In a tribute to the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Government has decided to organise the fourth edition of India International Science Festival (IISF) in his hometown in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. To be attended by approximately 10,000 delegates including students and teachers from India and abroad, a world record attempt will be made to “isolate DNA” by 500 students from class 8th to 10th standard.
The festival will be inaugurated by President Ramnath Kovind.
Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said that it was the former Prime Minister who had brought Science to the centre stage of national agenda. “ It was Vajpayee who had added Jai Vigyan to Lal Bahadur Shastri’s slogan of “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”, he added while addressing a curtain raiser of the festival here.
Dr Harsh Vardhan said, IISF is the biggest platform in the country to bring together students, researchers, innovators, artists and general public to celebrate India’s achievements in science and technology. The Minister said that IISF is a medium to encourage the young minds towards the field of science and to promote the networking of stakeholders working towards the propagation of science.
IISF-2018 with its focal theme “Science for Transformation” will have 23 special events. The Global Indian Science & Technology Stakeholders Meet (GIST), Industry Academia Meet and Science & Technology for Harnessing Innovations (SATHI) - A National startup entrepreneurship summit and Student Science Village are some of the important events, being organized. The Science Village program is linked with the Pradhan Mantri Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana to reach out to the rural masses and propagate science and for seeking scientific solutions to the diverse challenges facing our society, particularly rural India.
Secretary Department of Biotechnology, Dr Renu Swaroop said that the special role of women scientists and entrepreneurs in shaping the scientific growth trajectory will be another highlight of the festival. “The programme aspires to develop new entrepreneurship and explore new vistas of opportunities in the field of science and technology among the women. Approximately 800 women scientist/entrepreneurs will attend the event,” she said.
There will be a special effort to engage with stakeholders of the Northeast and the aspirational districts. Another feature of IISF-2018 will be mega science and industry expo that will highlight the outstanding contributions of India in the field of science, technology, and industry.