Editorial: Blow to Indian science

The Indian Science Congress Association needs urgent reforms but cancelling the Science Congress does not augur well for Indian sciences

The indefinite postponement of the Indian Science Congress, an annual gathering of scientists, students and policymakers from all over the country, is a big setback for the cause of science. This is an unprecedented development because the premier event has been a regular fixture in January, with Prime Minister’s customary address, since 1941, barring a two-year gap in 2021 and 2022 due to the Covid pandemic. The cancellation of the event this year follows the Centre’s decision to stop funding the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA), a private professional body which organises the five-day programme. The Department of Science and Technology (DST), which funds the event, has made allegations of financial irregularities against the ISCA’s members and dissociated itself from the event that has traditionally showcased the country’s achievements in various scientific fields. For decades, the ISC used to be a prestigious event where the who’s who of the Indian scientific community would gather to discuss the latest scientific developments. However, the last couple of decades have marked a dramatic deterioration in its quality, with most leading scientists keeping away from the event. There have been demands from within for reforms, which never took off. The highly bureaucratised and patronage-driven science administration needs urgent reforms. Critical thinking and innovative ideas need to be fostered and encouraged. Poor spending on research and development (R&D) has been the bane of Indian science. It needs to be corrected if the country wants to make a major mark at the global level. The ISC has, over the years, become a prisoner of clichés with dignitaries churning out the same speeches year after year.

The differences cropped up between the government and the ISCA a few years ago. Things worsened in September last year when the DST directed the ISCA not to use government funds for the Science Congress, after which the organisers went to court, alleging government’s interference in its functioning. After the withdrawal of DST’s support, Lucknow University, which was the original host for the 2024 Congress, pulled out of the event. Lovely Professional University stepped in and offered to host the event. But last month, it withdrew as the host of the event, forcing the ISCA to put off the 109th Congress indefinitely. The development doesn’t augur well for Indian science. At a time when unscientific claims and misinformation are widely prevalent, scientific gatherings have a useful role to play in fostering the spirit of inquiry among the youth. The ISC is the only forum of its kind in the country that brings people even from small towns and cities face-to-face with multi-disciplinary science and allows interaction between the scientific community and others. It can play an important role in expanding the research base and building capacities within universities and colleges in tune with the objectives of the National Research Foundation.