January 3, 2020
The five-day-long event was a major focal point for scientists, researchers, and academicians interested in various aspects of scientific discoveries and technologies
The latest edition of the Congress was attended by Nobel Laureates, German Physicist Prof. Stefan Hell and Israeli protein crystallographer, Prof. Ada E. Yonath
The 107th Congress hosted plenary sessions on areas ranging from Food Security, Materials Science, AI, and Medical Technology, Nano Materials, among others
Separate Farmers Science Congress, Children’s Science Congress, and Women’s Science Congress were held on the sidelines to expand the scope of S&T innovation
“The growth story of India depends on its achievements in the Science & Technology sector. There is a need to revolutionise the landscape of Indian Science Technology and Innovation,” — Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, inaugurating the Science Congress
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the 107th Indian Science Congress (ISC) on January 3 at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. The Congress marks India’s largest annual gathering of scientific luminaries from across the world. The five-day-long event was a major focal point for scientists, researchers, and academicians interested in various aspects of scientific discoveries and technologies. Among many Indian and international dignitaries, the latest edition of the Congress was also attended by Nobel Laureate German Physicist, Prof. Stefan Hell, who had won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2014, as well as Israeli protein crystallographer, Prof. Ada E. Yonath, who was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. The prestigious event focussed on “Science & Technology: Rural Development,” and also saw a Farmers Science Congress.
The 107th Congress hosted plenary sessions on areas ranging from Climate Smart Agriculture for Food Security, Crop Improvement Towards Food & Nutrition Security, Materials Science and Technology for Rural Development, Challenges and Opportunities in Cancer Drug Discovery, Artificial Intelligence and Medical Technology, Advances in Basic Medical and Clinical Interactions, Non-Communicable Diseases in Rural Population as well as Cancer Research – Therapeutic Applications. The areas also included Nano Materials for Energy, Environment and Health Care, Novel Solutions for Oil and Gas Industry Problems and so on in which senior scientists and officials discussed the status, challenges, opportunities and scope in these research areas. Additionally, the Congress arranged four public lectures and 14 sectional sessions covering various science disciplines.
With a focus on Rural Development through Science and Technology, for the first time in the history of the Indian Science Congress, a Farmers Science Congress was held. The event covered themes ranging from farmers’ innovation on integrated agriculture and entrepreneurship for doubling farmers’ income, climate change, biodiversity, conservation, ecosystem services & farmers’ empowerment to agrarian distress, rural bio-entrepreneurship, policy issues. The event was attended by experts and scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) along with farmers whose innovative approaches have led to significant contributions. Additionally, a separate Children’s Science Congress and a Women’s Science Congress were also held to expand the outreach of scientific innovation and scientific talent sourcing.