Journal of Scientific & Industrial Research Vol.59, June 2000, pp 487-505 CONFERENCE REPORT Indian Science Congress 2000 - A Report B.S. Aggarwal National Institute of Science Communication (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research), Dr K.S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110 012, India The Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) which was established in 1914 'to advance and promote the cause of science in India', held its 87th Annual '(~ Session at the University of Pune, Pune, during 3-7 J January, 2000 under the Presidentship of Dr R.A. Mashelkar, FRS, who is an eminent chemical engineer and a renowned science administrator and is presently the Director General of Council of Scientific and Indus­ trial Research, New Delhi. The University of Pune had hosted the sessions of culture and polity. Today, in addition, it demonstrates Indian Science Congress twice earlier also, once in 1950 the vibrant Indian capability in several fields of science which was inaugurated by the first Prime Minister of and technology, industry, agriculture and business." India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, and the other in 1988, About 4000 delegates from different parts of the coun­ which was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister, Shri try and abroad participated in the Congress. Prominent Rajiv Gandhi. Both these sessions were memorable in among these were Nobel Laureates Dr Richard R Ernst their own way, the former being related to the birth year (Switzerland) and Prof. Jean Marie Lehn (France); Dr of the Indian Republic as well as of the National Chemi­ Karl H Neumann (Justus Liebig University, Germany), cal Laboratory (NCL) and the latter being the Platinum stalwarts like Prof. M.G.K. Menon, Dr M.S. Swami­ Jubilee Session ofiSCA. This year's Science Congress nathan, Prof. Yash Pal, Prof. Govind Swamp, Dr P. too was mightier and had a special significance as it was Ganguly, Dr S.P. Godrej, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (Sci­ regarded to be the 'First Session in the New Millennium' entific Adviser to Govt.), Prof. V.S . Ramamurthy (Sec­ and was therefore aptly christened as 'Indian Science retary, DST), Dr P.N. Tandon (AIIMS, New Delhi), Dr Congress 2000 and the specially designed logo (see Jayant Narlikar, Dr R. Chidambaram, Dr Vasant Figure 1) nicely depicted 'ISC 2000'. The theme of this Gowariker, Dr K. Kasturirangan, Dr Anil Kakodkar session "Indian Science & Technology into the Next (Director, BAR C), Dr (Mrs) Manju Sharma (ex-General Millennium" was highly appropriate for the occasion. President, ISCA and Secretary, DBT), Dr R.S. Parada The city of Pune, popularly known as "Oxford of the (General President designate for 2001 and Director Gen­ East", is known for its contributions to science. In the eral, ICAR), Prof. V.G. Bhide (former Vice Chancellor, words of the Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pune University), Dr Bimal Jalan (Governor, Reserve "It is a renowned hub of both Vidnyaan - that is, the Bank of India), Prof. A. Jhunjhunwala (liT, Madras), knowledge of science,and Dnyaan- the higher knowl­ Prof. Mohan Ram (Delhi University), Dr Pusha Bhar­ edge of life". Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Minister of Hu­ gava (ex-Director, CCMB, Hyderabad), Mr Mohan man Resource Development, Science & Technology and Dharia (politician and social worker), Dr G.P. Phondke Ocean Development also regarded Pune as a wonderful (ex-Director, NISCOM, New Delhi), Dr Paul Rat­ choice for this mega session when he said, "Pune has nasamy (Director, NCL, Pune), Prof. Anil Gupta (liM, been one of the fountain sources of the resurgent Indian Ahmedabad), Sectional Presidents of different sections 488 J SCl:IND RES VOL,5!PUNE 2oqo Table 1 -Sectional Presidents and title of their Addresses at the Indian Science Congress 2000 Sl No. Section Sectional President Title of Address Agricultural Sciences Prof. Syamal Kumar Gupta, Department Soil Health and Sustainability of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Calcutta University, Calcutta 700019 2 Anthropology & Dr S.K. Ghoshmaulik, Utkal University, Classification and Origin of People of India: An Archeology Bhubaneswar Unsolved Problem 3 Biochemistry, Prof. Anil Saran, Tata Institute of Conformation and Mechanism of Drug Action Biophysics & Fundamental Research, Mumbai 400 005 Molecular Biology 4 Botany Prof. Uma Kant (Professor Emeritus), Plant Teratomas-Causes & Consequences University of Rajasthan, Jaipur 302 004 5 Chemistry Prof. M.C. Gupta, Nagpur University, Polyaniline: A Model Conducting Polymer Nagpur 440 010 6 Computer Sciences Dr M L Goyal, CMC Limited, New Delhi Information Technology into the Next 110 058 Millennium 7 Earth System Scie(lces Prof. S. Acharya, I 55, VIP Colony Some Observation on Parts of the Banded Iron- Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar 751 015 Formations of Eastern India 8 Engineering Sciences Dr S.T. Deshmukh, Amravati University, Indian Science & Technology into the Next Amravati 444 602 Millennium 9 Material Sciences Prof. D.N. Bose, Indian Institute of Semiconductors- From Path-breaking Sciences Technology, Kharagpur 721 302 to Revolutionary Technology 10 Mathematics Prof. P.V. Arunachalam, Dravidian Singularities in Fluids University, Kuppam II Medical & Veterinary Dr Tushar K Maitra, I B/5 Kustia Road, The Role of Immune Escape Mechanism in Sciences Calcutta 700 039 Hepatitis-C and Related Diseases 12 Physics Prof. J.P. Shukla, Lucknow University, Condensed Matter- Dielectric and Optical Lucknow 226 007 Aspects of Material Study 13 Physiology Prof. A. Namasivayam, University of Reflections of an Indian Physiologist Madras, Taramani, Chennai 600 113 14 Psychology & Dr B.A. Parikh, 154, Sarjan Society, Nature and Status of Psychology as a Science Educational Sciences Surat 395 007 vis-a-vis Paranormal Psychology and Psychological Studies 15 Statistics Prof. Arijit Chaudhuri, Indian Statistical Acknowledging Certain Worthy Indian Institute, Calcutta 700 035 Contribution to Survey Sampling 16 Zoology, Entomology Prof. Santosh Kumar, Barkatullah The Heart of Vertibrates (Understanding and & Fisheries Vishwavidhalaya, Bhopal 462 026 Research Trends in the 20th Century) AGGARWAL: INDIAN SCIENCE CONGRESS 2000 - A REPORT 489 of ISCA (Table 1), winners of ISCA Awards for 2000 (Table 7), special invitees for delivering Platinum Jubi- Table 2 - Committees and Forums at Indian Science lee Lectures (Table 5) and special lecturers in various Congress 2000 sections ofISCA, 22 young scientists who won the newly Committees instituted "Millennium Awards" (Table 4) and chairper- 1. Horne Science sons and participants in various symposia (Table 6) organised under different sections and other platforms. 2. Science & Society There was no addition of any section, committee or forum to the Congress this year, it, therefore, had 16 Forums sections, two committees and six forums as before. Dif- 1. Communication & Information Science ferent sections with names of each Sectional President 2. Environmental Sciences and topic of corresponding Sectional Presidential Ad- dress are given in Table 1. The names of Committees and 3. Forensic Sciences forums are given in Table 2. 4. Science Education Inauguration 5. Science for School Students The 87th session of Indian Science Congress was 6. Women and Science inaugurated as per convention, by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 3 January, 2000 in Mr Vajpayee said, "I dream to see an India that is a the lawns of Poona University. Present on the occasion contributor and a beneficiary in equal measures. It is a were a galaxy of eminent scientists from India and dream to see India as a highly developed nation in the abroad, Prof. Murali Manohar Joshi, Minister for Human early decades of the new century - developed socially, Resources Development, Science & Technology and economically, culturally, and also in science and tech- Ocean Development, Shri Bachchi Singh Rawat, Union nology." He called upon the scientists to deploy S&T in Minister of State of Science & Technology, Mr Vilasrao areas where it was most needed - primary health care, Deshmukh, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Chha- sanitation, agriculture, water and soil management, en- gan Bhujbal, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and ergy conservation and efficient services that make the Dr R A Mashelkar, General President, ISCA for 1999- life of the common man comfortable. 2000 and Director General, CSIR. Prime Minister's Address Information Technology (IT) Lauded In his address, Shri Vajpayee called upon the people Lauding the developments in information technology of this country "To make the 21st Century India's Cen- in the country, the Prime Minister said, "India's suc- tury- Ikkeesvin Shatabdi Bharat ki Shatabdi". He in- cesses in IT are already well known. We now must aim vited the countrymen to pledge to make India a great to replicate them in other areas of science and technology power in science and technology, and added, "It is essen- and enterprise. He urged the scientists to give ideas on tial for the realization of a higher goal: To achieve peace, how India can create world-class facilities and condi- progress and happiness for the entire humanity in the tions in India for world-class achievements. new century". He said that he envisaged to see "Devel- Mr Vajpayee said that the Government was commit- oped Indian Science for India's Accelerated and All- ted to removing restrictive bureaucratic hurdles and Round Development". strengthening the cooperati ve network between research Higher Investments in R&D laboratories, academic institutions, industry, NGOs and The Prime Minister announced that the government governmental agencies at the Central, State and Local would like to see a hike in investments in R&D from the levels. present 0.86% of the GDP (gross domestic product) to The Prime Minister urged the scientists to promote 1% this year, and to be further increased to 2% over the India's wealth of traditional knowledge by bringing it next five years. He said, "Apart from increasing financial into the mainstream of our national S&T establishment. investiments, we should increase the synergy among our He cited the example of knowledge about medicinal existing institutions and assets so as to bring India to a plants and herbs possessed by the common people, espe- global R&D platform".