New Delhi : The sixth edition of India International Science Festival (IISF) 2020 will kick off on December 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver his inaugural address on Tuesday at 4:30 pm through video conferencing, announced the union minister for science and technology, earth sciences and health and family welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan. The announcement was made during the curtain-raiser press conference of IISF. Dr Harsh Vardhan will also be present on the occasion.
The goal of the IISF 2020 is to help youth develop 21st century skills, with a focus on scientific knowledge, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork. A long-term objective is to encourage students to study and work in scientific fields. IISF aims to inculcate scientific temper among the masses, engage the public with science and show how Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) can provide solutions to improve lives.
“The day when IISF is begins is the birthday of world-renowned Indian mathematician Srinivas Ramanujan, and it will culminate on December 25, the birthday of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It will be the largest science festival to be held on the virtual platform” said Dr Harsh Vardhan. The theme of this year’s festival is “Science for Self-reliant India and Global Welfare”.
Shekhar C Mande secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) and director general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) said that IISF’s objective is to introduce the general public to different facets of science and technology. “This year’s festival goal is to help youth develop 21st-century skills, with a focus on scientific knowledge, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork. A long-term objective is to encourage students to study and work in scientific fields, the government” said Dr Mande.
The nodal institution for the event is CSIR-National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies (NISTADS), New Delhi. This Science Festival is organized jointly by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and VIBHA.
IISF was conceptualized by the ministry of science and technology and ministry of earth sciences in association with Vijnana Bharati, to popularise science and technology in the country. The first India International Science Festival was held in 2015, at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. The second IISF was held at CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Delhi. IISF was organized at IIT, Chennai in the third year and in the fourth year it was organized at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Lucknow.Last year the festival was held at Kolkata. Information on various activities related to the science festival and registration of partners is available on the IISF website www.scienceindiafest.org. (India Science Wire)