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The Indian Science Congress is the country’s largest gathering of scientists and science students and has been an annual staple on the participant group’s calendar for over a century. It has been postponed.
The five-day event will not start on the usual January 3rd date. There is no clear announcement as to when or if this year’s parliament will be held.
Is the postponement of the Indian Science Congress a big problem? Why?
The postponement is unprecedented. The Indian Science Congress has been held every year since 1914, except for two years (2021 and 2022) following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 108th conference was held in Nagpur from January 3 to 7, 2023. .
Parliament is opened by the Prime Minister. This is always on the prime minister’s calendar and is usually the first official engagement of the new year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a science conference via video link last year, calling for the use of scientific knowledge to meet the needs of society and make India self-reliant. He personally opened all previous parliaments during his tenure.
Science Congress is a unique event that brings together scientists and researchers from the country’s leading institutions and research institutes as well as university science teachers, providing a platform to interact with students and university science teachers . To the general public on matters relating to science.
The conference has an illustrious past with participation and hosting by some of the biggest names in the Indian scientific community.
So why was the scientific conference postponed this year?
The crisis stems from unresolved disagreements between the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA), the registered association that organizes the event, and the Union Department of Science and Technology (DST), the main funder of the event. This arises from the difference between the two. Parliament.
In September 2023, DST withdrew funding from Congress, alleging “financial improprieties.” ISCA denies the accusations and challenged in court the DST’s directive that government funds not be spent on anything related to scientific conferences. This only deepened the rift. The lawsuit is pending.
The DST contribution (increased to Rs 5 billion in 2023 from Rs 3 billion previously) covers most of the event costs. ISCA receives some funding from several other government agencies and raises additional funds through member donations and by renting exhibition space and other space during events.
ISCA has decided to move this year’s competition from its original venue, Lucknow University, to the private Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Jalandhar, hoping for funding. LPU also hosted the 106th Scientific Congress in 2019, but DST is said to be dissatisfied with ISCA’s choice this year. However, ISCA argued that the executive committee did not require DST’s permission for the venue and that DST representatives were present in any event when the LPU was chosen.
Amid the dispute, LPU withdrew its offer to host the event last month.
Could the organizers not have foreseen this crisis at the scientific conference?
Indeed, scientific councils have been in steady decline over the past few years. The glory days of meetings are clearly over, and these days the controversies they stir up make more news than serious scientific discussions and useful results.
Random speakers are using the platform to make outlandish claims, promote pseudoscience, and garner ridicule. Published papers and lectures rarely reflect the latest advances in science.
Most of India’s credible scientists are now avoiding this event. Top scientific institutions and research institutes exist only in appearance, if at all. Most of the participants are from universities with limited scientific qualifications.
In fact, some leading scientists say the event should be canceled or the government should withdraw support for it. There has been talk of reform over the past few decades, but not much has changed.
But what exactly is the government’s dilemma here?
ISCA is an independent body and governments have no role in the selection of panelists or speakers, the papers presented, or the topics discussed at scientific conferences.
But at the same time, ISCA runs with DST support. In addition to the annual grant to the Scientific Council, the government also pays the salaries of his full-time staff at ISCA. Parliament is also considered to have close ties to the government, as it is opened by the prime minister and attended by other ministers and senior officials. Therefore, whenever this incident becomes controversial, the government is blamed.
And while the event is presented as a showcase science forum in India, its proceedings often convey an unflattering and often embarrassing picture of Indian science internationally.
And what did the government do about this situation?
Indeed, there is strong feeling within the government in favor of reviewing its relationship with the Scientific Council. This sentiment predates the current government, and in 2008, the then Science Minister Kapil Sibal was so upset by developments in Parliament that he explored the possibility of cutting government support until some reforms were introduced. It is said that he was doing so.
However, the government is reluctant to actually pursue this path. They were wary of exposing themselves to accusations of being “anti-science.” They also note that this event attracts many students from all over the country and this is a unique opportunity to interact with famous scientists and be exposed to new developments in science.
The government is reducing its involvement in scientific councils. The Prime Minister no longer presents awards in plenary plenary sessions (some past recipients have since been found to have questionable qualifications), and the number of people who share the stage with him at Inauguration Days has been significantly reduced. Ta.
Do this year’s postponements indicate that scientific conferences may be coming to an end?
ISCA Secretary General Ranjit Kumar Verma said the postponement was unfortunate but did not mean the end of the scientific conference. “We hope to be able to hold a scientific conference, hopefully by March 31st, and we hope that the prime minister will attend the event,” he said.
Government sources told The Indian Express that financial support to scientific councils could be reinstated. “Although there were disagreements over the funding of this year’s event, this does not mean that all future events will not have support. Discussions on cooperation are underway for the scientific conference scheduled for 2025. “It will continue,” he said.
Scientists say one way to reform scientific conferences is to develop alternative forums that invite top scientists from India and the world to discuss the latest developments in the scientific community and their impact on our lives. He says it is possible.
Such events are held in many countries and are very popular. It also serves as a platform for young citizens and the general public to get excited about science and helps foster scientific temperament, which is one of the main objectives of scientific conferences.
Such alternative forums could also help increase the competitiveness of Indian science and lead to increased research collaborations with leading scientific groups and institutions.
This is a revised and updated version of the previous instructions first published on January 4, 2023.
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