General Studies (Paper - 2) : Model Question & Answers

Question: “To develop scientific temper is a duty of every citizen of India.” What do you understand by scientific temper? What is its significance? Do you agree that it is on a decline in India? – Discuss.

Answer: Scientific temper is a way of thinking and acting which uses a method, including observing physical reality, questioning, testing, hypothesizing, analysing and communicating – using logic. Jawaharlal Nehru was one of the first persons to use and advocate this term, in Discovery of India. According to him, “...it is necessary, not merely for the application of science but for life itself and the solution of its many problems”. Discussion, argument and analysis are its vital parts.

2010 – 20 is the “Decade of Innovation” with stress to synergize science, technology and innovation. Government has established the National Innovation Council to find new mechanisms and models to address the pressing challenges of energy, environment, food, nutrition, water, sanitation, habitat, affordable health care, skill building and unemployment. Inclusive growth implies access, availability and affordability of solutions to maximum people. Fostering scientific temper is fundamental to all such endeavours.

Furthermore, scientific temper promotes tolerance among people for conflicting ideas and thoughts. This results in constructive debates on critical issues of concern, leading to progressive ideas and general advancement of society in thought and action. Recent examples of promotion of religious/mythological ideas along with science demonstrate the lack of scientific temper and its decline. Moreover controversial appointments have been made to certain offices, like FTII, ICHR with alleged intention to mould academic discourse in the country.

Public understanding of science is an important dimension of introducing and reaching the benefits of modern science and technology to people. Scientific temper needs to be promoted across all sections of the society systematically, using tools like National Knowledge Network. Public and political understanding of science should be based on evidence and debate with open mind.