Science and technology can remove national barriers, unify world and advance peace

Science is the essence of organized life, knowledge systems and civility. Reason and method are cornerstones of our evolution as a civilization. We are living in times of fascinating scientific progress. Its exponential rise has revealed more profound truths than the time our collective consciousness had to process and understand them. The ease with which the internet and telecommunication networks have created pathways for accessibility is unprecedented. The will of an individual is now solely responsible for innovation. The globally localised world has not only democratised information but has also ensured infrastructural availability for its consumption and facilitation. However, the world still needs to coherently apprehend the democratisation of science and navigate global challenges by ensuring better regulatory frameworks. The key to a developmental enterprise is its sustainability. In the industrial and post-industrial era, we acted in a haste to conquer and assimilate whatever resources we were able to get ourselves ahead with, be it material, intellectual, or economic. In the war and post-war era, science progressed as a cradle for hope. In essence, science has played an essential role in defining our developmental enterprise despite our motivations behind it. Science as neutral force must now be channelled for sustainable development. Science of our age is not the tool for international mechanisms to accelerate access and leverage. It is a pacifist’s measure to bring peace home and abroad, a neutral ground for dialogue, and a discipline that can guarantee security without creating more borders. India sees science as a global unifier which has proven to be effective and inclusive where new modernity of our age keeps emerging and advancing. India has been reinventing its modernity almost every year now given the state and prime minister’s accelerated support for frontier innovations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has exhorted that, “Science and technology can remove national barriers, unify the world and advance peace.” This has emerged to be a message of optimism for science and a message of hope for the world, and at Science20 we are trying to realise this exhortation through policy dialogues and action agendas towards Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam. The G20 of India is emerging to be particularly important for global science as we progress through the meetings of Science20 in India where we have made “Disruptive Science” central to the diving theme towards sustainable development. Science20 started with Germany’s G20 presidency in 2017 and have explored several important and relevant scientific ideas since then. India, in particular, by introducing disruptive science for the first time in the G20 discourse brings frontier technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data driven Science, Virtual Worlds, etc to the forefront of international science policy dialogue on the G20 platform. With India’s prime ministerial incitement for innovation through science and technology India’s theme for Science20 “Disruptive Science for Sustainable Development” has not only been accepted but also lauded greatly by the international community. Given India’s leadership, the fundamental tenants of inclusivity and sustainability have been chosen as the cornerstones of this international discussion within the framework of the theme of disruptive science. Issues such as health, nutrition security and accessible healthcare that have been recurring themes for past meetings have found their places in S20 discussion tracks this year. In addition to these, science’s entanglement with culture and society, for inclusive and sustainable development got their long due and the discussions on these are emerging towards some conclusive action agendas. The prime minister has been continually emphasizing that innovation is important not just for combating climate change, but also for climate justice. The developed world must leave enough of the little carbon space left for developing countries to grow. For this, we need research and innovation to make clean energy technology available, accessible and affordable for all. Science20 meeting held in Agartala on 3-4 April on clean energy for greener future became interesting as the discussions led towards the idea that energy access must be accelerated in mission mode by leveraging the revolution in modern and clean energy technologies that are driven by climate mitigation needs and recent scientific advances. This important discussion led by India is relevant because 775 million people worldwide don’t have access to electricity and about 2.5 billion people who don’t have access to clean cooking facilities in 2022 according to the International Energy Agency. If this moves as strongly as this is exhorted by Science20 in India, it could be a great achievement that would emerge from India’s G20 presidency. The meeting in Lakshadweep on Universal Holistic Health would argue that creating better global health not only means creating better medical infrastructure or ease of access in medical care, it would also require sustainable practices which would help enhance cumulative global health standards. This would mean better farming practices, availability of good food, healthy eating practices, and better opportunities for sustainable and environmentally responsible food products. In addition to this, we would also need to revisit traditional practices and find a way to include them in our modern daily lives. An incitement for better mental health infrastructure and a call for a global mental health mission can go far in terms of addressing stigma and making help available for those in need. Another important idea that will be discussed in the upcoming Science20 meeting on connecting science with society and culture which will be held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh in June is of creating a Global Digital Heritage of Humankind. The Indian National Science Academy is in discussion with the United Nations International Computation Centre (UNICC) who can potentially lead this to propose the idea to the G20 member states at the meeting in Bhopal. We would be leveraging frontier information and computing technology to create such a platform that would democratize access to global heritage for all citizens of the world. From archaeological discoveries to cultural artefacts, this vast collection of knowledge would be open for exploration by anyone with internet access. It would also encourage collaboration between countries across the globe; researchers can easily compare data or share findings while connecting with people they may have otherwise never met face-to-face. By providing easy access to a wealth of information from around the world, this digital archive would help bridge gaps between nations by allowing everyone to appreciate each other’s contributions throughout history. This could be a milestone idea that can emerge from Science20 during India’s G20 presidency. The author is Science Historian who lives and writes from New Delhi. He also serves as the Member Secretary (Policy, Transdisciplinary Disruptive Science, and Communications) for Science20. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. 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