ABSTRACT
India is now counted among the leading emerging economies of the world with a vast network of science and technology and research and development institutional structure. The current structure of India’s national system of innovation (NSI) as people see it today has evolved from the post-independence period after 1947. State mediation and the role of government support in the development of science, technology and higher education has been a crucial aspect of India’s current NSI. The role played by the state in the evolution of science, technology and innovation policies and institution building is intimately connected with the colonial context. As is well-known, India was under colonial rule for over three centuries. British colonialism is generally seen by Indian historians to have impacted on Indian politics, economy and society in both constructive as well as destructive or dysfunctional ways and manifestations.
