Scientific Temper: An Arena of Contestation in a Globalized World

There are three conditions that guide this conversation. Firstly, this paper is not an effort to provide a solution to the questions and concerns that have been repeatedly raised by the community of scholars who have worked in the area of Public Understanding of Science (PUS) over the past 30 years. The paper tries to argue that all science communication activities should aim at develop- ing a ‘scientifically tempered society’. Secondly, this paper is a continuation of the keynote address presented at the International Conference on Science Communication, Nancy, France, 2012 (Raza, 2012), and two editorials published in the Journal of Scientific Temper. Thirdly, the paper draws heavily on the Indian experience and history; therefore, any generalization requires careful scrutiny to ensure local applicability