Inventors: Prof. KV Gopalkrishan retired from IIT Chennai

It is clear then that a nation cannot preserve its political independence unless it keeps pace with advancement of technology. Moreover, inventions help in making human life more comfortable and healthy. Taking the case of India, the mass poverty that plagues us cannot be removed unless technology suited to Indian conditions developed by Indian inventors. No foreign nation can do this for us. India is in dire need of good inventors to pull itself out of mire of poverty. It is my fond hope that the lives of great inventors will inspire our young men and women to rise to this task.

At its present state of development INDIA is in dire need of Inventors who understand the problems and are ready to work out solutions suited to its conditions. Methods employed in advanced nations are mostly inapplicable to developing countries. What we need at the moment is what the late E.F. Schumacher (author of Small is Beautiful) called ‘intermediate technology’. Our productivity in agriculture and village industries has to improved but not at the expense of employment or scarce resources. Technology has to be modified and adapted to satisfy the basic need of our and that is, elimination of poverty. Development of technology suited to Indian conditions is the need of the hour.

Indian inventors have to focus on improvement of agricultural implants, development of safe storage facilities for agricultural products, generation of decentralized power, building of low –cost housing, protected water supply, etc. Enthusiastic Indian inventors will find no dearth of problems requiring attention! The country can stand to benefit more from one Inventor of low –cost house for our masses than from a dozen Nobel laureates.

In the past India did not produce any great inventor. This was not because of our incapability, but primarily because of the thrust of our society was spiritual and not material. But history has taught us the bitter lesson that a strong Infrastructure is necessary to protect ourselves from foreign political and economic domination. Hence, highly motivated and dedicated Indian inventors are needed to devote attention to the pressing problems of our country. We hope, inspire some of our young men and women to discover ways and means of removing poverty and squalor from our country.