The Chairman of the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has asked the scientific community to ensure that technology does not become a pawn in the hands of geo-politics. He said, in the environment of sanctions, the concept of global village is a myth. Surely, scientists and technologists will not like this to happen. Dr. Abdul Kalam was inaugurating the third international conference and biennial meeting of International Association of Technology Assessment and Forecasting Institutions(IATAFI-98), here today.

Dr. Abdul Kalam who is also the Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister of the Government of India said science, technology, technology transfer and technology absorption is inter-linked. If the chain is broken neither science and technology nor growth of a country is possible. In today’s world of politics unfortunately technology and commerce have become tools in the name of sanctions, embargo and technology denials. Logic fails when politics and commerce aspects combine. He expressed the confidence that this forum, a beautiful platform for exchange of experience will protect politics from entering into technology.

India has experienced that whenever embargo was slapped on her, she had emerged as a cost effective technology developer in a big way including high technology areas.

Dr. Kalam pointed out that science is a beautiful gift to humanity which has made India self-reliant in the production of food, milk, vegetables, fruits, cereals etc. as far as agriculture is concerned and in certain engineering systems. It has also made India self-sustaining in space, defence and nuclear technologies to a great extent. The technology related to health care has resulted in the increase of life expectancy in India and has made miracles in developed countries. Thus, today the important tool to graduate to a developed status of a nation is through technological revolutions. He asked the Conference to address technologies developed by developing countries like India, most of which are cost effective, appropriate and with certain ingenious process and design, which are environment friendly.

The Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Prof. V.S. Ramamurthy who presided said TIFAC is a unique tool of India for technology development through converting the technology vision into different missions. Unlike science technology is not universal. It is time specific, place specific and user specific.

Technologies should take care of the social implications and see that the fruits of development go down to the masses. Technology is a continuously evolving process and must always look ahead for developing methodologies in the interest of the common man, he said.

In a message to the conference the Union Minister for Human Resource Development and Science and Technology Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi lauded the efforts of TIFAC and stressed the importance of assessment and forecasting of technologies relevant to human development   The conference is being attended by over 40 experts from 9 countries to discuss various aspects of technology development, assessment, forecasting etc. with special focus on clean technologies, recycling processes and energy efficient technologies. Around 100 delegates representing industry, research, academic institutions and government agencies are also taking part in the three-day conference. The countries represented at the meeting include United States, Germany, Brazil, Belgium, Norway, Sri Lanka and Thailand.