Annual Report 1999-2000

Professional Bodies

Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi

The Council assumed office after the Anniversary General Meeting on 31 December 1998 at the Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai. Dr S Varadarajan delivered the Presidential Address on "Towards Sustainable Development in India in the Next Decade in the New International Order: Challenges and Opportunities for Indian Science and Technology" which evoked keen interest and comments from amongst the Fellows.

Five seminars on (i) Environment, Climatic Changes and Adaptation of Some Selected Biotic Systems in North West Himalayas at HPU, Shimla; (ii) Mathematics and its Applications to Industry and New Emerging Areas at INSA premises; (iii) Physics at the Turn of the Century and (iv) Future Challenges in Human Health - Life Style Diseases at IIT, Chennai; (v) Technologies and the Society at

INSA premises were held.

As many as 20 medal/lecture awards were announced (5 General Medals/General Lectures, 1 International Award, 14 Subjectwise Medals). Sixteen Award Lectures were delivered during General Meetings, under the aegis of Local Chapters. Eighteen scientists (below the age of 32 years) were honoured with the INSA Young Scientists’ Medal.
The Academy continued research support through various programmes of appointment of Research Professors (5), Senior Scientists (48), Visiting Fellows (28), projects of Young Scientists Medal Awardees (15) and for organizing conferences (80) under the Basic Sciences Scheme.

The Indian National Commission on History of Science approved 11 new projects. In all, there are now 43 research projects - 20 in Ancient period, 12 in Medieval period and 11 in Modern period. The Ninth International Seminar on Indo-Portuguese History, Science, Technology and Culture - 15th to 18th Century was organized at the Academy premises. Four issues of Indian Journal of History of Science (IJHS) have also been published. A Sanskrit text of Rasahrdayatantram alongwith its translation was published. The Concept of Sunya and History of Technology in India Vol III are at their final stage of printing.

The Academy continued its scientific collaboration and exchange of scientific programme with the prominent science Academies in Europe, Asia, North and Central America and CIS countries. In addition, the scientific relationships were established with the Slovenian Science Foundation and the Slovenian Science Academy for exchange of ideas and information among the scientists of two countries. At the regional level, the Academy continued its relationship with FASAS, TWAS and IFS and other regional organizations.

The Academy supported the visits of 358 scientists (99 ICSU-sponsored, 259 other important international meetings) and 48 Young Scientists for various conferences/seminars abroad. Four international meetings were organized in India under the sponsorship of ICSU and ICSU affiliated union subject.

As an adhering organization, Academy participated through a delegation in the SCOPE, COSTED-IBN, COSPAR, SCAR, IUPHAR, IMU, IUTAM and CODATA General Assemblies/Congresses. The leader of delegation presented reports of the activities carried out in India in the respective discipline of the Union/Committee during these meetings. IUPAC affiliate membership was awarded to 25 scientists. Meetings of nine National Committees, viz., URSI, IUMS, CODATA, IUPAP, IUPHAR, IUCr, IUPAC, IUPAB and IUGG were held. The National Committee for IGBP continued to carry out the activities on 10 core projects. Three Workshops/Symposia were held in India under the aegis of IGBP. The CODATA General Assembly and 16th International CODATA Conference on Data Management in the Evolving Information Society were held during November 8-14,1998 at New Delhi. In addition, two Workshops/Task Group Meetings on: CODATA/DSAO Survey of Data Sources in Asian Oceanic Countries, 9th Task Group Meeting and International Seminar on Future Plan for Scientific Data and Data Communication in Asian-Oceanic Countries and CODATA Study Workshop on Information Visualisation and Management of Heterogeneous Data preceded the General Assembly.

Academy’s Local Chapters deliberated on various issues relating to science policy, social impact of science, and planning in science and technology, besides organizing lectures/seminars and various activities on the National Science Day.

The Informatics Centre continued providing support to the fellows and scholars on their endeavour through Current Awareness, Additional Content Page, Science Information Notes services, Citation analysis, Internet facilities and Data bases. It added 390 books in English and received 800 journals.
Twelve issues of the Indian Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics (IJPAM), nine issues of both PINSA - Part A (Physical Sciences) and Part - B (Biological Sciences), and six issues of INSA News were published, besides other regular/special publications like S & T Communication, Brain Drain, Algebra, Ocean Science, Space Physics, Transport Processes, etc. The Indian Science Congress Association, Calcutta

The Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA), which represents a sizeable and significant cross-section of the entire scientific community of India, is the only organisation where scientists from all major disciplines and, young scientists in particular, can interact. The Association entered its 87th year in 1999. Ever since 1914, an annual Congress of the Association has been held every year with a distinguished man of science as the General President.

The objectives of the Association have not undergone any major change since 1914, though the scope of activities has increased. The objectives of the Association are as follows :

• to advance and promote the cause of science in India
  
• to hold an annual Congress at a suitable place in India;
  
• To publish proceedings, journals, transactions etc.
  
• To popularise science.
  

87th Indian Science Congress - 2000

The 87th Indian Science Congress was held in Pune under the auspices of University of Pune from January 3-7, 2000 under the General Presidentship of Dr. R.A. Mashelkar, Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and Director General, CSIR, New Delhi.

The Focal Theme of the 87th Indian Science Congress was "India Science and Technology into the Next Millennium". There were as many as ten Plenary Sessions devoted to different facets of the Focal Theme namely, Session - I: Indian Strategic S&T in the 21st Century; Session - II : New Millennium Lecture Series : Celebration of Science; Session - III : New Millennium Lecture Series : Celebration of Science; Session - IV : Role of Information Technology in the 21st Century; Session - V : Indian Science - Citizen and the Society; Session - VI : Indigenous Innovations; Session - VII : Intellectual Property Rights in the 21st Century; Session - VIII : New Millennium Lecture Series : Celebration of Science; Session - IX : New Millennium Lecture Series : Celebration of Science; and Session X : A Five Point New Millennium Indian Agenda. Many eminent scientists, technologists, policy-makers, industrial executives, social activists and Nobel laureates participated. Besides the Focal Theme, Symposium on specialised topics was also organised during the Science Congress in different Sections/Committees/Forums. Other deliberations in Sections included Presidential Addresses, Platinum Jubilee Lectures as also Lectures on subjects of special interest. Contributed Papers were presented only by way of posters. Oral Presentation of Papers under ISCA Young Scientists Programme in Sections was arranged as usual. A large number of award lectures were delivered during the Congress.
Awards for 1999-2000 were conferred to the respective recipients during the 87th Indian Science Congress.

New Millennium Science Leadership Medals

The Focal Theme of the 87th Indian Science Congress is "Indian Science and Technology in the Next Millennium". While preparing for India's entry into the new millennium, it is important to think of building S&T leadership of the future. It is, therefore, essential to identify, recognise and honour young scientists of outstanding merit in their 30's & 40's, who would assume the leadership role in Indian S&T in the early part of the next century. The awardee will be expected to deliver a Millennium lecture during the Year 2000 at any centre of excellence.

CSIR has proposed that it is willing to fund the one time gold medal entitled "New Millennium Science Leadership Medal" to 20 renowned scientists.

Other Activities

ISCA Chapters:

To promote the objectives of the Association and to involve young scientists in wider activities related to S&T, several Chapters of ISCA are being operated in different places in India, namely, Bangalore, Baroda, Bhubaneshwar, Bodh-Gaya, Calcutta, Chandigarh, Guwahati, Chennai, Nagpur, Karnal, Hyderabad, Delhi, Jaipur and Patiala. Every year, the Chapters celebrate National Science Day World Environment Day and other collaborative programmes viz. Seminar/ Symposium, Workshops, Award Lectures, Popular/Scientific Lectures, etc. The Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Lecture (1999) was held at Delhi in collaboration with ISCA Delhi Chapter on November 14, 1999 where Prof. Murli Manohar Joshi, Hon’ble Union Minister for HRD & Science & Technology delivered a lecture.

Publications:

This is a very important and significant activity from the angles of both dissemination of scientific knowledge and projection of Association's image. The year under report witnessed a significant number of publications brought out by the Association. Proceedings of the Eighty-sixth Annual Session of the Indian Science Congress Association were published. The quarterly journal Everyman’s Science was brought out. Other publications brought out were : ISCA Directory : 1999-2000; General Information Booklet – 87th Indian Science Congress; Annual Report for 1998-99 and Synopses of the Presentations of ISCA Young Scientist Awardees for 1999 The National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad

The objective of the Academy, established in 1930, are cultivation and promotion of Science and Technology in all its branches, providing a national forum for publication of research work, holding symposia/seminars on scientific topics of national relevance, organizing a Science Library including students section for students of plus two level, organizing meetings and discussions on scientific and technological problems, promoting scientific and technological research concerned with the problems of national welfare.

The research journal, Proceedings of the Academy, being published regularly in two sections covering Physical Sciences and Biological Sciences, is now running into its 6th Volume. The Academy also publishes a monthly research journal, "National Academy Science Letters", now running into its 22nd Volume. The other special publication of the Academy during the year was on "Human Genome Research - Emerging Ethical, Legal, Social and Economic Issues".

The Academy during the year organized two symposia viz. (i) Science and Technology Education - Concerns and Perspectives, and (ii) Condensed Matter Physics besides the 68th Annual Session at CDRl, Lucknow.

Under human resource development programme, an intensive Science Communication Activity comprising popular lectures, extension lectures, State and Local level science contests was also organised and Academy's Science Teacher Award was given to Sri A.S. Bisht (Nainital).

The Academy elected 2 distinguished scientists as Honorary Fellows, 4 distinguished scientists as Foreign Fellows, 50 distinguished scientists as Fellows and 44 scientists as Members.