The 108th Indian Science Congress was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conferencing on December 2, with an address on the theme “Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment.” He emphasised that scientific efforts can only bear fruit when they are transferred from laboratories to the land.
He went on to say that scientific efforts can have a positive impact not only on a global scale, but also at the grassroots level. He urged those working in the field to use their research to effect real-world change.
PM Modi also stated that India’s scientific power will play a significant role in bringing the country to new heights over the next 25 years. He went on to say that science should make India ‘atmanirbhar,’ and that the scientific community’s motivation should be to meet India’s needs.
Looking back on the previous years, the prime minister stated that India is quickly becoming one of the top countries in the world in the field of science. According to him, India was ranked 81st out of 130 countries in the Global Innovation Index in 2015, but by 2022, it will be ranked 40th.
WHAT IS THE INDIAN SCIENCE CONGRESS?
Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) hosted the 108th Indian Science Congress at its Amravati Road Campus. The event returns after a two-year hiatus caused by the Covid pandemic. The previous Indian Science Congress, a major event on the scientific calendar, was held in Bengaluru in January 2020.
Under the theme “Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment,” participants will discuss strategies for increasing the number of women in higher levels of teaching, research, and industry. They will also discuss ways to increase the number of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, as well as their equal status in education, research, and economic participation.
Ahead of the inaugural session, the Vigyan Jyot program, a tradition of the Indian Science Congress was held on Monday.
