Science and rural development in mountains

Never before in Nietory, the meskind has bent in such * dilemme tie today for with the halls of Scienes and offehoon, technology, ma has scheda coint from where he finds it difficult to decide whether he should continue to pursue the present course of devalcemant or he should abandon it. On one hand, there are thechas and Mondwas who have vividly pictured the son of canopha if the present model of development is adhered to on the other, there are Kahins who chempion the cause of present brand of development.

The greatest victims of this confusions are the countries of the Third World, which have yet to taste the benefits of the recent economic growth and affluance. They have adopted the western model of development without realizing where it will lead them to Keeping in view their totally different setting, an opinion that these countries can develop in proper way only whon they develop indigenous technology or improvise the traditional skills as opposed to evolving a prototype of the western ideal, is becoming more and more loud. Shumacher caught the antira concept in a beautiful phrase, "Small is beautiful. And more often than believed, small is bountiful also. He, in many words, pleaded in favour of utility technologies which now are better known as "intermediate" or "appropriate technologies. But for these countries what these intermediate or appropriate technologies actually are? Can they be at all used successfully now, when these countries have already covered a significant distance along the western path of development?