To think about technology is to think about oneself. While one goes from school or college/office to home using technology for transportation, reaching a house on the 4th floor is made possible by the use of technology. One uses a lift/elevator to reach the 4th floor, rings bells at home, switches on LED light bulbs, a fan, a cooler, or AC. They get RO-filtered water, kept cool by a refrigerator, and so on. The list is unending. Human life nowadays is full of technology around us. But does it mean that all is good with the use of technology?

The history of the evolution of mankind is the history of the evolution of technology. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the species Homo sapiens rubbed two small rocks together to produce a spark and then fire, which helped humans to master the Earth. Today, we are at a time where we are aiming to manipulate fundamental particles like nations that will help us to master the universe. In this race, we need to pause and ask ourselves – whether technology has been problem-solving or problem-creating? The answer to this question based on theory and practice should guide our futuristic technological development.

As aptly put by Einstein – “The science of today is the technology of tomorrow.” Thus understanding technology and its problem-solving or creating potential has a link with understanding science. Like many avatars of Lord Ram, technology appears in different forms, and like multiple faces of Ravan, technology has different problem-creating dimensions if misused. Ram Avatar may be equated with problem-solving aspects.

Technologies in Jude-Space, Defense, Robotics, IT, computers, Earth sciences, Neno-technology, Biotechnology, Nuclear science, social networking/urban space, and so on. These technologies have multiple applications in fields of Agriculture, industries, health, education, environment, transportation, Disaster management, climate change, and so on.

In this essay, it will be analyzed which kind of technology is causing what kinds of problems? Problems for whom – Humans, Animals, birds? Reasons for these problems in multiple aspects will be deliberated. Also, how the same technology is a solution for someone and a problem for others will be deliberated. At the end, how to overcome these problems to maximize the benefits of technology for the well-being of all, and in this regard light will be thrown on learning from the past and learning from global best practices.

While analyzing sector-specific and technology-specific aspects of problem-solving and creating, the first is biotechnology field. In the past, the use of High yield varieties helped in the Green Revolution and we solved the problem of food shortages and impacts. But decades after we found that the green revolution was not really green. It created new problems – groundwater depletion, cancer cases in Punjab, Haryana went high; it had led to new problems demanding new technology-led solutions. Also, GM-crops is another use of biotechnology had promise of solving problems of agriculture productivity, pest attacks, climate resilience. But practical experience of GM-crops says that new problems emerged: terminal seeds, monoculture hampering biodiversity & increased farmer suicides. Use of biotechnology is not limited to Agriculture.

The scientists of the world are happy to develop the first 3-parent baby that they have solved problems of mitochondrial diseases & other genetic diseases will not pass on to the children. But who knows the future? Already, some are criticizing it that 3-parent baby had created ethical problems in moral community we live in.

Next important field of technology is Nuclear science & technology. Spontaneously comes to mind the Nuclear bomb blast of Hiroshima, Nagasaki that killed 2 lakh people. We thought nuclear-technology is all about problem-creating. But over the years, peaceful use of nuclear energy is focused across the globe – Radio-isotopes used in food preservation, nuclear mutations in plant breeds by BARC, Nuclear medicines like hydro gel, sludge hygienization used by Ahmadabad municipal corporation converting 100 metric tons waste into energy per day – all indicates problem-solving potential of Nuclear disaster in Japan – we cannot get relaxed. With all peaceful uses of atomic energy, it still has potential to disturb the peace of all us in few minutes.

Robotic technology mostly manifested also in Artificial Intelligence is another avatar of this double-edged technological world. Robots have solved & solving our problems in the field of dealing nuclear waste (5 of freedom, 6 of freedom Robots), manual scavenging (Bandicoot robot), fire fighting, Assembling activities in industries, space-missions, entertainment & domestic works – Kirobo robot of Japan. But it has created new problems of unemployment, especially relevant in countries like India – with highest unemployment growth rate at present & going to be most populous by 2028 according to UN. Concern has been raised that – will technology replace manpower?

The discussion of technology India will necessarily involve the contribution of space technology. Over the years, space technology by ISRO has solved many problems of India & the world – Natural resources mapping for better planning, communications via INSAT, Tele-education, Tele-medicines benefitted 4 lakh patients, Early warning systems for Tsunami Cyclones – hudhud, phalih saved many lives. But problems arise/ raised are that are we not spending too much on the space program when India has her more than a third as poor. when we are searching water on the moon, when we are not able to save water on earth.

Defense technologies problem-solving orientation credit goes to DRDO. There is a perception that developing more technologies will help to solve the problem of national security. But looking at it from another perspective, it appears that it leads to a mad race among countries, for having better defense technologies. This in turn leads to imports, dependency, suspicion, distrust & diverting scarce resources of the nation to the defense sector & less available for socio-economic development. In India, we spend 6% of GDP on defense, more than on health & education. Though defense technologies are also solving problems in civilian sectors – DRDO Bio digester toilets, High-altitude farming, VAVs, Drones, GPS, IRNSS positive use and so on.

The field of Neno-technology has offered solutions in the form of precision-medicines, nano-spongers absorbing toxicity from RBC in blood, nano-scale space operation cost-effective, carbon-nanotubes saving water in industries. But It has also problems – if nanoparticles are inhaled, it will cause health issues, nano-sized particles may be used for surveillance, for remote attack by enemy countries in the future.

In the field of Earth science, technology helping for identifying potential fishing zones, predicting monsoon – the real finance minister of India, early warning systems of disasters, ocean studies, Antarctica – studies, ex. But problem-causing areas are that it may seed to unsustainable exploration of resources, disturbing biodiversity in Arctic & Antarctica areas.

The discussion on technology with not be complete without IT/ Computer & mention of cyberspace – the parliament of netizens. It really has problem-solving orientation – socialization of governance, public accountability of executives, fast flow of information, enriched communication, knowledge at doorsteps, added value to globalization, soon. Ravan avatar of social media creating problems we have seen in the past.