After reading all the depressing news reports on this blog, I decided to post something that was more optimistic. On November 5, 2013, India successfully launched a rocket headed for the Red Planet in hopes of advancing its scientific exploration skills. If India's Mars Orbiter Mission is successful when the probe that launched from Satish Dhawan Space Center near Chennai lands on Mars in ten months, India will join an elite club of Mars explorers that includes only Soviet Russia, NASA, and the European Space Union. Upon reaching Mars, the rocket will search the surface for minerals and evidence for the disappearance of water. The probe will also take a closer look at Mars' two moons. In 2016, India plans to launch its first own manned flight. Clearly, India's recent technological progress as it starts to compete with first world countries is quite remarkable.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/04/world/asia/india-mars-orbiter/
1. How is India's scientific progress contrasting to their social problems? Do you think that a lot of labor was exploited so that India could improve its technology?
2. How do you think Gandhi would respond to this progress given his views on machines?
India's scientific progress is contrasting broadly with its social programs. While the rich become richer, the poor continue to become poorer. Although India's scientific program is growing greatly, the poverty rate increases as well. This shows how broad the social gap is in India. In terms of labor, a great deal of labor was probably exploited in order to fund these programs because labor is quite cheap in this third world country. This just continues to show how great the social gap is as the technology program grows as the poor is being exploited. Instead of completely focusing on improvements to one extent, there should be a greater focus on fixing this dire problem of poverty.
ReplyDeleteI think how India's scientific progress contrasts with its social problems shows how much the government is willing to fund science programs verses trying to help the major social issue. Instead of taking the time to change its socially divided culture (rape and patriarchy), the Indian government chooses to solely focus on trying to improve technology and to compete with other first world countries. I think that that should come second to providing a safe and equal environment for its people. I do also think that a lot of labor was exploited so that India could improve its technology-- which is in turn helping the Indian people develop even more social issues. It is an endless cycle that relates directly to what Pranav was saying: the rich is becoming richer and the poor is becoming even poorer.
ReplyDeleteIndia’s scientific progress is contrasting to their social problems because unlike there social problems science in India’s improving. The social problems are staying the same and even worsening, while its scientific technology is finally improving to first world countries. I personally think that a lot of labor was needed for this project and possibly many of the workers were slaves or people working for extremely low wages. India could not possibly pay the men what they deserve for building this technology, so I believe that the laborers were exploited into helping India improve its technology. Gandhi would disapprove of unequal wages and hiring slaves so that India can improve in technology when it needs to improve its social problems. There are so many of India’s social problems that it is hard to try and fix all of them, but India should at least try and help out with their social problems and then worry about becoming scientifically advanced in the world.
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