On December 14, 2023, a distinguished lecture was organized at Lecture Hall 1, IIST Campus, featuring Prof. Dr. Dinesh Kumar Shrivastava as the esteemed speaker. The lecture, titled “How is Long the Long Path to Developed India?” was anticipated to shed light on the trajectory of India’s development and the challenges that lie ahead.
Prof. Dinesh Kumar Srivastava is Homi Bhabha Chair Professor in the Energy and Environment Programme.
Prof. Srivastava has held many distinguished positions in the past such as DAE Raja Ramanna Fellow; Director and Distinguished Scientist in Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata; Honorary Professor, Amity University, NOIDA; Emeritus Professor, Homi Bhabha National Institute.
Prof. Srivastava started his career as Scientific Officer at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in 1971 and moved to Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre Kolkata in 1979 to retire as Director and Distinguished Scientist of this Organization in 2016. He has held visiting positions at Karlsruhe, GSI Darmstadt, University of Bielefeld and University of Frankfurt in Germany, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, University of Minnesota and Duke University in the USA, McGill University Canada, and the University of Cape Town, South Africa of various durations.
Key Points Covered:
- Developmental Trajectory: Shrivastava elaborated on the multifaceted nature of India’s development journey, emphasizing that achieving the status of a developed nation is a complex and continuous process.
- Challenges and Milestones: He highlighted various challenges hindering India’s path to development, including socio-economic disparities, infrastructure gaps, education shortcomings, and technological advancements. He underscored the need to overcome these hurdles to progress.
Timeframe and Realism: The speaker emphasized the importance of a realistic approach, cautioning against expecting immediate transformation. He argued that the path to a developed India is a long-term commitment requiring persistent efforts and strategic planning.
