Schoolchildren, university students, academicians, researchers and representatives from different organisations held placards written “fund science, not opinion” as they walked from the Head Post Office to Gandhi Statue in Puducherry on Wednesday.
As they walked, they raised slogans against nuclear weapons remembering the day when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and stressed on “Science for peace and sustainable development’. It was the “march for science” rally organised by Pondicherry Science Forum.
Prasanna Venkatesh of the forum said that the rally was organised to create awareness on climate change, fake news and pseudo-science prevalent in social media and internet, demand to increase funds for carrying out scientific research in public institutions such as universities and colleges.
The participants demanded that at least 2% of the GDP should be allocated to the scientific and technological research and 6% towards education.
“Propagation of unscientific, obscurantist ideas and religious intolerance should be stopped. The government should ensure that education system imparts only ideas that are supported by scientific evidence,” said the participants.
Representatives from French Institute of Pondicherry, SFI, and other organisations were present.