India has made great progress in science and technology. The successful Antarctic Expedition is an example of this. It is a very big achievement in ocean research. We have a very long coastline. It will help us to exploit our seas. They spread on the three sides of the county. Nearly 20lakh sq.km of ocean area is under our control. Oceans have a rich treasure of living and no-living resource.

An Indian team of 20 members first reached Antarctica on 1st January 1982.

Dr. S.Z. Qasim, a famous oceanographer, led the team. They established a base camp and them a permanent station. It was named “Dakshin Gangotri”. They carried out many
Scientific experiments and brought many valuable samples back home.

Millions and millions year ago, there was a vary huge super continent. Then Antarctica, India, Australia, Africa etc. were joined together. This was called Gondwana Land after one of India’s regions in the Central India. But then these continents separated and traveled in different directions. India drifted for away and collided with Asia. And then Himalaya mountain was born.

Antarctica is a very huge landmass. It is covered with very thick sheet of ice and snow. Its influence on Indian weather is very great. It is also very rich in various minerals. The oceans around it are full of living resources. The experiments and studies there will help us greatly in understanding and exploiting our resource.

A second Indian permanent station was established on Antarctica. It was named “Maritri”, the friendship. The exploration on Antarctica is of great importance in many Ways. That is why many other countries also have their stations there. These expeditions have conducted daring and valuable probes on this very difficult and remote region. These explorations are full of immense possibilities.

Since our first expedition in 1982, there have been regular expeditions to the Antarctica every year. Some of the members of the team live there for the whole year while others return home. The wintering team continuously records weather and geological data and conducts various types of experiments. These data and recordings are recovered by the next team.

In Antarctica, the living conditions are very difficult as the temperature drops to minus 50 degree Centigrade in winter. In summer there is 24 hour daylight. In winter it is 24-hour night. But the morale of Indian teams have always been very high. India has gathered much valuable scientific data during these year. This knowledge will also help us a great deal in keeping our troops more healthy in icy regions of the Himalayas.

It is only on an ice-breaker ship that one reach Antarctica. This is a special ship which can break ice and make way for its voyage. All around Antarctica the ocean is always frozen. There are huge icebergs and snow-hills in the ocean. During the first expedition, Indian team discovered a new mountain in the Indian ocean about 7000 km from Goa. It was named “Indira Mount”, after the then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi.

Science is a good servant but a bad master. As a servant, it makes life comfortable, easy, luxurious and more meaningful. But as a master it is a devil. Then it turns life into destruction, curse, hell and ruin. And clearly, the devil is more powerful the
than the servant. It can reduce the whole world into rubble and debris in no time. The example of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is before us. Now, we have thousand times more destructive bombs and weapons than we had during the Second World War. These nuclear weapons can devastate the whole world many times over.

Modern age is the age of science. During the last ten years, there have been great achievements in science and technology. It has changed the face of the world beyond recognition. The whole world has turned into a global village. Nations have come much closer to one another. There is greater understanding and cooperation between nations. And yet there are many problems being faced by the people of the world. The cold war has ended and yet the threat to world peace is there.

Radio, television, telephone, teleprinters, computers, satellites, supersonic air crafts, space-crafts etc. have revolutionized life. Man has landed on the moon. He has sent his research crafts on the Mars and may soon print his footstep there. His achievements in the fields of medicine, agriculture, education, health, communication, banking etc. have been equally great. Man has conquered many fatal diseases. As a result the rate of mortality has decreased and expectancy of life increased. The standard of living has greatly improved. Life has become very easy, comfortable and convenient. The achievements of science have been too wonderful. This is the positive side of the science have been too wonderful. This is the blessings. But the negative side is too sad. It disturbs us all. Science has also created many problems. They are not easy to solve. They are vast and global and have affected the whole humanity.

Man has misused and abused science. He has become slave of it. And the devil of science is busy creating havoc. Indiscriminate industrialization has polluted atmosphere. Our seas, oceans, rivers and lakes are dead or dying. The very air we breathe has become poisonous. In the blind race for wealth and materialism, we have lost human values. There is greed, corruption and selfishness everywhere. There are no sympathy, love, fellow-feeling, values and morality. Unemployment, unhealthy competition and rivalry are on the increase. Big, developed and advanced countries are exploiting the poor and underdeveloped countries.

The nuclear powers are busy in having more destructive weapons. If there is Third World War, there will be no civilization left. There will be no conqueror or vanquished. In such a situation, science would prove the greatest curse.

If we look at the achievements and problems created by science, it is not easy to say if it is a blessing or a curse. But actually science is neither good nor bad. It is a systematic knowledge of nature and things. It depends on man how hew he uses it. He may use it for a good purpose or for and evil. Destruction and creation have common roots.

Science creates as well as destroys. In one hand it holds weapons of mass destruction, in the other boons and blessings. They are two sides of the same coin. One side makes man sad and pensive. The other happy, cheerful and elated. In spite of luxuries and comforts man is unable to have good sleep and peace of mind. He is afraid of the nuclear weapons and pollution problems. The horrors of destruction have almost paralyses him. But ultimately, science is not responsible for this miserable state. It is madness to blame science. It is just an instrument which can be used either for development or destruction. The defect does not lie with the instrument but with its user.