The economic stability of a country depends upon the planned programme of industrial and scientific research. Before science influenced industry, man-power played a dominant role. Everything depended upon the manual labour. Men had to work everywhere. Naturally things were produced at a very slow pace. The use of steam in driving the machines brought about a revolution in the industries. The discovery of steam-engine made it possible to turn the wheels of mighty machines with the help of steam-power.
The discovery of electricity as a source of power proved all the more useful. It came as a sort of god-sent to producers.The industrial revolution progressed by leaps and bounds with more and more scientific discoveries. The discovery of atomic energy has completely changed the concept of power at The disposal of mankind. If this energy is harnessed for industrial purposes, it will make unprecedented progress in the national economy, and it will be the advent of a Second Industrial Revolution.
The increase of human wants has resulted in the setting up of a number of new industries. The printing industry has been completely revolutionised, printing techniques are now highly advanced, and modern composing and printing machines work at a tremendous speed.Science is responsible for manufacturing heavy machines like railway engines, motor cars, aeroplanes, etc. , at an incredible speed to meet The increasing demands. Science has greatly helped in the production of machines, drugs and surgical instruments. Radio and television sets are the outcome of scientific researches.
Science has also devised new appliance which considerably facilitiate agricultural processes. The textile industry and the leather industry have also been mechanised. In fact, there is hardly any industry which is not making use of scientific inventions and discoveries.Musuem of Science and Industry Every industry, big or small, needs not only machines and power, but also raw materials and markets for finished goods. No industry can flourish if raw materials are not available or there is ao demand for the finished goods. By annihilating distance and space, science has solved the problem of transportation of raw materials and the finished goods even to the remotest corners of the world The governments of all the countries realise that the economic prosperity of a nation is proportional to the money spent on scientific research.In every country, organisations have been set up in order to promote scientific and industrial research. In India , there is a Council of Scientific and Industrial Research which will putting with effective use the application of science to industry.
There are a number of national research laboratories all over the country in which research is being carried out with a view to fulfilling the needs of the industries. It is indeed heartening to see that man has himself to do very little in producing things of his heed, comfort and luxury.Science has provided him obedient servants in the shape of machines which are doing everything for him at his command. Some of the great men like William Morris and Ruskin have condemned the application of science to industry.
They feel that technology has impaired one of the present enjoyments and major virtues of humanity, craftsmanship. Machines, no doubt, are the greatest boon for countries where there is shortage of man-power. But in countries like India where man-power is in abundance, the introduction of machines has given rise to a serious problem of unemployment on a large scale.