India International Science Festival 2017
Article 51A (h) states: It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.
The India International Science Festival (IISF) 2017, third of its kind, is an effort to build scientific temper. Also, the sole aim of IISF is to expose the fruits of science and technology to the masses, build strategies to develop scientific temper among people along with providing a platform to young Indian scientists across the world to showcase their knowledge and ideas.
- WHEN: 13th– 16th Oct’17
- WHERE: CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU
- THEME: Science for New India
- ORGANIZERS: Ministry of Earth Sciences, Ministry of Science and Technology and Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA)
Also, the Science and technology minister’s conclave at IISF 2017 helped in providing an apt platform for the participating countries to exchange their technological and scientific priorities to develop a blueprint for scientific cooperation with a focus on technology transfer, capacity building, internships, data sharing, fellowships etc.
The plethora of schemes announced at IISF are:-
SCHEME #1:
2018-India Science and Research Fellowship(ISRF) will give a fully paid fellowship to scientists from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It will act as a catalyst in human capacity building in Science and Technology. Now, they can pursue research at any Indian institution for a period of 3-6 months.
SCHEME #2:
A good news for PhD aspirants! To support PhD students, the Department of Science and Technology will provide a Fellowship Scheme to doctoral students in science, engineering and medical fields. So, they could now undertake project-related research work in any premier institution in India for a term of 6 months.
Also, this will help to connect the budding scientists with India!
SCHEME #3:
Next, this scheme comes up with training programs and advanced schools for Indian researchers. India will welcome participants from neighbouring countries to these specialized programs. 200 travel slots each year was announced for the researchers from these countries empowering them to make the best use of the offered advanced training programs. This would help in capacity building and will also stimulate research networks with Indian scientific institutions.
SCHEME #4:
Next scheme is especially for institutional capacity building and technical assistance in Science and Technology, A successful model between the Institute of Biotechnology in Bangladesh with International Centre for Genetic Engineering, Delhi is under implementation process. And, similarly, in atleast one such institution in each of the mentioned neighbouring countries!
SCHEME#5:
Finally, under the fifth scheme, India offered a Technology Transfer Program. Its purpose will be to cater to the socio-economic needs of our neighbouring countries. There will be a linkage between public and private enterprises and leading Indian innovators. India will share a bouquet of demonstrated Indian technologies and innovations developed by our scientific institutions. The joint ventures created will dispatch sustainable social enterprises. They will stimulate components of training, mentoring along with capacity building and business planning in our neighbouring countries.
NOTABLE EVENTS:
- First, ‘Science village,‘ to throw light on the country’s achievements in science-tech among rural students.
- A summit on innovative technologies from several states
- A conclave of women scientists and entrepreneurs
- An industry-academia interaction
- Also, a thematic session on ‘Deep Ocean Research’
- Lastly, 1049 Chennai students made a Guinness World Record for the ‘largest biology class.’
Nehru once said:
‘It is science alone that can solve the problems of hunger and poverty, of insanitation and illiteracy, of superstition and deadening custom and tradition, of vast resources running to waste, of a rich country inhabited by starving people. Who indeed could afford to ignore science today? At every turn, we have to seek its aid … the future belongs to science and those who make friends with science.’
HENCE,
Events like IISF can go a long way in instilling rational thinking and eradicating superstitions. Development of a nation is proportional to science and technology. Therefore, India is no exception. India has declared 2010-2020 as the ‘Decade of Innovation’. And, has made significant strides in scientific and technological development by also becoming the first nation to reach Mars in the very first attempt!
