At 'Kumbh of science', President rues fewer women scientists

LUCKNOW: President Ram Nath Kovind said that the Indian International Science Festival (IISF) was the Kumbh Mela of science while inaugurating the four-day event in the city on Saturday.

“IISF is the Kumbh Mela of science. The celebrations for Kumbh Mela have already started with the inauguration of IIFS. In three months, Kumbh-2019 will be organised in Allahabad,” said Kovind, who was the chief guest at the event, said.

Talking about the ‘disturbingly low’ participation of women in higher sciences, Kovind said that the there was a need to tap their scientific potential and it was the nation’s collective responsibility to do so.

“Of the 3,446 scientists in the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, only 632 or 18.3% are women which is a disturbingly low figure,” he added.

Governor Ram Naik, said, “I was told that more than 12,000 students have registered for the event. In terms of participation, this event is no less than the Kumbh.”

Talking about popular right-wing ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Naik said that he was the first person who provide ‘scientific proof ’ that the uprising of 1857 for India’s independence was not a revolt, as claimed by the British. “He collected the proof to back his claims while he was in Uttar Pradesh which is why it is significant that the IISF has been organised in Lucknow,” he added.