ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the questions relating to the role of technology and science in development. In the decades which have elapsed since the Second World War, researchers in social and political science have shown an increased interest in problems connected with development. Technology, in its conception as the systematic use of technical knowledge, methods and operations in the control of nature, has been increasingly recognized as one of the most important elements in the development process. The political contexts of science and technology strategies are embedded in the context of the social structures of both countries. In a comparative perspective, the social structures of a country may influence the technological and scientific developments. Social structures in India and China are relevant factors in the composition of a very important element in India-China comparisons: the economic conditions for development. In the experience of many developing countries, the introduction of advanced technology and science has placed severe strains on the national economy.
