Govt pulls out of Science Congress over ‘financial irregularities’

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has announced withdrawal from the 2024 edition of the Indian Science Congress, raising questions on the future of the annual event as DST is the single biggest funding agency behind the jamboree involving a section of scientists and young students. 

The DST has alleged “financial irregularities” and “unilateral decision” by a few office bearers of the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) without the government approval to shift the venue of the 2024 session from Lucknow University to Lovely Professional University at Jalandhar as the reasons for dissociating with the next session of the Indian Science Congress.

"It has been decided that DST support from all its resources for the forthcoming Indian Science Congress event in 2024 will be discontinued. It has been directed to the executive secretary, ISCA not to incur any expenditure from the government exchequer regarding any such events, without the approval of the government,” the department said in a notice issued on Monday.

The Kolkata-based association has been organising the Indian Science Congress since 1914, and post-independence, it has been a tradition for the incumbent prime minister to address Congress on January 3 every year.

However, scientists have alleged a sharp decline in the quality of discourse at Indian Science Congress sessions over the years, because of which top researchers from India’s best-known scientific institutions generally avoid the five-day gathering, which takes place in a university. 

Among the academic community, Indian Science Congress sessions are known as “mela (carnival) rather than a forum for presenting new scientific ideas among peers and exchange of ideas.

The 109th session of the Indian Science Congress was to be held at Lucknow University, but the university withdrew from hosting the show last month citing a legal dispute between the ISCA and DST.

“The ISCA annual event has already lost its relevance among the scientific community and lacks a professional approach in the conduct of the meeting on many fronts,” the notice said, noting that the decision to de-associate with the Indian Science Congress was taken with the approval of the “competent authority”.

In his response, ISCA executive secretary Ranjeet Verma said the executive committee of the ISCA and its general president were empowered to make decisions on the university that would host the ISC, and they were not required to consult the DST.

The ISCA has moved court against the DST, contending government interference in organising the event.

Since 2015, the Centre has promoted the India International Science Festival with the active participation of Vijnana Bharati (Vibha), a Sangh Parivar outfit.