A.V. Hill's Report and Shaping of Modern Science in India

Abstract

Nobel laureate Professor A. V. Hill was invited by the Government of India (GoI) in 1943 to visit the country and to advice on the organization of scientific and industrial research as a part of India's post-war reconstruction plan. After visiting the lengths and breadths of the country for more than three months beginning on 16th November 1943 till 5th April 1944, Hill submitted a detailed report titled “A Report to the Government of India on Scientific Research in India.” This report later became a valuable sourcebook for the history of science and technology in modern India. UNESCO in its 1972 document “National Science Policy and Organization of Scientific Research in India” recognized contributions of the Hill Report in shaping S&T roadmap, infrastructure and institutional frameworks in India as well as in South Asia.

This paper contains a Bibliography of publications citing the Hill’s Report, and the full-text of the report titled "A Report to the Government of India on Scientific Research in India".

Keywords: India, South Asia, History of Science, History of Medicine, History of Technology

JEL Classification: Q18