Lok Sabha Question No. 136 (STARRED), answered on 2024-12-04
Subject: Media Campaign for Promotion of Scientific Temper
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Dr. Dharamvira Gandhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *136 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.12.2024

## MEDIA CAMPAIGN FOR PROMOTION OF SCIENTIFIC TEMPER

## * 136.  DR. DHARAMVIRA GANDHI:

## Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

- a)  whether  the  Government  has  launched  any  media  campaigns  aimed  at  promoting  scientific temper and discouraging superstition in society;
- b) if so, the details of these campaigns including their reach, duration and topics covered; and
- c) whether there are plans to work with scientists, educators and public figures to create more awareness campaigns and if so, the expected outcome thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING, MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, AND MINISTER OF ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## [SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW]

- (a) to (c):- A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO *136 FOR ANSWER ON 04.12.2024

(a) to (c): The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is popularizing science, technology and innovation (STI) among school students to inculcate scientific temper and scientific literacy through its flagship programmes viz. National Children Science Congress (NCSC), Initiative for Research  and  Innovation  in  STEM  (IRIS),  and  Innovation  in  Science  Pursuit  for  Inspired Research (INSPIRE)-Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge (MANAK) among school students in the age group of 10-17 years.

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under the aegis of Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) is conducting JIGYASA for promoting scientific temper amongst the  school  students  in  collaboration  with  Kendriya  Vidyalaya  Sangathan  (KVS)  that  connect students with scientists. The initiative extends classroom learning to research lab-based learning to  school  students.  DST  also  supports  college  students  pursuing  Bachelors  and  Masters programme  in  Academic  Institutions/Universities  through  INSPIRE-Scholarship  for  Higher Education (SHE).  In  order  to  enhance  the  participation  of  girls  in  different  streams  of  STEM (Science  Technology  Engineering  Mathematics),  DST  initiated  Vigyan  Jyoti  in  2019-20,  to facilitate a conducive and enabling environment for girls to pursue higher education.

DST also organizes National Science Day (NSD) and National Mathematics Day (NMD) every year on 28th February and 22nd December respectively, across the States and UTs through State S&T Councils for promotion of science and technology among school and college students in the country.    The  initiatives  include  interactive  STEM  (Science,  Technology,  Engineering,  and Mathematics)  programs,  science  fairs,  robotics  hackathons,  Open  Houses  etc.  DST  further supports  projects  in  various  districts  of  the  country  to  demystify  miracles  and  beliefs  through scientific principles.

Various  STEM  demonstration  and  popularization  programmes  are  organized  at  district  level, state-level  and  national-level  involving  more  than  50  lakh  students.  Lectures  of  eminent scientists, educators and public figures are organized to popularize STEM and promote scientific temper on NSD and NMD.

The  Publications  Division  under  the  Ministry  of  Information  &  Broadcasting  works  with scientists  and  educators  to  publish  books,  journals  and  articles  promoting  scientific  temper  in society.