Modern Technology And Its Impotance

Outline:

1. Modern technology aims at using new and improved ways of accomplishing traditional tasks.

2. By eradication of illiteracy we can get rid of out-dated and out-mooed practices.

3. Supply of skilled technicians is essential. They may be imported from abroad or trained locally. Collaboration of industrialized countries may be sought.

4. More attention should be paid to the study of sciences, especially Physics. Transfer of Technology should be preceded by the transfer of sciences. The scientists should play a vital role to revolutionize the industrial sector.

5. Environment conducive to the development of technology be created. The wave of nationalization in the seventies proved to be a great inhibitor for investment.

6. Raw materials locally available should be utilized.

7. Funds be made available for setting up research centers. Their recommendations be put into practice to keep the wheels of technological reform in motion.

8. Being a capital deficient country, labor intensive technology should be adopted.

9. Permanent National Technological Development Corporation be set up for the formulation and implementation of technological development. It should form the centre piece round which national development should revolve.

10. We must remain abreast of rapid technological developments taking place around us.

Technological progress results from using new and improved ways of accomplishing traditional tasks. Technology is thus an important factor in economic growth and development. To use modern technology, Pakistan, like other developing countries, needs to fulfill certain pre-conditions, which are as follows:-

1.Elimination of illiteracy:

Progress in technology is not only a scientific phenomenon but, sociological as one .Technology must be mentally accepted by the people, otherwise it will lead to lack of participation and reluctance on the part of the people. Ours is a custom-ridden and tradition-bound society. We can get rid of this obstacle by spread of education which emphasizes the merits of new technology and helps in setting rid of outdated and outmoded practices. Ours is an agricultural country where traditional methods and techniques are in vogue. That is why our yield per hectare is woefully low as compared with those countries which use modern technology in ploughing, seeding and harvesting.

2.Availability of skilled technicians:

Highly capabletechnicians are needed to make the optimum. use of the modern technology. What is required is to create a large team of highly skilled and trained personnel who could press into service the latest technology. Such training is very expensive which we can ill-afford at the moment. Technicians may be imported from. Abroad but that is very expensive. Moreover, really capable hands are not easily available even in foreign countries. They are also in great demand in their own countries. To meet our immediate demands some selected people may be sent abroad for training, but that also is very costly. Ultimate solution to the problem is that training institutes and centers be established within the country.

3. Proficiency in Sciences especially Physics:

Physics is the basis of most of modern high technology. It is the science of ‘Wealth. Creation’ par excellence. If a nation wants to become wealthy, it must acquire a high degree of expertise in Physics, both pure and applied.

The Third World as a whole is slowly waking up to the retaliation, that in the last analysis, science and technology are what distinguish the North from the South. The widening gap between the nations, of the North and the South is basically the science gap. Tech by science, cannot flourish.

4. Lack of Ambition:

Muslim countries of the size of Egypt, Turkey or Pakistan have no community of scientists geared to development because we suffer from a lack of ambition towards acquiring science, a feeling of inferiority towards it which borders even on hostility. Japan and the Soviet Union were goaded by a strong ambition to excel the Europeans in science and technology. They have at long last scored an enviable victory.

5. Transfer of science:

For long term, effectiveness, technology transfer must be invariably accompanied by science transfer. The science of today is the technology of tomorrow. Richer nations certainly have sinister motive in selling the idea of technology - transfer without science transfer. This aims at stilling the growth of science among the developing nations.

6. Encouragement of Scientists:

To set the country on the path of progress, to keep pace with the developing world, to play a meaningful role in the comity of nations and t march towards self-reliance, the scientists of the country need to play a vital role to revolutionize the industrial sector. So they deserve proper encouragement.

8. Environment conducive to the progress of Technology:

We need devotion to our endeavors if we wish to lay a sound foundation on which the pillars of our industrial progress can be laid. The political stability of a country provides a favorable climate for investment. The wave of Nationalization which swept the country during the early seventies, acted as a glaring inhibitor for the growth of technology.

8. Utilization of native resources:

The point of paramount importance which has been considerably ignored is the necessity of maximum utilization of local resources. The local ores should be exploited.

9. Research sector ignored:

An important factor in introducing advanced technology, as in the case of cement production, the investors are shy of huge financial implications. That is why it is hampered by outdated production methods. As a matter of policy the Government must make it mandatory for the industrial sector to contribute a certain percentage of its income to research institutions and put its recommendations to use in keeping the wheels of technology reform in motion. Heavy investment is required for the successful implementation of a technological programmed.

10. Change in people’s attitudes

Is needed so that a permissive environment for the introduction of technology prevails. If proper ground is not prepared it becomes doubly difficult to introduce new technology.

11. Labour intensive technology

Would suit Pakistan as plenty of unskilled labour is available. At the same time it should be borne in mind that Pakistan is a developing country and is capital deficient. So while adopting a technology, capital saving and labour intensive technology should be preferred.

12. National Technological Development Council (N.T.D.C.):

The formulation and implementation of policies for technological development should be entrusted to a permanent N.T.D.C. This would define national priorities and establish fields of specialisation in technology. The choice of technology should be made at the triangular level. The important organs of this triangle should be represented by (1) the Government through N.T.D.C., (2) Research Organizations and (3) Industry. With our limited resources we cannot indulge in the trial and error methods. We have to learn from the experience of others to save both time and labour.

We have to remain abreast of rapid developments taking place in the world. In the field of Defense, for example, the ace weapons of today are yielding ground to new and more sophisticated weapon system. It is, therefore, essential for Pakistan defense technologists to share the knowledge of foreign arms manufacturers. The same holds good for all the other sectors. It is hoped that the joint ventures with Japan, our chief trading collaborator, would also involve the transfer of technology and would not remain confined to buying a car and learning. How to drive it proper upkeep. Sewerage system is either non-existent or insufficient. A little rain turns most of our big cities into pools of stagnant water and the city-dwellers continue suffering from these stinking pools for days after each rainfall.

The air pollution has dust particles and gaseous contaminants. Dust and smoke comprise line parties which get suspended in the air. Often times, unless washed down by rains, they remain suspended in the air for several days, causing breathing and visibility problems. The dust pollution is related to human activities. Man has cleared large areas for agriculture, housing etc. Herding of cattle poses grave consequences for vegetation if it is not properly managed. The population pressure constitutes the worst danger. The situation in the developing countries is still more precarious where food supply has over ridden all other considerations. Human needs of food and fuel wood visa is dwindling and deteriorating natural resources have frustratingly spoiled the environment. This is visible from the desolate look of our country-side and filthy urban settlements. These indicate a serious bankruptcy of our moral standards.

The dust pollution problem in our cities is of our own making and stems from lack of civic sense. We are often individually and collectively selfish and hardly look beyond our own nose. People sweep their houses and throw out the rubbish in the open streets to, be collected by the sanitation staff who do not show up for days together.

Vegetation stabilizes the soil. Unfortunately, it is on the decline in our cities. Our city parks and road—side trees present a dismal look and are being felled ruthlessly. The public is quite reckless and often apathetic to maintaining the parks. It is imperative, therefore, to educate the people in collective outlook and institute a judicious, well-organized city sanitation programme.

The gaseous pollutions emanate from innumerable sources such as automobile exhaust, metal, chemical, textile, paper plants and refineries. In our country where people woefully lack civic sense, conditions are still worse. Old smoky engines freely ply on the roads. Combustion in the auto engines is incomplete and as a result, a mixture of exhaust products is emitted from the tailpipe which is toxic to human, animal and plant health. These emissions can enter into a chain of reactions and produce other injurious gases like ozone. Sulphur Dioxide in the air can react with moisture to form an acid which is corrosive to art treasures and historical monuments and irritant to living beings. Building stones, in particular limestone is attacked by sulphuric acid. Staining of stones occurs by a combination of sulphur compounds. These chemical poisonous are carried for miles into the air and pollute the atmosphere. The Taj Mahal Agra is suffering the ugly effects of the fumes emanating from the industrial complex in its vicinity. The mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam faces a similar danger from the neighboring refineries. Sulphuric acid is a danger to books also. They are made brittle by acidity. Numerous pollution effects on plants and animals are experienced. Plant growth is stunted and productivity is adversely affected. Plants often lose their freshness. Thus, city parks give a smothered look and show varying degrees of yellowing, dead tissues and disturbed growth patterns. The hidden damage in terms of slow growth and productivity is perhaps the deepest but often less accounted for, besides aesthetic cost in terms of dwindling city parks and vegetation.

Most people in the big cities suffer from many pollution-caused problems. Respiratory diseases are on the increase. They are also conducive to the incidence of cancer. The pollution ‘stress’ causes weakness and reduces vitality. This affects efficiency and productivity.

Pollution is a concomitant of industrialization. If proper measures are not taken to check it, the solid and liquid wastes discharged in the rivers and canals would endanger marine, animal and human life. This factor requires urgent attention because we depend on our waterways for the fulfillment of many of our needs. Another off shoot of industrialization which has adversely affected the life of city dwellers is the noise pollution. Constant noise of factories operating in the residential areas and the deafening roar of Lorries, buses and rickshaws preys upon the nerves and robs the citizens of their basic right to rest and peace. it augurs well for the country that National Pollution Ordinance (1982) has been enforced and has become a law. The Government should institute necessary machinery to monitor pollution and educate people about the problem, so that mass support is available to achieve clean environment. Efforts by the Government alone would be unproductive without public involvement. What is really needed is mass awareness. It is the crying need of the day to awaken the people and involve them in creating and maintaining clean environment.