Press Information Bureau

Faridabad, 17 January 2024. “The India International Science Festival 2023 is being celebrated for three key reasons among many others and these three reasons are the successful landing of India’s Chanrayaan-3 on the South Pole region of the Moon; Second COVID Vaccine development by India and Third Aroma Mission.” Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology said this during the inaugural ceremony of the IISF 2023 at the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI)-Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB) Joint Campus, Faridabad today. He further added that India is the first country to make a successful DNA vaccine in a short period of time. We have now reached to the fifth position in the fastest growing economies of the world. India has become a country to attain global repute with the strength of science, technology, and innovation. Hon’ble Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh addressed the huge gathering and focused on the five revolutionary decisions made by the Government of India within a couple of years, namely the Space reforms through the Public-Private Partnerships, National Quantum Mission, Anusandhan-National Research Foundation (NRF), National Geospatial Policy, and National Education Policy (NEP). Dr. Singh also added in his address during the inaugural ceremony of IISF 2023 that for the national development by science and technology, we are now focusing on the Indian Solutions to Indian Problems, Indian Data for Indian Research, Indian Doctors for Indian People, and Public-Private Participation.

17^th  January 2024 is the first day of the most-awaited mega science festival-that is IISF 2023. Since 2015, after the eight editions of the festival, the ninth edition is more interesting, with everyone excited about the events to be held after the inauguration is done. The big area was filled with people of every age group and different sections of society satisfying the ultimate goal of the IISF. This reflects the “Celebration of Science by All.” This year’s theme is- “Science and Technology Public Outreach in Amrit Kaal.”   

Other dignitaries of the inaugural ceremony were Shri Moolchand Sharma, Cabinet Minister of Higher Education, Transport, Mines and Geology, and Elections, Government of Haryana; Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, PSA to the Gov. of India; Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, DST; Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary, MoES; Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Secretary, DSIR & DG, CSIR, Dr. Rajesh S. Gokhale, Secretary, DBT; Ms. A. Dhanalakshami, Joint Secretary, DST; Shri Shivkumar Sharma, National Organising Secretary, Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA).

While addressing the event, DST Secretary, Prof. Abhay Karandikar welcomed all the National and International guests coming from 23 countries to the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2023.  He said that the festival has become the beacon for the scientific achievements from all over the country. He also explained the importance of IISF 2023 along with the brief introduction of the events scheduled on the four days from 17-20 January 2024 to the audience. He also added that our young students and researchers gets inspired and motivated by the scientific progress our country has made and contribute to make India the global leader.

During the inaugural session, the IISF Programme Guide and IISF News Bulletin’s Regional Languages Special Editions were released by the dignitaries. These language editions were brought out in seven Indian languages (Malayalam, Bangla, Haryanvi, Bhojpuri, Hindi, Marathi and Urdu). The Science Media Communication Cell (SMCC) of CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication & Policy Research (NIScPR) has prepared, designed and published these language editions of the IISF News Bulletin.

Shri Moolchand Sharma, Cabinet Minister, Government of Haryana said that country gets progress through the exchange of knowledge and innovative ideas. The India International Science Festival is the right platform for S&T based knowledge sharing.

Prof. Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Govt. of India said that the vision of IISF 2023 is to ensure science not only in the books but accessible to the public in many interesting and intellectual ways. He added that IISF provides extensive opportunities to get a deeper understanding of scientific disciplines through its events and programmes with many verticals of science and technology. 

Dr. Shivkumar ji, National Organising Secretary, Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA) India greeted the audience and the other dignitaries present. He emphasised on our Indian tradition and values that has science embedded in them and said that science is a festival. He further stated that the science festival is organised with an aim to think and implement on how science in the labs should reach or become available to the society and be useful to the general public.

All the dignitaries on the dias were presented by the Dr. P.S. Goel, Chairman, Programme Committee, IISF 2023, the cow dung pot and mitti cool water bottle invented by a grassroot innovator justifying one of the mega science event’s objective of taking science grassroots innovations to society.

The inauguration ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Arvind C. Ranade, Director, National Innovation Foundation (NIF) India and Chief Coordinator, IISF 2023. The NIF-India, an autonomous organisation of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India is the coordinating and implementing organisation of IISF 2023.

The events scheduled for the first day of IISF 2023 include Student Science Village, Face to Face with New Frontiers of Science & Technology, Science through Games & Toys, Students Innovation Festival – Space Hackathon 2023, State S&T Ministers and Centre and State S&T Secretaries and Officials Conclave, Education for Aspiring India – National Science Teachers Workshop, Young Scientists’ Conference, New Age Technology Show, National Social Organisations and Institutions Meet (NSOIM), Science, Technology and Innovation Exhibition, and India International Collaboration followed by a Cultural programme.

The mega science festival will be celebrated from 17-20 January 2024 at the joint campus of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT)-Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB) & Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad (Haryana).  

The grand festival of science aims to honour and highlight the scientific achievements in Science, Technology, and Innovation by the country with the primary objective of connecting science with society.

 The Science Media Communication Cell (SMCC) at CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication & Policy Research (NIScPR) is coordinating and facilitating the media publicity of the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2023. The key objective of the SMCC is to disseminate and showcase R&D breakthroughs and scientific achievements of India on various platforms of media. For more information, please visit https://niscpr.res.in/ or follow us at @CSIR-NIScPR.

*****

SNC/PK