The Radical Foundation of Indian Technoscience: The Revolution will be digitized (Week 1)

The Radical Foundation of Indian Technoscience was an exceptionally interesting read for me. As an Indian, certain aspects of this article appealed to the rationality of the country’s technoscience industry. However, there were some points that I believe were biased due to the mainstream and stereotypes of an average Indian in the United States.

While the history of the development and spread of technoscience was summarized in terms of Nehru’s era, it could be well concluded that Indian engagement with modern technoscience was thoroughly infused with politics during the independence movement. Having said that, it became inarticulate to consider that over years of technoscience growing in the country, Indians now pursue a career in technology not to partake in a collective project of bettering society, but to service capital and accumulate wealth via employment at multinational corporations.

Is R.K Upadhya referring to the desi community of the Bay area wherein a small fraction of Indians from the middle-class section of society migrated to live a better lifestyle? If yes, then I believe that comes from a very small section of Indians who have been stereotyped as engineers and scientists in the United States.

While I agree that Indian technical education evolved from a nationalist, anti-imperialist project to a more commercial and informational use of technology, I am uncertain that it has frayed from collectively bettering the society in terms of knowledge, accessibility and growth.