The 108th Indian Science Congress will put an Emphasis on Promoting Women in STEM

Indian Science Congress

On January 3, the Indian Science Congress will reconvene in Nagpur, Maharashtra, following a two-year break. Virtually speaking, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will open the gathering. In January 2020, Bengaluru hosted the final Indian Science Congress, a landmark gathering for the scientific community. Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, will host the five-day 108th session of ISC.

“Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment” is the main theme of this year’s Science Congress. Discussions on sustainable development, women’s empowerment, and the part that science and technology may play in accomplishing these goals will be held during the annual Congress. On Tuesday, December 3, the secretaries of the science departments are anticipated to give a plan for 2030 in their specialised fields.

The COVID-19 pandemic, developments in computer science, cancer research, space sciences, and vaccinations will all be covered during the conference. Participants will talk on how to get more women into higher levels of industry, research, and teaching. They will also think about strategies to boost the proportion of women working in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines and to guarantee that everyone has an equal chance to participate in economics, economic research, and education.

There will also be a unique programme that features talks from well-known female scientists and celebrates the contributions of women in science and technology. A Children’s Science Congress will be part of the event, which aims to spark kids’ scientific enthusiasm and curiosity. The Farmers’ Science Congress will give the bio-economy a boost and inspire young people to work in agriculture. With a focus on empowering tribal women, the Tribal Science Congress will serve as a venue for presenting indigenous traditional knowledge systems and practises.

Due to a hectic schedule, it appears that Prime Minister Narendra Modi won’t be able to personally attend the gathering of leading scientists, making this the first time in over 20 years that the prime minister won’t be there. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was the prime minister at the time, was unable to attend the Indian Science Congress’ opening ceremony in Chandigarh in 2004 because of bad weather. The inaugural ceremony will be attended by the governor of Maharashtra, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, as well as the chief minister, Eknath Shinde, the deputy chief minister, Jitendra Singh, and Nitin Gadkari, both of the Union.