Spend 10 days each year to popularise science among masses: Centre's SSR guidelines

NEW DELHI: In a bid to share knowledge with the society, scientists are expected to contribute at least 10 person days per year to popularise science among the masses under the scientific social responsibility (SSR) initiative of the government. Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday released the SSR guidelines that seeks to "incentivize" the individual engaged in SSR activities and give it due weightage in performance evaluation.
The broad objective of the SSR guidelines is to harness the latent potential of the scientific community on a voluntary basis for strengthening science and society linkages and thereby making S&T ecosystem responsive to societal needs, Singh said addressing the National Technology Day celebrations.
The National Technology Day is celebrated to commemorate the nuclear tests conducted on May 11 and 13 in 1998.
The suggestion for SSR, on the lines of Corporate Social Responsibility, was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his inaugural address of the Indian Science Congress in 2017 at Tirupati.
"There should be an SSR assessment cell in each institution, including Anchor Scientific Institution, to periodically assess institutional projects and individual activities," the guidelines said.
The SSR activities suggested in the guidelines include lectures by scientists in schools and colleges for inspiring students to take up science as a career; knowledge workers spending at least 10 days per year to popularise science among masses, mentoring school students, organising visits to planetaria, laboratories; working with rural and local innovators; aiding NGOs for use of S&T for societal challenges.
The minister also gave away awards to seven most successful start-ups for their pioneering work in areas like quantum data security, Covid testing kits, A-I powered Robot for electronic assembly, cryogenic technologies and cyber security systems.
Singh also gave away awards to 10 women scientists for commercialising innovative indigenous technologies.
The minister said encouraging start-ups and women entrepreneurs tops the priority list of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Department of Science and Technology was taking all the steps to promote them to their full potential.
Singh pledged complete support to the start-ups by proactively reaching out to them, promised full financial support and even offered to change the rules to strengthen the support system.