Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
With the motto ‘Defend Science, Defend the Future’, several scientists, research scholars, educators, and students gathered at Wilson College in Mumbai on Saturday for the ‘India March for Science’ (IMFS) to promote scientific temper among the public.
The IMFS 2025, Mumbai chapter, concluded with a resolution to continue similar activities across campuses in the city throughout the year to foster scientific thinking among the younger generation.
Professor Aniket Sule from the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), Professor Arpita Mandal from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, and Dr Krishnan, retired from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) took part in the panel discussion that was moderated by Prof S G Dani, an eminent mathematician and Bhatnagar awardee.
In addition to panel discussions and talks by eminent scientists, the event also featured a poster demonstration outside the college. Participants raised demands related to science education and funding, the promotion of scientific temper, and the adoption of evidence-based policies to tackle the climate crisis, among others.
The annual event, held every August, is inspired by a global movement that began in 2017, when over a million scientists and educators from across the globe came together to uphold the values of science.
Chandan Santra, science activist and member of the Breakthrough Science Society, which is the nodal body organising IMFS, said, “This year, the gathering resolved that such events will not be limited to IMFS alone but will take place year-round in various colleges and schools to encourage scientific and critical thinking among students. Several teachers and professors have welcomed the idea and agreed to provide space for these initiatives across the city. We have thus decided to continue similar indoor activities on multiple campuses”.
Key demands raised under IMFS 2025 include halting the spread of unscientific and obscurantist ideas; adopting urgent, evidence-based climate policies; ensuring science-based curricula and critical thinking in education; allocating at least 10 per cent of the Union Budget and 30 per cent of State Budgets for education; reducing public education fees; investing 3 per cent of GDP in research; enacting a national Anti-Black Magic Act; ensuring timely release of scholarships and fellowships; and exempting research-related purchases from GST.
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
