People146;s Science

RURAL India is gradually finding the merits of self-help. And the first Rural Science Congress at Wardha showcased these home grown talents....

RURAL India is gradually finding the merits of self-help. And the first Rural Science Congress at Wardha showcased these home grown talents.

A month after the annual Indian Science Congress at Chandigarh, 100-odd groups of artisans and technologists came together to further the cause of the 8216;8216;poor man8217;s science8217;8217;. This meet was organised by Gandhian NGO Magan Sangrahalaya. The Council for Advancement of People8217;s Action and Rural Technology CAPART, an agency of Rural Development Ministry, and Khadi and Village Commission KVIC participated through an exhibition of the ability of innovators to usher in sustainable development. The real agenda, however, was to unitedly influence the government in promoting 8216;8216;people-friendly8217;8217; and 8216;8216;participatory8217;8217; technologies.

8216;8216;We have realised that there is little space for us in the mainstream science congress, so we decided to launch a parallel one,8217;8217; says Vibha Gupta, who heads the Magan Sagrahalaya. Vibha8217;s father late, Devendra Gupta, was behind Wardha8217;s Centre of Science for Villages CSV.

Aiming to salvage traditional science, Gandhian institutions at Wardha have been holding artisans8217; conclaves over the last few years and have been asking the governments to replace high-cost technologies with appropriate ones.

Already, there are the likes of T.J. David from Hyderabad who has designed nearly 150 low-cost technologies and instruments, some of which have also been patented. His instant 8216;8216;reverse-charge gravity-feed water filter8217;8217; has been installed at Hyderabad8217;s B.C. Hostel.

Bhagwat Nandan from Bunker and Aruna Roy8217;s Barefoot College in Rajasthan8217;s Tilonia village narrates how even illiterates from villages have been operating computers with ease. Tilonia meets all its power needs, including that for its school, hospital and computers, from the 40 KWs it generates from its eight solar plant. It also has schemes of water conservation, community health and handicrafts.

Pune8217;s Appropriate Rural Technology Institute has developed improved chulha and cookers to fuel from farm biomass. Vibhavari, an NGO from Devas, has already earned praise for its low-cost, people-oriented water conservation methods.

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There are others pitching in with people-friendly technologies8212;the Gujarat Grassroots Innovations Augmentation Network, an Ahmedab- ad-based NGO, has been sharing information about such technologies in 75 countries over the past 15 years.

The Wardha conclave8217;s effort is to ensure that the influence of grassroot technologies spreads. The future plan of action includes a meet with prominent scientists of the country in May. 8216;8216;We want to involve them in this endeavour,8217;8217; says Vibha. 8216;8216;We will also ask the Planning Commission to include these technologies in the education system as well as policy,8217;8217; she says, adding, 8216;8216;the Wardha congress has provided the headstart.8217;8217;