National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC)

Department of Science & Technology, Government of India
Schemes for Communication and Popularisation of Science & Technology
Rashtriya Vigyan Evam Prodyogiki Sanchar Parishad

1. The Parishad is an Apex Organisation of the Government of India that Endeavours to
   
   1. Communicate Science and Technology
   2. Stimulate Scientific and Technological temper
   3. Coordinate and orchestrate such efforts.

Our Goals Are

• to create excitement concerning advances in Science & Technology
• to enable informed decision-making at the grass roots level
• to encourage intelligent debate on developmental issues

Some Important Activities of the Parishad Are:

• Research in thrust areas of science and technology communication;
• Development of scripts, films, video and radio programmes, books, slide sets, etc., on selected areas of science and technology;
• Training (short term) for school teachers and activists of science & technology based voluntary organisations in science communication;
• Development of science journalists through University Courses in Science and Technology Communication;
• Awards and recognition for outstanding science communicators;
• Coordination with state councils and networks of S& T based organisations;
• Developing capacity through science communication
• Field programmes for demonstrating innovative ideas of science popularisation, outreach and extension activities including National Children's Science Congress, Science Day celebrations, promotion of voluntary blood donation programmes, environmental awareness and positive action, etc., and
• Promoting International Cooperation for mutual benefit.

• 'Srote' - a Hindi science news and features service launched in 1988 and now with a weekly frequency Annotated bibliographies of popular science books in all regional languages
• A bilingual monthly newsletter 'RVPSP Sandesh' / 'NCSTC Communications' now in its sixteenth year
• 33 part radio serial 'Jeevan Ek Roop Anek (2004) on Biodiversity with All India Radio
• Sight regional Vigyan Chetna Jathas in 2004
• Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha (BJVJ-1987) - an experiment involving 26 voluntary organisations and lakhs of people
  Bharat Jan Gyan Vigyan Jatha (BJGVJ-1992) - a massive effort of reaching out to people in 50000 locations with the support of 2500 organisations
• Sensitization of school science teachers during year of scientific Awareness - 2004
• Manav Ka Vikas (1991-93) - a 144 part serial produced jointly with All India Radio in 18 languages
• Vigyan Vidhi (1989) - a 13 part serial produced jointly with All India Radio in 16 languages
• Bharat Ki Chaap (1989) - a 13 part film telecast by Doordarshan on History of S& T of Indian Subcontinent
• The Enigma of Srinivas Ramanujan' (1987) an award winning film on his life
• 'CV Raman - The Scientist and His Legacy' (1990) another award winning biopic
• Kudratnama (1997) - a 27 episode science quiz programme telecast by Starplus
• Public Awareness Campaign for Total Solar Eclipse in 1995 and 1999 and Transit of Venus- 2004
• Popularising Modern Science through a national campaign based on discoveries of the golden decade 1895-1905
• 'Sopan' (1997) and 'Agrasar' (1998) massive exhibitions on the achievements of Indian Science and Technology in New Delhi
• Fortnightly Science wall paper 'Kyon Aur Kaise' in Hindi and English.
• Vigyan Chetna Jathas during Scientific Awareness Year
• International Year of Physics 2005

Science and Technology Communication Programmes for Students

Motivation Programme

Providing opportunity for a Week long intense informal interaction with eminent scientists to develop bonds with role models for brilliant members of the young generation;

From Science to Technology

Understand principles of science through their application in neighbouring industrial sectors telephone exchanges, dairy, etc. industrial sectors telephone exchanges, dairy, etc in the district.

Lectures & Demonstrations

Fellows of national academies speak on different dimensions of science for general audiences and bring out the excitement of their research through demonstrations;

School Science Clubs

Fun with science including sky watching, nature, science activity camps, root and shoot project, experiments with solid waste and many more;

Management of Soild Waste through Vermi Composting To manage domestic solid waste using vermi composting & doing simple experiments by way of understanding the life cycle of earthworms, composting different kinds of waste, effect of different manures on yields etc.

Volunteers For Disaster Management

To train college students in handling situations immediately following natural and / or man made disasters.

Nature Science Activity Camps

Understanding the complexities of ecology - a week in a nature reserve. Learning to collect samples, record observations and appreciate the delicate balance of nature;

Root And Shoot Activities

Adopt or plant trees and study their growth - variety of life they support and learn the importance of documentation;

Skill Building Programmes For Science Teachers And Activists Of Science Based Voluntary Organizations

1. Develop and use low cost science teaching / learning aids
2. Learn to demonstrate science behind so-called miracles
3. Use origami for teaching concepts in primary and middle school maths
4. Fun with high school physics through aeromodelling
5. Demonstrate principles of flight - use multi stage rockets
6. Detect food adulterants through high school level chemistry
7. Popularizing construction and maintenance skills under work experience for high school students

Many more modules can be designed based on assessment of the needs of school science teachers and the use of the skills being imparted.

Training Of Science Communicators

The shortage of skilled science communicators is a limitation faced by various agencies. A multi- pronged effort has been developed by the Parishad including:

• Skill enhancement of promising science writers (1 week);
• Communicating science using folk media (1 week);
• Use of mass media for science popularisation (3 months);
• Post Graduate Courses in universities in mass communication and science journalism (18 to 24 months).

This is an opportunity for brilliant young scientists (between 10 and 17 years of age) to:

• work in teams under a guide on an identified theme
• select a problem from the neighbourhood
• develop a hypothesis and conduct field research
• see patterns in data and prepare a report
• present findings before peer group in one's own language.

Innovative projects selected for district congress, state congress and national convention. Each state also sends two delegates to the Annual Session of the Indian Science Congress.

The Congress has been organised in almost all districts every year with more and more schools joining the activity. Developing an activity book, training workshops for guide teachers, evaluating the research projects and coordinating the district and state level conventions are enriching experiences for a number of organisations. The national events with the themes selected for the past twelve years are shown below:

1993 New Delhi - Know Your Environment
1994 New Delhi -Clean-up India
1995 Guwahati -Clean-up India
1996 Hyderabad - India of our Dreams-Let's Go for It
1997 Bhopal - India of our Dreams-Let's Go for It
1998 Chennai - Nature - Let us Conserve, Care and Share
1999 Mapusa -Nature - Let us Conserve, Care and Share
2000 Howrah - Indigenous Scientific Knowledge for a Better Tomorrow
2001 Pune -Indigenous Scientific Knowledge for a Better Tomorrow
2002 Mysore -Food System -Towards Nutrition for all
2003 Lucknow -Food System -Towards Nutrition for all
2004 Guwahati – Harnessing Water Resources for better future

Awards and Recognitions

National awards for science communicators are presented every year to recognise outstanding achievements of individuals and institutions. Nominations for the awards are invited in the following categories:

• Outstanding Effort in Science & Technology Communication      - (Rupees Two Lakhs)
• Outstanding Effort in S&T Communication through Books
  & Magazines                                                                         - (Rupees One Lakh)
• Outstanding Effort in S&T Popularization among Children          - (Rupees One Lakh)
• Outstanding Effort in Translation of Popular S&T Literature        - (Rupees One Lakh)
• Outstanding Effort in S&T Communication in the Print Medium    - (Rupees One Lakh)
• Outstanding Effort in S&T Communication in Electronic Medium  - (Rupees One Lakh)

Each award comprises an attractive cash prize, a memento and a scroll presented at a national function on Science Day.

Please download the Acrobate Reader to open .pdf file.

Project List
Year	2004-2005	2005-2006

For more information please contact:

Er. Anuj Sinha
Scientist 'G' & Head
National Council for Science & Technology Communication
(RASHTRIYA VIGYAN EVAM PRODYOGIKI SANCHAR PARISHAD)
Department of Science and Technology
Technology Bhavan, New Mehrauli Marg,
New Delhi 110016
Phones: 011-26866675,011-26590219
Fax: 011-26866675
Email: sanuj at nic dot in