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NCSTC National Awards for Science Popularization
‘No Science Promotion Without Science Popularization’
“SCIENCE promotion can never succeed without science popularization,” said Dr V.S.Ramamurthy, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Dr Ramamurthy was speaking at a press conference organized to announce the winners of the NCSTC National Awards for Science Popularization, 2001,He said, “Gone are the days when a few scientists would sit in a conference room and decide what the science policy should be. Whether it is Bt cotton or the construction of big dams, today no policies can be enforced on the public, today decision making is in the public domain. Until you convince the public that a certain scientific policy or technology is going to benefit the public, you can make no headway. And this where science popularization plays a major role.”
Dr Ramamurthy was quite emphatic that the tribe of science writers, which was at present too small had to increase. Besides, there was a need to encourage science writing in regional languages too because in the remote areas and villages people have to be made aware of science technology. But the message of science has to reach h\the masses in a language they can understand and in a marine they can relate with, only they would the country see real development.
It was precisely for this reason the National Awards for Science Popularization were instituted by the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC in 1987 to stimulate, encourage and recognize outstanding efforts in the area of science and technology popularization. These awards are announced every year on the National Science Day. Science then the awards have been given to eminent science communicators every year.
For the year 2001, the awards for the Best Effort in Science Popularization (Rs. 1,00,000/-) has been given to Dr. C.R. chandrasehkar from Bangalore. The award for the best Science and Technology Coverage in the Mass Media (Rs 50,000) has gone to Ms Aparna Vaish from Jaipur. And the award for the Best Effort in Science Popularization among Children (50,000) has been given to Dr Saroj Ghose from Kolkata.
Dr C.R Chandrasekhar is a senior faculty member of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscientists, Banglore.
The award winner for the best science and technology coverage in the mass media Ms Aparna Vaish has been planning writing and producing science programmers for all India Radio and Doordarshan at New Delhi and Jaipur for the last 20 years. She has also published a number of articles in newspapers and magazines For the last five years Ms Vaish has been stationed at Jaipur Rajasthan being state still steeped in pad traditions and where superstitions abound she has been working in close collaboration with several NGOs working in the region to spread scientific awareness among the people.
Dr Saroj Ghose will be remembered as the man who pioneered the science museum movement in the country. A former Director General of the National Council of Science Museums, Dr Ghose is the winner of the award for best effort in science popularize among children. Currently he is providing consultancy to authorities in Egypt, Yemen and Trirudad & Tobago in developing cimilar science cities. The Gujarat government too is seeking his help in developing a science city in the state.
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