Chapter Four. The Sciences In The Doldrums

The subjects that did not receive the attention they deserved during the Second World War in India were energy, natural resource management, defence science, basic sciences and fundamental research. These areas were accorded great attention in the UK and other belligerent states in this period but they could not enjoy the same status in the official priorities in India. While the indigenous interest in most of them was extremely active, the attitude of the Raj towards them was generally cold, unsteady and ambivalent, often guided by considerations other than those of India's interest. Many of these subjects were grossly neglected as, for example, the basic sciences and fundamental research, while the progress apparently made in the management and development of natural resources was deceptive and fraught with deeper implications arising out of the diplomatic and economic moves of the British Empire.Keywords: Doldrums; India; sciences; Second World War