Sir,
This has reference to the article, “Indian Science Congress 2014 by Rakesh Kumar Pandita (Daily Excelsior Feb 20, 2014). It is true that Science Congress held annually is a mega event and provides a platform for scientists including Nobel Laureates, researchers, research scholars, industrial leaders and policy makers to interact and exchange their ideas. The young scientists are the ones who are benefitted the most by exposure during these sessions. The first Science Congress was held at Kolkatta from 15-17 January 1914 at the premises of Asiatic Society and was presided over by Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee the Vice-Chancellor of Kolkatta University.It was attended by One hundred and five scientists from India and abroad. Altogether 35 papers under different section namely Botany, Chemistry, Ethnography, Geology, Physics and Zoology were presented . During the last hundred years ISCA has grown and at present it has over 30,000 members.
Generally Science Congress Session is held in the first week of January every year. I have attended several such congress sessions as an active researcher in the past and benefitted by rubbing shoulders with researchers and scholars in my subject and field of specialisation. Indian Science Congress 2014 was indeed a great event in the city of temples and a boost to the University of Jammu. It must have benefitted the faculty and scholars of the University of Jammu and affiliated colleges.
The wirter has complained that there was thin attendance in the sections because of the superspecialised nature of presentations and consequently there was little interaction and hardly any discussion. I believe thin attendance especially of the local scholars has something to do with the deficit of academic culture in the University and affiliated Colleges. We need to cultivate this culture to achieve excellence.
Many attendees and scholars have also complained that programmes of various sections and their venues were not circulated widely as is the practice in all Science Congress Sessions. This created confusion. It appears that the local secretaries did not pay serious attention to this aspect. Invitations were also not extended to well known scholars of Jammu who are still active in their fields of study but are not linked currently with the University Departments.
Small deficiencies here and there are expected to happen in mega event of such a magnitude. The 2014 Science Congress, however, has been a big event and boost to Jammu, small deficiencies, not withstanding.
Yours etc….
Prof B.L. Kaul
Former Syndicate Member, Jammu University
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