SCIENCE POPULARIZATION FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA: A COMMUNICATION ANALYSIS OF CONTEXT AND APPLICATION (original) (raw)

India's Science Communication: Issues, Challenges and Perspectives

India has been experiencing widespread diffusion of science communication activities due to various programmes initiated by the successive Central governments and other non-governmental organisations over the past three decades. As India is technologically advancing and entering into information age, the need for diffusion scientific information to the non-scientific community is also fast growing fast. This paper is an attempt to provide a fresh historical overview of growth of science communication in India. It also identifies some of the key obstacles confronting science communication and journalism in India.

Science Communication in the Indian Perspective: Insights from the Indian Experience

Two-thirds of the Indian population still lives in the villages far removed from the desirable amenities of life. While science has indeed made progress by leaps and bounds over the centuries, the fruits of science are still far from being tasted by the common masses, one of the primary reasons behind it being that a huge chunk of them still remain sceptical to the marvels of ‘science’. However, it ought to be borne in mind that the essence of science lies in attaining the objective of the betterment of human beings. Therefore, the importance of science lies not in what it has been able to achieve in ideal testing conditions but in how far it has been able to be of use in reality to the common masses for whom it exists. For this though, science has to be brought within the reach of the common people and this can only be done through effective communication. Effective communication refers to that communication that seeks rather to empower the masses than merely to inform them. That s...

Science Communication in India : Policy Framework

Journal of Scientific Temper, 2021

Science and technology in modern India cannot be discussed without referring to the discourse that is rooted in the debate initiated by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (1947-1964). The science and technology policy documents that followed and articulated the vision of India, were Scientific Policy Resolution (SPR-1958), Technology Policy Statement (TPS-1983), Science and Technology Policy (STP-2003) and Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STI-2013). These documents envisioned, articulated and codified aspirations, objectives and strategies to mark the role of science and technology in the nation building. The notion of 'scientific-temper', as proposed through the Indian constitution, has to be fostered relentlessly to keep the social ethos in sync with modern scientific knowledge. The policy framework of science and technology in India, enunciated from time to time has continuously empowered the stakeholders to intensify science popularisation.

25 Years of Public Understanding of Science in India: Analysis based on cultural distance

2018

About 30 years ago the idea of cultural distance between peoples structure of thought and the science was proposed. Over the years it crystallised. This article presents major findings of the surveys that were conducted in India, spanned over twenty-five years. It is argued that cultural distance varies depending upon the nature of scientific information. Mapping cultural distances of specific scientific information for distinct target groups could help planners and communicators of science in devising effectual intervention strategies. Plans for dissemination of information that has low magnitude of cultural distance, need to be radically different in nature vis a vis approaches required for popularising scientific ideas that tend to cluster at the farthest end of the scale. In developing countries, the formal system of modern education operates as a strong determinant in shaping the cultural structure of thought prevalent among the citizens. It influences the worldview of even tho...

Communicating Science in India through People’s Science Movements (PSMs)

2014

It hardly needs emphasis that People’s Science Movements (PSMs) in India have been very unique and such movements are not seen elsewhere although science popularization/science communication movements were seen in USA, Europe and Australia. Since, PSM as social phenomena have caught our academic fascination, we first tried to characterise the phenomenon and second, tried to locate such phenomena in their historically context, tracing their socio-historical roots. Lastly, through extensive studies of six cases of various types of PSMs (e.g., Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti , Delhi Science Forum, Jana Vignana Vedika , Paschim Banga Vigyan Manch , Odisha Bigyan Prachar Samiti , and Marathi Vidyan Parishad ) we have tried to analyse them from the view point of a social movement perspective, such as the Resource Mobilization Theory.

Science Communication as an Academic Discipline:An Indian Perspective

Current Science, 2017

Scientific ignorance can be a potential obstacle in the journey of India becoming a developed nation and a knowledge economy. Such ignorance can also be the cause of various myths, superstitions and blind faiths which can further hinder the development agenda of any nation. Science communication can potentially dissipate scientific ignorance in the society. Science communication is a rapidly growing area of expertise both academically and professionally around the globe. It is getting established as an academic discipline with several universities/institutions around the world starting academic and research programmes. Science communication is an effort to better understand how science and society interact, and to popularize and commonize scientific knowledge, scientific temper, scientific method of enquiry and scientific culture among the masses. However, the trends in India are not encouraging. This article discusses the emergence of science communication as an academic discipline, its global and Indian trends, and the need of science communication initiatives, training and capacity-building in India.

India: Tracing science communication in independent India

Communicating Science: A Global Perspective, 2020

The shadow of imperialism and European colonisation of the subcontinent looms large in the narration of the history of modern science in India (Phalkey, 2013). So where the role of science and technology in independent India is concerned, the lens used by political and social scientists is that of post-colonial nation-building (Visvanathan, 1997; Abraham, 2006; Roy, 2007). Phalkey further observes, in her introduction to the Focus section on 'Science, History and Modern India' in Isis, the premier journal in the field of history of science, that historians have claimed scientific practice in India to be derivative, and that these claims have happened in the absence of national histories of ideas, pedagogy, policies and practices of science. To address this lacuna, she suggests the study of institutional, social, political, economic and cultural contexts with a focus on the experiences of practitioners so that a practice-oriented understanding of science in India can emerge. This short essay, ambitious as it is in its scope, attempts to fill the void by working through science policies; dissemination and communication practices at institutions such as museums and universities; journalistic writings on science and technology; and people's science movements (critical science literacy movements organised by civil society and community-level groups). By doing so, the essay purports to narrate a history of science communication practices in independent India (that is, post-1947). However, before delving into the practices, it is important to review the sociocultural context of contemporary India and examine its specific communication politics and policies.

Science Communication Education in North East India

More than half of the Indian population stays in rural areas and therefore connecting the unconnected becomes one of the primary challenges. Science and technology development and the general people’s awareness are necessary for overall society development. No one can doubt the immense impact of science and technology on society today. We face the challenges of not only understanding the current multiple revolutions in science and technology, but also how they affect the future of humanity and of the Earth. So scientific information, scientific thoughts and spirit of scientific temper need to be spread across the society. Science communication can be referred to the flow of scientific information and message from its source to target audience, through some medium or mediator. Except a few very honourable exceptions, generally, scientists and technologists find it difficult to communicate with common man in common man’s language. At the same time, the common man too is unable to understand the language of scientists - technical texts with technical jargon, specific to the subject area. Now, the problem is obvious, as the two are unable to communicate with each other which leaves a wide gap between the two and which is growing day by day due to rapid advancements in our scientific knowledge. The task is really very challenging and it needs proper training and education in the field of science communication. This paper attempts the contemporary status of science communication education in NE as well as it emphasizes the analysis of relevancy of the course curriculum in modern context. The research work highlights the various constrains and challenges ahead in this regard.

Science Communication and Role of Scientists for Sustainable Development in India in the Last Decade: A Critical Study

IARJSET, 2017

There is no denying the fact that, there is an increasing call for scientists and engineers to engage with the public more and more through mass media for sustainable development. The scenario of India is somehow different form the global scenario. Whether science journalism is one of the numerous casualties in the media meltdown in India is the most pertinent question of the last decade of 21 st century. The overall goal of the study was to provide evidence for funding organisations, universities and other research institutions on which they can base a workable system to reward scientists for their efforts to engage with the public. The study involved a survey of research scientists in highereducation institutes and interviews with a cross section of respondents and other relevant parties and hence 83 scientific-research institutes had been chosen throughout India. This study also includes to find the active participation of the scientists through scientific articles, regular columns, post-editorials, letters to the editor etc and hence 8 major circulated newspapers from 8 metro cities were chosen. There is a great need of policy which enable a higher proportion of younger scientists to get involved in public engagement and the need to reward public engagement activity in the career progression of scientists.