C. Raja Mohan is Director, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, and the consulting editor on foreign affairs for 'The Indian Express'. Before his association with The Indian Express began in 2004, Raja Mohan worked for The Hindu as its Washington correspondent and Strategic Affairs Editor. He was a distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi. In his academic avatar, Raja Mohan has been professor of South Asian Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. As a think tanker, he worked at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses and Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi. He is on the editorial board of various international affairs journals and is affiliated with the Institute of South Asian Studies, Singapore; the Lowy Institute, Sydney; and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington DC. He is the author, most recently, of Samudra Manthan: Sino-Indian Rivalry in the Indo-Pacific.
Instead of only praising scientists, Opposition must debate policy challenges
Before India’s political scene got so intensely polarised, there was a time when the Opposition celebrated the government’s national security achievements. Offering formal praise for scientists becomes an excuse to duck some real questions.
It is now the norm for the main Opposition party to praise the “scientists” and hold back on complimenting the government for major technological advances in India. While this tactic may look politically opportune, it does little to advance either the cause of science or national security. Worse still, it perpetuates the dangerous myth that India’s science and technology policy is somehow independent of political direction.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario