Tirupati: Tirupati is gearing up to host the 104th Indian Science Congress from January 3 to 7. All departments of the government as well as SV University, the venue, are making arrangements on a war footing for the prestigious event. About 10,000 scientists representing various national laboratories, faculty members, research scholars from several Indian universities, IITs and IISERs will take part in the event.
About 200 scientists from foreign nations and members of 10 foreign science academies will participate in the event, apart from about 2,000 others. The authorities are making arrangements for their accommodation, food, transport and municipal administration is taking steps to beautify the city and laying of roads. The INC will have many of the pet programmes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in its plenary sessions. These include Digital India and Smart City, Swachh Bharat, science and technology in the Northeast, science and technology for neighbouring countries, solar energy, food security and blue economy.
According to INC association general president D. Narayana Rao, the theme of the five- day event was 'Science and Technology for National Development'. Nine Nobel laureates from the USA, Japan, France, Israel and Bangladesh are expected to attend the event. Planners and science administrators of the Central funding agencies will also take part in the congress. Scientific luminaries like Prof. C.N.R. Rao, Dr R. Chidambaram, Dr K. Kasturi Rangan, Prof Ashutosh Sharma, and G. Sateesh Reddy are expected to take part.
In addition to lectures, interactions and discussions on Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Animal, Veterinary and Fishery Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Information and Communication Technology, Mathematical and Physical Science will also be held. A mega science exhibition where prominent developments, major contributions of the Indian Science and Technological community to the country will be showcased by leading scientific organisations and institutions including government and private sectors. Women Science Congress and Children Science Congress will also be conducted during the session.
Meanwhile, S.P. Thakkar, Chief Secretary to AP Government held a review meeting with district collector Siddharth Jain, SVU vice chancellor A. Damodaram, Municipal Commissioner V. Vinay Chand, Tirupati Urban SP R. Jayalakshmi and other officials and asked for co-ordinated effort for the success of the meeting which will be held in SV University in Tirupati. He has asked for all arrangements to be completed by Mid December. While the Brics summit and the International Fleet Review made Visakhapatnam popular, Tirupati should grab international headlines for this event, Thakkar opined.
