As part of the global efforts to spread awareness and pressure governments to promote scientific and technological research, Breakthrough Science Society, a civil society forum for promotion of science and technology, took out a rally, India March for Science, in Kalaburagi on Wednesday.
Thousands of students from different educational institutions and science enthusiasts, holding placards and banners, participated in the rally that began at the district administrative complex and culminated at the Town Hall in the morning.
Inaugurating the march at the Mini Vidhana Soudha, G.R. Naik, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Central University of Karnataka, Kalaburagi, called upon the people, particularly students, to study science not just for examination but to adopt a scientific approach in life. He advised not to blindly accept, but question and examine before making a decision on what others said.
“Science has grown to great levels. Yet, blind beliefs and superstitions continue to be deep rooted in society and [they] control people in one way or the other. To get rid of these, we need to promote and popularise science among people,” he said.
Ramesh Londankar, Chairman, Department of Bio Technology, Gulbarga University, who was a chief guest, briefed the citizen’s initiatives at the global level for demanding governments to adopt scientific approach in their policy-making as well as promoting development of science and technology.
“Over a million science enthusiast had taken out processions at 600 major cities across the word on April 22 for science and technology.
The Kalaburagi rally is part of these global efforts. The development of science and technology and adoption of scientific approach in every field is imperative for developing countries such as India as science is the only and assured way for effectively addressing all issues,” he said.
He described how reduced public funding to premier institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology, the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research and the National Institute of Technology had adversely affected scientific research and prospects of development of science and technology in India.
He argued that the government’s directions to premier research institutions to generate funds locally for their research would lead to scientific and technological backwardness eventually affecting the overall development of the country.
Abhaya Diwakar, president of the Kalaburagi chapter of Breakthrough Science Society, presided over it. Floral tributes were paid to renowned scientists U.R. Rao, Yashpal and P.M. Bhargav who passed away recently.