Science Congress: an appraisal
- After a two-year Covid-enforced absence, the Indian Science Congress is back, with its 108th edition held recently.
- It is an annual five-day event from January 3 to 7, a permanent fixture on the PM’s calendar, and usually his/her first public engagement in the new year.
Science Congress
- History: dating back to 1914
- About: brings together scientists and researchers from the premier institutions & laboratories & science teachers and professors from colleges and universities
- Aim: offering a platform for their interaction with students and the general public on matters related to science.
- Organized by: Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA), an independent body functioning with the support of the DST in the central government.
- No role of govt: in the selection of the panelists or speakers, the papers to be presented, or the subjects to be discussed.
Reasons for the decline of Science Congress
- Lack of serious discussion
- Promotion of pseudoscience
- Outlandish claims by random speakers
- Absence of useful outcomes
- Huge controversies it generates than for scientific discussions
Rationale for Developing an alternative forum
- Platform for deliberations between Indian & global scientists: to talk about the latest developments in the scientific world and their impacts on our lives.
- Cultivation of scientific temper: one of the main purposes of the Science Congress.
- Further the cause of making Indian science more competitive: could also lead to an increase in collaborative research with leading scientific institutions.
Prelims Takeaway
- Science Congress
- DST