Scientific Temper

Scientific temper

Science and Technology have become an inseparable part of our daily life; hence creation of scientific awareness and inculcation of scientific temper has now a days become the need of the hour. It was Pandit Nehru who introduced the concept of modern ‘scientific temper’ – a phrase taken to mean an enquiring attitude and analytical approach that leads to rational thinking and the pursuit of truth without prejudice in his book Discovery of India. Scientific temper has to be fostered with care at the individual, institutional, social and political level. The spread of scientific temper in a society should be  more pervasive than the spread of science and technology.   Scientific temper is an attitude of mind which calls for a particular outlook and pattern of behaviour. It is of universal applicability and has to permeate through our society as the dominant value system influencing the way we think and approach our problems. The spirit of enquiry and the acceptance of the right to question and to be questioned are fundamental to scientific temper. It recognises the fact that knowledge often progress by disproving earlier ideas, beliefs, theories and laws. It considers knowledge as open ended and ever evolving. Scientific temper and humanism are included as fundamental duty of all citizens in our constitution in 1976. Various stakeholders are involved in developing statement of scientific temper and its dissemination. A meeting of manyacademicians, scientists and eminent citizens was convened in 1981 at Coonoor near Ooty for this purpose. Scientific temper statement was revisited and revised in 2011 at Palampur in wake of newer development in terms of growth of ICT and shift of economy from industry based to knowledge based. The scientific temper was recently discussed and deliberated in an ‘International Conference on Science Communication for Scientific Temper’ at New Delhi from 10-12 January 2012 convened by NISCAIR. The scope of scientific temper was broadened by including experts from arts and humanities apart from natural and social scientists. The conference consisted of four plenary sessions and fifteen parallel sessions.  During these deliberations strategies were developed to disseminate scientific temper. Several methods and media were selected for this purpose. It was decided that education is the foremost medium to inculcate scientific temper among children and youth. Role of Radio, Television and new electronic medium was discussed. Hands on science activities, science movements,  science museums and extension centres play important role in building scientific temper among masses.  Science fiction can also be used to inculcate scientific temper. Science communication and rational thinking has played a great role in diluting superstitions related with natural phenomenon like solar or lunar eclipses. Role of government practices and policy issues in spreading of scientific temper was also deliberated upon.  Several studies are also being conducted to find out or quantify scientific temper among masses. Science communicators are trying to develop indicators for gauging scientific temper. During valedictory session of the conference a revised statementof scientific temperendorsed by all participants was released.  Valedictory session was addressed by eminent scientists and scientific policy makers.