India International Science Festival (IISF) is going to be celebrated at Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati during 30 Nov. to 3 Dec. 2024. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is the nodal department for this year IISF and a constituent laboratory of CSIR namely National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram) is coordinating the whole festival. IISF is a unique festival of science society engagement which was initiated in the year 2015 and the very first IISF was organised at IIT Delhi. Vijnana Bharati, a science movement of India conceptualized this science festival. North East India will witness this festival for the first time. To date, India International Science Festival has been the largest science event in the country with a participation of thousands of people who come together annually to foster scientific collaboration, inspire young minds and propel economic growth through scientific approaches.

 

“IISF is not only meant for the people who do science. The key philosophy of IISF is the celebration of science by all, and thus it also engages common people in a joyful and entertaining manner”.

 

 

This year in 2024, IISF is being organized at IIT Guwahati, Assam from November 30^th – December 4^th, 2024.  The theme of this 10^th edition of IISF is "Transforming India into an S&T driven Global Manufacturing Hub". It reflects the government’s aim to merge science and technology with industrial growth, making India global leader in manufacturing.

 

IISF Organizers and Organizing Partners

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoS&T), through their departments viz. Department of Science & Technology (DST), Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Ministry of Earth Science (MoES) is responsible for conducting this mega annual event. Along with government organizations Vijnana Bharati has been a consistent organizing partner of IISF since the inception of this event.

The other organizations that took active part in IISF are office of Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to Govt. of India, Department of Space (DoS), Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Directorate of Defence Research & Development (DDR&D), Ministry of New And Renewable Energy (MNRE), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW), Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Ministry of Ayush, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), and many other concerned ministries, their departments, councils and organizations.

The IISF-2024 is being coordinated by the CSIR, convened by CSIR-NIIST and partnered by all the major ministries and scientific departments of the Government of India in collaboration with Vijnana Bharati.

Thematic Events of IISF-2024

IISF has various themes that aim to indulge scientific and common people for diverse scientific discussions and activities. Here, everyone gets a chance to engage and learn scientific approaches due to the themes that have been planned after keeping in mind the needs of various stakeholders. For IISF some new themes have been added as per the need of North East India and here a little information is been given about all themes.

 

To begin with, IISF 2024 has one special event “Chandrayaan - The Museum of the Moon” where an artistic model by British artist Dr. Luke Jerram will be placed among the attendees to showcase and celebrate India’s success of Chandrayaan Mission. The model is a replica of the moon that measures about seven meters in diameter and will showcase the real like imagery of lunar surface where Chandrayaan was landed on August 23, 2023.

Mega Science and Technology Exhibition will showcase accomplishments and success stories of India in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). In the expo various technologies developed by Indian Scientific and R&D Institutions across the country kept on display for all four days of the festival to show and educate students, scientists, and the general public.

Make in India, Make for the World event aims to attract national as well as international organizations involved in manufacturing, technology, and logistics to discuss about things required to make India a global manufacturing hub.

The New Nalanda known earlier as Student Science Village will enable interaction of students and teachers. The event aims to ignite students’ interest in STEM through interactive exhibits, demonstrations, educational games and challenges.

Pragya Bharat event will discuss New Frontiers in S&T that are needed to make India Viksit Bharat by 2047. The event aims at promoting cutting edge research across various scientific disciplines like AI, Biotechnology, Cybersecurity, Robotics, Quantum Computing etc. which can make India developed and self-reliant.

Nari Shakti - Women’s Development to Women-led Development in S&T event will focus on active participation of women in STEM and Entrepreneurship and discuss about various schemes provided by Government of India to empower women in S&T.

S&T Hackathon - Ideas for Viksit Bharat event is designed to encourage school and college students to develop innovative solutions related to science and technology, focusing on Viksit Bharat Sankalp. Teams comprising of students and mentors will be allowed to participate in the competition and winners will get attractive prizes whereas final participants will get special benefits like internships, project positions etc.

Young Scientists Conclave intends to bring together young researchers, scientists and innovators below the age of 45 years belonging to academia, research and industry fraternities. It enables young researchers to be aware of the scientific policies of India and the recent developments in science and technology of India including infrastructure development, funding opportunities etc.

Thought Leaders Round Table - Minister - Secretary - Councils - CEO Conclave will bring the leaders and policy makers like Central and State Government Ministers, Departmental Secretaries, S&T Councils and CEOs of Industries on one platform. The event will have discussions on important issues and establish collaborations for making big changes in public and private sectors that can align with the goal of Viksit Bharat.

The Gurukula - Aspiring Educators and Teachers Workshop earlier known as The National Science Teachers Workshop aiming at the professional development of science teachers by equipping them with innovative teaching methodologies, modern tools and strategies to effectively impart scientific knowledge to students.

Mission Start-up event offers the opportunity to Start-ups and supporting enablers like incubation centres. Start-ups in this event can showcase their products and services to the investors and associates which in turn help them grab the further opportunities under Start-up India mission and other initiatives available in the country.

Reimagining Bharat Exhibition - Transformation through New Age Technologies aims to showcase emerging technologies and prototypes/models developed by Governmental Agencies and Departments. The S&T areas targeted for this event are not limited to fundamental and applied sciences, agriculture, healthcare, space, education, strategic sectors, robotics, etc.

Sagarika – The Tale of Earth Sciences event as name suggest aims to engage and educate people on different areas of earth science such as meteorology, oceanography, ecology etc. Through this event, IISF desires to raise public awareness on environmental issues.

Science beyond Borders event is aimed at fostering international collaboration, partnerships and exchange of dialogues among scientists, researchers and institutions to address global challenges in S&T.

Vigyanika event celebrates Science Literature Festival which aims to promote science literacy and effective science communication strategies in Indian languages. The interactions done through keynote lectures, panel discussions and scientific sessions among S&T authors, Vigyan Kavi Sammelan, Science Drama and arts, and related competitions.

Fusion Forum – The Atomic Assembly event will discuss the current perspectives, future benefits, and pressing challenges in implementing nuclear energy in India for various sectors like Generation of power, nuclear medicine, agriculture, Additive manufacturing etc.

Student - Scientist Interaction Program - Face to Face with New Frontiers in Science mediates interaction and short discussion based sessions of students/researchers with experts of various disciplines of S&T to inspire students to pursue science and research career.

National Social Organizations and Institutions Meet (NSOIM), well understand the role of social organizations promotion of S&T and thus provides them platform to discuss scientific interventions and sustainable models for societal development and nation-building.

Vision Sansad aims at bringing together key leaders like Directors, Vice Chancellors, Presidents and Senior Leaders from every possible science institution of the country where discussions can take place strategies for advancing scientific research, collaboration and policy development to address current challenges and shaping the future of Indian science in an inclusive manner.

Science Safari Science through Games and Adventures provides a platform to display science-based toys and games and also workshops are being organized to let the teachers learn the ways these toys used for teaching purposes.

S&T Media Conclave will bring media personnel, journalists, communicators and general public on a platform where they can discuss the challenges and opportunities of communicating science to a wide audience, best ways of science communication and preventing misinformation, and strategies to enhance collaboration between scientific community and media.

Saga of Science Chronicles is an evening event that will tell the history and recent developments of Indian science and scientists through LED light show that will happen during 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm during each day of IISF 2024.

Science Odyssey of the North East will address the challenges that hinders the growth of science and technology in North East and discuss the ways of promotion of science and technology of North East.

The Taste of the Hills- North East Food Street will showcase the food heritage of North East and let the people eat and enjoy their traditional food items. The Food Street will remain open throughout IISF 2024.

North East Symphony- North East Cultural Fest will portray North East India’s diverse traditions, customs, and arts through experience of music, dance, crafts, and traditional practices. The fest is staged during the whole duration of IISF 2024.

IISF 2024, promises to be a landmark event in promoting science and technology. With the current theme it seeks to celebrate India's scientific achievements and foster collaboration across various sectors. The event will feature diverse activities, engaging both scientific professionals and the general public. It is open for all and free so one has to attend the event to see India’s scientific achievements.

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NKR/KS

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