India’s Scientific Journey: From National Awakening to Viksit Bharat
From scientific strength to a self-reliant and Viksit Bharat
India’s Scientific Journey: From National Awakening to Viksit Bharat
From Vande Mataram to a Scientific Spirit
The 150th year of “Vande Mataram” is an occasion to reflect not only on its enduring place in India’s national consciousness, but also on the ideas of knowledge, progress and nation-building that have shaped the country’s journey. Composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (1838-1894), Vande Mataram became a powerful expression of India’s aspiration for freedom and national awakening. Less widely remembered is Bankim Chandra’s contribution to encouraging scientific thought, rational inquiry and a culture of knowledge in nineteenth-century India.
Through Bangadarshan, the Bengali monthly he founded in 1872, Bankim Chandra sought to bring contemporary scientific ideas to a wider readership. His popular science essays, later compiled as Vigyan Rahasya in 1875, covered subjects ranging from astronomy and physics to biology, geology and human evolution. More importantly, these writings introduced readers to the importance of observation, reasoning and scientific inquiry.
Bankim Chandra also recognised that scientific progress required institutions and an environment that encouraged research and experimentation. In his writings, including Bharat Varshiya Vigyan Sabha, he emphasised the need for institutions dedicated to scientific investigation and supported the efforts of Mahendralal Sircar, whose vision led to the establishment of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science. His efforts reflected an emerging belief that the advancement of a society depended not only on knowledge, but also on its ability to question, investigate and create new knowledge.
Science as a Pillar of Nation-Building
As India embarked on its journey as an independent nation, this spirit of inquiry found expression in a conscious effort to build scientific and technological capabilities. Science and technology became important pillars of nation-building, with the country investing in research institutions, scientific education, laboratories and national programmes.
Visionary scientists and institution-builders played a defining role in this journey. C.V. Raman, S.N. Bose, Homi J. Bhabha, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, Vikram Sarabhai, Meghnad Saha and several others contributed to strengthening India's scientific foundations and shaping its research landscape.
The establishment and expansion of organisations and institutions such as CSIR and its national laboratories, the Atomic Energy programme, India's space programme, agricultural research institutions, universities and higher scientific education centres created the foundations for a growing national S&T ecosystem.
Science was increasingly directed towards the needs of a developing nation—food security, healthcare, energy, industrial development, communication, agriculture and the management of natural resources. The country's scientific journey was therefore closely connected with its larger journey of social and economic development.
Building Scientific Capabilities
Over the decades, India's scientific ecosystem expanded significantly. Research and development grew across basic, applied and translational research, supported by scientific infrastructure, skilled researchers and specialised institutions.
Investment in research facilities, advanced instrumentation, supercomputing, scientific missions and human-resource development strengthened India's capacity to undertake research at the frontiers of science and technology. Fellowships, scholarships, research programmes, centres of excellence and national missions created opportunities for successive generations of researchers to contribute to the country's scientific progress.
At the same time, greater collaboration among research institutions, universities, industry and international partners helped accelerate technology development and innovation. India's capabilities grew across diverse areas of science and technology, creating a foundation for addressing both national priorities and emerging global challenges.
Yuva Shakti: Shaping the Next Chapter
Today, India's young population is one of its greatest strengths. Yuva Shakti is increasingly contributing to the country's research, innovation and entrepreneurship landscape.
Young researchers are pursuing frontier areas of science, students are participating in research and innovation, and young entrepreneurs are transforming ideas and technologies into products and enterprises. Start-ups, incubators, research institutions and universities are creating new avenues for young minds to experiment, collaborate and solve real-world problems.
The role of youth is particularly important as India enters a period of rapid technological change. The ability to think creatively, question established ideas, work across disciplines and translate knowledge into solutions will be critical to addressing the challenges of the future.
Science, Innovation and Viksit Bharat@2047
The journey towards Viksit Bharat@2047 requires a strong foundation of knowledge, scientific capability and innovation. India's growing strengths in research and technology provide an important base for building greater self-reliance, competitiveness and inclusive development.
The focus is increasingly moving beyond creating knowledge to translating research into innovation, innovation into technology and technology into meaningful impact. Whether in improving livelihoods, strengthening healthcare, supporting sustainable development, creating new enterprises or addressing national challenges, science and technology have an important role to play in shaping the India of the future.
The journey also calls for a renewed emphasis on scientific temper—the spirit of curiosity, evidence-based thinking and rational inquiry that Bankim Chandra sought to encourage more than a century ago. Nurturing this spirit among young people can help create a generation that is not only equipped with scientific knowledge but also willing to question, explore and innovate.
From Vande Mataram to a Viksit Bharat
The spirit of Vande Mataram has travelled across generations, inspiring India's journey from the struggle for freedom to nation-building and development. Today, as India looks towards Viksit Bharat@2047, that spirit finds a new expression in the aspirations of its youth and the transformative potential of science, technology and innovation.
The journey that began with the awakening of national and scientific thought continues through research laboratories, universities, innovation centres, start-ups and the ideas of millions of young Indians.