'Wider debates must for tech policies'

A section of technology experts have called for more wider and indepth debates before decisions are taken on the future use of technology for commercial purposes.

"Interactions of science and policy have become central to current development dilemmas, yet have remained poorly explored," said Professor Ian Scoones of the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, UK.

Speaking at a panel discussion of a book titled "Science, Agriculture and the Politics of Policy: The Case of Biotechnology in India" organised by the IIM-B's Centre for Public Policy, Prof Scoones, author of the book asked whether the gene revolution will really be the successor to the green revolution and the IT revolution, as the hype suggests.

A key challenge for policymakers, Scoones argued, is to encourage a wider involvement in debates about future technology policies, and not just leave it to the experts.

The book concentrates on the emergence of the biotech sector in Bangalore and Karnataka and asks what difference this has made to the people of the state.

'Science, Agriculture and the Politics of Policy? published by Orient Longman examines the intersections of globalisation, technology and politics through a detailed, empirically-based examination of agricultural biotechnology in India.

The focus is on Bangalore and Karnataka, a part of India which has seen a massive growth in biotech enterprises, experimentation with GM cotton and a contested policy debate about the role of biotechnology which should play in economic development.

The book also asks what does this new suite of technologies mean - for society, for politics and for the way agriculture, food and rural livelihoods are thought about? Can biotech deliver a second Green Revolution, and so transform agriculture and rescue the countryside and its people from crisis and poverty? Or is it more complex than this?

Through a detailed case study, the aim of the book is to discuss, question and refine these broader debates, locating an understanding of biotechnology firmly within an understanding of society and politics.

Professor Vijay Chandru of Strand Life Sciences, said the balanced approach should be taken.