City hosted first ISC 102 years ago in 1920

Nagpur: Even as Nagpur University hosts the Indian Science Congress (ISC) from Tuesday, as part of its centenary year celebrations, it last hosted this event about 49 years ago, in 1974. The prestigious conference had been organized in the city three times before that, say NU officials.
Based on the central theme ‘Mathematics – Queen or Handmaiden’, the 1974 event was held at the university’s sports ground at Ravi Nagar and was inaugurated by then premier Indira Gandhi. Prof RS Mishra was Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) president at that time. The dignitaries that time included then governor Ali Yawar Jung, then chief minister Vasantrao Naik, then Union minister for science and technology C Subramaniam, then education minister AN Namjoshi, renowned agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan and soil science specialist NR Dhar.
Officials said Nagpur had first hosted this prestigious conference in 1920, when NU was not even in existence. The theme of that event was ‘Dawn of Science in Modern India’. Acharya Prafullachandra Ray was the ISCA president while JL Simonson and PS McMahon were the general secretaries.
Maharashtra’s second capital hosted the event (18th edition) second time in 1931, which was based on the theme ‘The problem of evolution – Experimental modification of bodily structure’. It was held under the former ISCA president Lt Col RB Seymour-Sewell. ISC was hosted in the city for the third time in 1945 (32nd edition), with the central theme being ‘Give science a chance’. Shanti Bhatnagar was at the helm of affairs at ISCA at that time.
The first ISC was held from January 15-17 in 1914 at Asiatic Society in Kolkata. Some 105 scientists from different parts of India and abroad attended it. About 35 papers were presented in six sections — botany, chemistry, ethnography, geology, physics, zoology — under six sectional presidents. Later, it was included in the Guinness Book of World Records for the biggest event in the field of science.
Current ISCA president (2020-23) Vijayalakshmi Saxena had informed the media last month that the body was established in 1914 at Kolkata after two British scientists — Prof JL Simonson and Prof PS McMahon — came up with the concept.
The ISCA had also decided to appoint Prime Minister Narendra Modi as their next president keeping in view the ‘Amrit Mahotsav’ of India's independence. If the PM’s office grants approval, the announcement would be made during the five-day event here. Next year’s venue will also be announced here after the ISCA meeting on January 7.
Saxena said over 100 speakers and 250 scientists from India and abroad have confirmed participation and over 300 research papers will be presented during various plenary sessions. “Over 500 tribal representatives and 1,000 farmers too would be a part of the event. There will be around 500 delegates at the Children’s Science Congress as well. In the inaugural session, 7,000 local children and 100 delegates would participate in the ‘Science and Society and Science Communicators Meet’,” she had said.