DATABASE OF SCIENCE COMMUNICATORS IN INDIA: 2013 *** VIGYAN PRASAR Department of Science & Technology Government of India In collaboration with MANPOWER MANAGEMENT CENTRE NEW DELHI A non-profit Institution under the Societies Registration Act (XXI) of 1860 *** December, 2013 CONTENTS PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE i OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ii GUIDELINES/LIMITATIONS/OBSERVATIONS iii-iv PARTICULARS PAGE NOs. Database of Science Communicators: A to V 1 – 682 Name Index: A to V 683 - 687 State Index 688 Specialization Index 689 - 691 PREFACE Vigyan Prasar (VP) is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India to take up large-scale science popularization activities in the country. Its objective is to promote and propagate scientific and rational outlook and to act as a resource-cum-facility centre for S&T communication. VP is involved in the development and dissemination of variety of resource material (books, scripts, audio-visual programmes, learning kits etc.) on S&T popularization in different Indian languages. In the various stages of the development of resource materials and to organise capacity building programmes on science communication, VP invites experts, specialists, resource persons, writers and translators, science communicators and other professionals from different parts of the country to take their services on popular science writing, translation in Indian languages, editing of popular science material etc. For better utilization of country’s science writers, editors, translators, film makers and media professionals associated with science communication, VP has developed this Database of Science Communicators in India in collaboration with Manpower Management Centre, New Delhi. The database would not only help the institutions engaged in science communication to search suitable experts / resource persons working in various fields of science communication but also it would trigger the work of science communication in Indian languages at grass-root level. We hope that the Database of Science Communicators in India would be a repository and act as a resource pool which may be used by other departments and institutions and scientific bodies. Kinkini Dasgupta Misra Nimish Kapoor December, 2013 Project Supervisor and Project Coordinator ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Manpower Management Centre (MMC) gratefully acknowledges the collaboration and financial support provided by Vigyan Prasar (VP) to conduct this project titled ‘Science Communicators in India: 2013”. Prof. Y L Nangia, Director, MMC personally expresses his gratitude to the Chairman, Er. Anuj Sinha and other Members of the Project Advisory Committee (PAC) which was constituted to guide the project work. All of them provided their precious time to attend PAC meetings and provided their guidance and expertise which was of immense value. Their names are listed in the beginning of the Database. MMC also thankfully acknowledges the important inputs given in the beginning of the database project by Dr. S. Mahanti, the then Acting Director, Vigyan Prasar. The research & administrative support given by Mrs. Kinkini Dasgupta Mishra, Scientist ‘F’ and Mr. Nimish Kapoor, Scientist ‘D’ from Vigyan Prasar from time to time is also hereby appreciated and acknowledged. MMC is grateful to all the Heads of Scientific & Technical Organizations, Heads of Universities & Colleges, IITs, IIITs, R&D Organisations, Newspaper & Media agencies, who circulated our request to their Scientists, Faculty & Staff, Journalists etc., for filling in our questionnaire. Our sincere thanks to all the individual respondents who have become a part of this Database as a Science Communicator by being involved in their career in the activities related to Science Communication and Science Popularization. The task of preparing this Database was tough, challenging and time bound but was carried out ungrudgingly by all the academic, technical & other staff members of MMC i.e. Software Engineers, Research Team and Administrative & Account Assistants. Director, MMC sincerely acknowledges their coordinated efforts and more especially the overall conduct and supervision of the project provided by our Senior Research Officer - Ms. Kalpana Missar. Without her help it would have been difficult to complete this task. Y L Nangia Director December, 2013 Manpower Management Centre PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (Constituted to provide Guidance & Expertise) Er. Anuj Sinha Chairman Hony. Chairman NCSTC Network Pandav Nagar, DELHI - 110091 (Formerly Hony. Director Vigyan Prasar, A 50, Sector 62, NOIDA- 201309) Dr. R. Gopichandran Member Director Vigyan Prasar A-50. Institutional Area Sector 62 NOIDA - 201309 Dr. S. Mahanti Scientist ‘G’ & Head Publications Member (Formerly Acting Director) Vigyan Prasar A-50, Institutional Area Sector 62 NOIDA - 201309 Dr. Rajesh Luthra Member Head-HRD Group Council of Scientific & Industrial Research CSIR Complex, Library Avenue, Pusa NEW DELHI - 110012 Dr. Harish K. Saxena Member (Ex-Professor, Delhi University) National President Youth Hostels Association of India 5, Nyaya Marg, Chanakyapuri NEW DELHI - 110021 Shri Rakesh Chetal Member Ex- Adviser, NSTMIS Department of Science & Technology Government of India NEW DELHI - 110016 Prof. Y L Nangia Member-Secretary Director Manpower Management Centre 12, DDA Commercial Complex Munirka, NEW DELHI – 110067 i DATABASE OF SCIENCE COMMUNICATORS IN INDIA: 2013 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT *** The objectives of this project were as under: 1. To collect information from Indian Nationals in India and/or abroad, on their Personal Background, such as Name, Age, Address, Tel. No., Mobile No., E-Mail ID, Fax No. etc., of Science journalists, script writers, reporters and communicators dealing with science popularization tasks/activities. Freshers who have qualified science communication course & freelancers irrespective of either having or not the science communication background but have proven experience of writing on the subject of science communication and/or science popularization tasks/activities, also to be contacted and included in this database. 2. To collect information on their Academic Background such as Educational Qualification, Area(s) of Specialisation in science communication. 3. To collect information on their Career Profile such as Total Job Experience in science communication; On-Job expertise in science popularization tasks/acitivities; Training Programmes/Seminars in Science Communication conducted/attended, No. of Research Projects undertaken i.e. Completed & Ongoing; Languages known and No. of Papers written, their titles & indicating the language in which published in National & International Journals & Newspapers etc; National & International Awards/Achievements received in science popularization tasks/activities. Also to collect information about the No. of Special Task Committees on which served and/or now associated. ii DATABASE OF SCIENCE COMMUNICATORS IN INDIA: 2013 READERS ARE REQUESTED TO GO THROUGH THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES/LIMITATIONS/OBSERVATIONS BEFORE LOOKING AT ANY ENTRY IN THE DATABASE 1. Age has been calculated as on 01.01.2013. 2. Academic Background: As far as possible the Qualification has been indicated in order of highest degree attained by a respondent. 3. Area(s) of Specialization: Some of the respondents ignored the approved list of 19 areas of specialization mentioned in the Questionnaire and indicated their field of experience/specialization under job assignments. These have been properly switched over under the said title. 4. Languages Known: Some of the respondents, despite filling up their Questionnaires in “English” did not mention this language under this title and nor did they reply later to our query on this aspect. Hence, English has been added up in their datasheet basing it on their academic background and field of experience. 5. Job Experience: Under the title “Career Profile” the completed number of years of experience have been shown. However, to maintain consistency, only preceding 5 years of employment details have been indicated in the database irrespective of the higher number of years of experience one holds. However, to maintain continuity of a designated job, it may in some cases be more than 5 years. 6. Incomplete Questionnaires: A number of respondents did not fill up the questionnaire completely. These respondents were sent questionnaire twice again with a request to completely fill it up. Some of them did respond back and their entries were completed in the database. Even the draft crystal report of the database generated through software was also sent to all the respondents by e-mail twice for their perusal and modification, if any. The entries of those who responded were modified. Some of the incomplete entries have been retained keeping in view their age and long experience. This has been done with a view that these respondents may like to furnish their complete information at a later stage. iii 7. Facility to update the datasheet: Respondents who wish to get their entry included afresh in the Database and/or those who want to update or get their existing entry modified, can do so by sending a mail at writing to the Director, Vigyan Prasar, A-50, Institutional Area, Sector-62, NOIDA – 201 309 (U.P.). 8. Expected Benefits: This database document will serve as a useful source of information for scientists, technologists, academicians, implementing institutions, planners and policy makers. The database will also demonstrate