Wait for Indian Science Congress in Hyderabad gets longer

JNTU-Hyderabad, which has been zeroed in for hosting the event, is still awaiting permission from the Department of Science and Technology besides a response from the Prime Minister’s Office for the PM to inaugurate the event

Hyderabad: Science enthusiasts and the scientific community who have been looking forward to taking part in the 109th Indian Science Congress (ISC) in Hyderabad, will have to wait a little longer as the prestigious event is unlikely to take off in February.

Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) – Hyderabad, which has been zeroed in for hosting the event, is still awaiting permission from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) besides a response from the Prime Minister’s Office for the PM to inaugurate the event.

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JNTU-H proposed February 22, 23, and 24 as dates for holding the event and wrote letters to the DST and PMO seeking approval, and Vice-Chancellor Prof Katta Narasimha Reddy recently met DST officials in New Delhi regarding hosting the event. The response, according to university officials, is positive from the DST but permission has not been accorded yet. “Permission for the event is necessary from the DST for the scientific labs under the CSIR to take part,” a senior official said.

Given the current situation, the event, according to officials, will be pushed either to March or it could be held after the Parliament elections in June or July.
“Once permission is received, we will be discussing the possible dates with the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) and finalise the schedule,” the official added.

The 109th ISC will be organised with a focal theme ‘The Global Perspective on Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future’. With the 108th edition receiving around 5,000 registrations, the university is planning to make arrangements for 6,000 to 7,000 participants.

As per the preliminary estimation, a minimum of Rs 20 crore is required for hosting the event. Accordingly, permission and funding have been sought from the State government, which had already given the green signal for the event but funds are awaited.

Earlier, after Lucknow University pulled out from hosting the 109th ISC, Lovely Professional University, Punjab, had come forward to hold the event from January 3 to 5, 2024. However, LPU too backed out. Following this, the ISCA approached JNTU-Hyderabad and gave a nod as well.