight couple ones the quenching becomes less whereas the reverse happens on conversion of tight couple 70S ribosomes to loose couples. These results indicate the conformational change of L7/L12 stalk in the different functional states of 50S ribosomes

A Perspective on Scientific Temper in India

46-62The term “scientific temper” was first used in India by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1946. After he became the first Prime Minister of Independent India in 1947, Nehru relentlessly expanded the notion of scientific temper and strived hard to convince the political and scientific leadership to inculcate scientific temper among its citizens. However, this discourse is rooted in the pre-Nehruvian era. Though the term scientific temper was not in use, a number of social reformers, scholars and scientists advocated the need to instil a sprit of scientific enquiry in the society. The Post Nehruvian period witnessed the Government’s commitment in its science and technology policy statements and constitutional amendments to develop scientific temper. In 1981, a statement on scientific temper was issued by a group of individuals, which evoked support as well as criticism from different quarters. In 2011, an attempt was made to revisit the 1981 scientific temper statement and the outcome was a revised statement, now known as the Palampur Declaration. This was followed by two international conferences and workshops, which built upon the conceptualization of Scientific Temper as well as a plan of action to promote it. The present paper attempts to situate the notion of ''Scientific Temper'' in the Indian context, and expose the nuances of how this concept has been developed

Nehru’s Vision of Scientific Temper

154-166Nehru articulated the concept of scientific temper in 1946. The term “scientific temper” is contemporary but appeals to rational enquiry are not new to Indian ethos. Nehru’s vision of scientific temper should be seen in the context of his understanding of science and religion for a better appreciation. For Nehru science was not merely an individual’s search for truth but it should be an integral part of one’s thinking and action. He was more interested in social consequences of science than science itself. Science has made it possible to view traditional beliefs in a new light based on facts. Religion in its narrow sense discourage people in understanding natural processes rationally because it encourage ‘an uncritical credulousness, a reliance on the supernatural.’ He viewed religion’s approach as totally different from scientific method. One should not accept tradition simply because it is tradition. Nehru insisted on giving up much of traditional ways of beliefs and living. Nehru wanted scientists should play more active role in spreading scientific temper in the country. Nehru’s legacy of scientific temper got reflected in its incorporation as a fundamental duty of every citizen in Indian constitution. The importance of spreading scientific temper in the country was highlighted in various science and technology policy statements adopted by the government. There were other attempts in visualizing the concept of scientific temper in the present context and working out action plans. However, India is yet to achieve scientific temper that Nehru wanted. Serious attempts should be made to remove the obstacles that undermine scientific temper for inclusive and peaceful development of Indian society

Mary Anning The Greatest Fossilist the World Ever Knew

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Sofia Kovalevsky Extraordinary Woman Mathematician

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John Burdon Sanderson Haldane

44-46<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family: " cambria","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" new="" roman";mso-bidi-font-family:="" "times="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;="" mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US">Prof. J.B.S. Haldane was a polymath in the truest sense. Apart from his interest in almost all the sciences, he was also interested in western classics, philosophy, linguistics Marxism, economics, and so on.</span

Book Review-A Scientific Giant

52There are few people who with their creativity, hard work,perfection, progressive thinking, patriotism, and scientifictemperament have not only created a niche for themselves butalso placed their country firmly on the international map. Dr. ShantiSwarup Bhatnagar was one such pioneer and a towering personalitywho pushed for Indian science