Sunita Narain, editor of the Indian magazine Down to Earth, writes a provocative editorial on challenges of science in politics and policy in India.

“In the West, scientific issues are at least publicly debated and even George Bush and his ‘sound science’ caucus will get a run for their money as more and more citizens (including) scientists engage with and put public pressure on policy systems to deliver. But not in India, where scientists have taken silence to be their best insurance. And worse, arrogance, as their best cover….

But in all this we must also realise that science is not the ultimate truth. Scientific uncertainty can never really be eliminated, even in the best of sound science. All conclusions involve some uncertainty and are creatures of the nuances of interpretation. Therefore, science must guide policy, but ultimately, societal values and ethics must underwrite that policy code. That is what we could call ‘sound science’.”

It’s titled “Sounds of Self-Interested Science” and worth a read.