Govt dissociates from Indian Science Congress-2024

New Delhi: The government on Monday dissociated itself from the Indian Science Congress Association, accusing it of taking "unilateral decisions" as it shifted the venue of the Indian Science Congress-2024 from the Lucknow University to the Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar.

In a notice to all secretaries of scientific departments, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) said: "It has also been decided that DST support from all its resources for the forthcoming ISC event in 2024 will be discontinued." The Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) has been organising the Indian Science Congress (ISC) every year since 1914. After Independence, the prime minister inaugurates the annual gathering of scientists.

There have been differences between the government and the ISCA over the past few years over the organisation of the event. The government has been promoting the India International Science Festival (IISF) as a parallel event since 2015.

In the notice issued on Monday, the DST said the ISCA has taken a unilateral decision to shift the ISC event to Lovely Professional University (in Punjab).

"Besides these factors, a number of allegations regarding financial irregularities have also been reported to the notice of this department," the DST notice said.

A government official said that there were plans to turn the IISF into the annual event where the prime minister interacts with the scientific community.

"It has been decided, with the approval of the competent authority, that government has de-associated from any of its such activities, as ISCA annual event has already lost its relevance among the scientific community and lacks professional approach in the conduct of the meeting on many fronts,” the notice said.

The DST said it has directed the executive secretary of the ISCA not to incur any expenditure from the government exchequer regarding any such events, without the approval of the government.

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

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

Verma insisted that the DST has stopped funding for the ISCA only for the January 2024 event.