Nurture Research Culture

Human race has come a long way. The overwhelming part of that journey, spanning tens of thousands of years, had been plagued by hostile forces too strong for us to deal with. Just surviving and staying safe from them were what defined human life. But only in the last few hundred years we have been able to outsmart our adversaries. Recurring epidemics that time and again wiped out entire civilisations no longer posed a significant threat, enabling us to live longer and healthier lives. The reason?  Invention of vaccines and medicines, which made possible eradication of deadly diseases. 

Similarly, the most inaccessible parts of the world, all of sudden, were no longer beyond reach because of invention of automobile engine, enabling us to make journey to far-flung and hitherto unexplored places. Earthquakes no longer killed as many people as it once used to. The reason? Invention of earthquake-resistant houses. Since then, there has never been a lull in such groundbreaking discoveries. In fact, with the invention of computer, they have been growing in number and importance. 

So what assisted us to make such remarkable breakthroughs that have come to define human ingenuity? The answer is science and technology. The former is the base upon which the latter is built. And it is research that makes them happen. Technology has embedded so deep into our life that it's nearly impossible to disentangle from it. From life-saver to life-enhancer, its use and importance is omnipresent.  Today the most scientifically advanced nations are not only the most powerful ones but also with the strongest and the most resilient economies. The job opportunities they create are so plenty that they are the envy of the people in the scientifically backward ones. 

Given such scenario, we cannot afford to be a laggard in the domain. If we are to become a more livable nation that is also capable enough to fulfil aspirations of its modern people, we have no option but to give a boost to research culture. Recognising this critical need, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has pledged to work to increase opportunities for talented young individuals to conduct research within the country, saying that the government has already incorporated an annual programme in the current fiscal year to establish a fund of Rs. 1 billion for the development of science and technology. This much-needed provision should be implemented without delay. 

To make research a passion for many, the culture of research must be inculcated right from the school, which should create suitable conditions to make its tender minds curious about everything so that the unwavering tendency to learn stays with them throughout their life. Only a deeply inquisitive mind can sacrifice everything to pursue research for long enough to produce something valuable to the world. Once that culture takes hold, we will start building better infrastructures, and that in turn, makes possible many things. Then roads will be good enough to make transportation efficient, houses strong enough to withstand quakes, vehicles and industries so efficient that they don't pollute the environment, science labs brimming with discoveries.  Once these things are in place, they pave the way for much more good to happen, eventually making the place envy of the world.