City to host Indian Science Congress after 49 yrs in Jan ’23
| Date :07-Jul-2022 |
Staff Reporter
Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) will be hosting the 108th Indian Science Congress. Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA), the parent body that meets annually in first week of January every year, has allotted the hostship to RTMNU. The ISCA has sent a letter to RTMNU and confirmed that the 108th Indian Science Congress would be held in Nagpur in the first week of January 2023. RTMNU will be hosting the event after a gap of 49 years. The event was hosted by RTMNU (erstwhile Nagpur University) in the year 1974. This is 5th time that Nagpurians will get an opportunity to listen to the who’s who in Science and Technology.
Dr Subhash Chaudhari, Vice-Chancellor of RTMNU told ‘The Hitavada’, “We were trying to bring the event to the city since last year, but the same was allotted to Symbiosis University, Pune. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic shattered the plans. We again pursued our proposal with the ISCA. But, according to our information, the honour was to be given to some other university. We again requested the ISCA to allow us to host the event as we are celebrating our centenary year. Finally, the ISCA agreed and we got an invitation for hosting this prestigious event. We all are happy and ready to host the event in a grand manner. I can assure everyone that we would not leave any stone unturned as a host.”
It may be mentioned that in 1974, the event was held at University Sports Ground, now called as Raobahadur D Laxminarayan Sports Ground, when Prof R S Mishra was the President of ISCA. Dr P S Mene was the Vice-Chancellor then while Prof Chintamani Mande, the grandfather of Physics was the co-ordinator. The theme of the Congress was ‘Mathematics- Queen or Handmaid’.
Every Indian Science Congress witnesses the address of Prime Minister during its inauguration. In 1974, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had come to Nagpur for the inaugural session.
In 2023, Nagpurians will get an opportunity to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this platform.
In 1974, Ali Yawar Jung was Governor who had attended the Congress in the capacity of Chancellor of universities in State. Vasantrao Naik, then Chief Minister; C Subramaniam, then Union Minister of Science and Technology; A N Namjoshi, then Education Minister of Maharashtra; Dr M S Swaminathan, well-known Indian Agricultural Scientist; Prof N R Dhar, Indian Chemist and Specialist in Soil Science were the prominent among those present at the inauguration of the Indian Science Congress.
Earlier, Nagpur had hosted the 7th Indian Science Congress in 1920 when Prafulla Chandra Roy was President of ISCA. The theme was ‘Dawn of Science in modern India’.
In 1931, when R B Seymour Sewell was President of ISCA, again Nagpur had got an opportunity to host the event. It was 18th Science Congress having theme ‘The problem of evolution experimental modification of bodily structure’.
In 1945, Nagpur hosted the 32nd Indian Science Congress when Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar was President of ISCA.
The theme was ‘Give Science a Chance’.