Manpower Planning and Education

Modern civilization owes its characteristic features to the widespread use of science and technology. The very much higher standard of living of the people in western countries is directly attributable to the great technological advance made in these countries. For the first time in human history, the possibility has been created of banishing poverty, ill-health and ignorance from the life of the masses the world around, fully in keeping with the democratic spirit of the age. Already vast knowledge and tested technology exist to increase production from farms and factories, speed up transport and communication, improved health and well-being; and the method of science ensures constant acquisition of new knowledge and its useful application. It is this which provides the underdeveloped countries with their hope and opportunity to catch up with the industrially advanced countries in standards of material well-being. Analysing the problem of India's poverty, the Third Plan says: "Low levels of consumption, saving, productivity and employment are different aspects of the central problem which India faces in common with other under- developed countries. Basically the task is one of developing the natural and human resources of the country through the widest possible use of knowledge and technology and improved organisation within the framework of a well-conceived longterm plan."