Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

AU hosting ISC for second time

VISAKHAPATNAM: Andhra University is hosting the 95th Indian Science Congress (ISC) -- the biggest congregation of scientists of different disciplines in the world. Some 8,000 delegates are participating in it.

Andhra University hosted the ISC for the first time in 1976.

There is another significance attached to the AU being host to the ISC for the second time after 32 years. It was during the 63rd session that a focal theme was introduced in the annual congregation of the ISCA, thanks to the forethought of agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan.

Dr. Swaminathan, who was the general president of the ISCA in 1976, felt that a large gathering of scientists must discuss national issues that have scientific and technological implications for the country and participate actively in the development of the nation.

Hence, the 63rd ISC inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi selected rural development as the focal theme.

The ISC makes recommendations to the Government after end of its every annual session and in the case of 1976 session, Dr. Swaminathan’s idea of having a focal theme for the Science Congress and the recommendations made in this area have a lasting impact.Till then rural development was not a big unit and also departments like bio-technology, non-conventional energy and related areas happened to be small parts of it. But the 1976 Science Congress sown seeds for their growth and each one of them are now big and separate entities now and also important wings of the Government, recall ISCA general president R. Ramamurthi and Vice-Chancellor L. Venugopal Reddy.

The theme of this year’s ISC is knowledge-based society using environmentally sustainable science and technology.

And Dr. Swaminthan himself is participating in the second ISC being in Visakhapatnam where he initiated a major development programme.

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