62 SOCIAL SCIENTIST international division of labour. As outlined in the Handbook on Foreign Collaboration, 1980, "with constant technological advancement taking place in the developed countries, the need to update production technology would arise in almost all the industries over a period of time. The import of technology may be considered even in fields where foreign collaboration is not considered necessary". The current policy welcomes foreign collaboration both for updating existing technology either to meet efficiently domestic requirements or to become competitive in the export market, as well as for the manufacture of items with substantial export, backed by buy-back guarantee; in regard to high technology, moreover, the government would even permit direct foreign equity participation, Thus all areas of technology, whether the'high modern technologies, or technologies already established and outmoded, ie, technologies at the final phase of the product cycle, will be imported liberally into India. The experience of Japan and the socialist countries has clearly shown that the manner and purpose of technology imports play a very important role in the development of autonomous technological capabilities in a country. This lesson has been completely forgotten while formulating policies and developing programmes in science and technology in India. In a nutshell, the science and technology policy of India lacks clarity, coherence and consistency and the R & D programme is devoid of any determined and coordinated effort. M J K THAVARAJ Indian Institute of Publ'c Administration, New Delhi.