Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) is a premier scientific organisation of India,started in the year 1914, with Headquarters at Kolkata.. It meets annually in the first week of January every year.
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The ISCA was established by two British chemists, Professor J. L. Simonsen and Professor P.S. MacMahon to promote scientific research in India. It was established on the lines of British Association for the Advancement of Science. As per tradition, Indian Science Congress has always been inaugurated on the 3rd of January by the Prime Minister of India and is chaired by the Chief Minister of the state in which it is held.
The Association was formed with the following objectives
The first meeting of the congress was held from January 15–17, 1914 at the premises of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta. Honorable justice Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, the then Vice Chancellor of Calcutta University presided over the Congress. One hundred and five scientists from different parts of India and abroad attended it. Altogether 35 papers under 6 different sections, namely Botany, Chemistry, Ethnography, Geology, Physics and Zoology were presented. The ISCA has now grown into a strong fraternity with more than twelve thousand members.
During the annual Congress meet, plenary lectures are delivered by the eminent scientists and Nobel laureates. These lectures invariably provide broader international perspective and create awareness about the role of science in the society. One of the major attractions is a science exhibition revealing the latest scientific development in the country.
The 5 day long, 98th session at the Campus of SRM University, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 3 January 2011. The focal theme of the current session is: "Quality education and excellence in scientific research in Indian universities". The Prime Minister said: "The Indian scientific community must apply its research findings and translate them into marketable products for the country to realize the true benefits of scientific progress. At the same time, he cautioned on "illiberal" uses of technology and cited use of nuclear weapons, applications of synthetic chemistry in agriculture and in poison gases and "perverse use" of genetics in Nazi Germany to drive home his point.
Nobel laureates Amartya Sen, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Ada Yonath, Thomas A. Steitz, Tim Hunt and Martin Chalfie would deliver special lectures at the congress. Venkata Ramakrishnan inaugurated the parallel Children's Science Congress on Tuesday, 4 January 2011.[1]
Amartya Sen, the Chairman of the interim governing body of the "Asian initiative" to rebuild Nalanda, said that restoring Bihar's Nalanda University- the worlds oldest university- was one of his most challenging assignments. He added: "I am finding out how hard it is to re-establish a university after a 800-year hiatus. But we are getting there".[2] Established in the 5th century, Nalanda University remained the touchstone for educational excellence for more than 700 years - when acclaimed universities such as the UK's Oxford and Cambridge were still being founded. It is more than 600 years older than the University of Bologna, the oldest continually operating university in the world. The Nalanda University was destroyed in an Afghan attack led by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1193. Books and documents were burnt indiscriminately, robbing the academic world of its educational standards and scholastic achievements in various disciplines, Sen said. "Had it not been destroyed and had it managed to survive into our time, Nalanda would be, by a long margin, the oldest university of the world." Sen added. Taking the delegates on a historical tour of the ancient Indian centre of learning, Sen admitted that turning Nalanda into an institute of excellence for higher studies, with focus on science would cost a lot of money and take a lot of time. The Asian Initiative to rebuild Nalanda is a joint venture of India, Japan, China, Singapore and Thailand.
| Session | Year | Place | General President | Title of the presidential address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1914 | Kolkata | Ashutosh Mukherjee | About Science Congress |
| 2nd | 1915 | Chennai | W. B. Bannermann | The importance of knowledge of biology of medical, sanitary and scientific men working in the tropics |
| 3rd | 1916 | Lucknow | Sidney J. Burrard | The plains of northern India and their relationship to the Himalayan mountains |
| 4th | 1917 | Bangalore | Sir Alfred Gibbs Bourne | On scientific research |
| 5th | 1918 | Lahore | Gilbert T. Walker | On teaching of science |
| 6th | 1919 | Mumbai | Leonard Rogers | Researches on cholera |
| 7th | 1920 | Nagpur | Prafulla Chandra Roy | Dawn of science in modern India |
| 8th | 1921 | Kolkata | Rajendranath Mookerjee | On science and industry |
| 9th | 1922 | Chennai | C. S. Middlemiss | Relativity |
| 10th | 1923 | Lucknow | M. Visvesvaraya | Scientific institutions and scientists |
| 11th | 1924 | Bangalore | N. Annandale | Evolution convergent and divergent |
| 12th | 1925 | Varanasi | M. O. Forster | On experimental training |
| 13th | 1926 | Mumbai | Albert Howard | Agriculture and science |
| 14th | 1927 | Lahore | J. C. Bose | Unity of life |
| 15th | 1928 | Kolkata | J. L. Simonsen | On chemistry of natural products |
| 16th | 1929 | Chennai | C. V. Raman | On Raman Effect |
| 17th | 1930 | Allahabad | C. S. Christopher | The science and disease |
| 18th | 1931 | Nagpur | R. B. Seymour Sewell | The problem of evolution experimental modification of bodily structure |
| 19th | 1932 | Bangalore | Lala Shiv Ram Kashyap | Some aspects of the Alpine vegetation of the Himalaya and Tibet |
| 20th | 1933 | Patna | Lewis L. Fermor | The place of geology in the life of a nation |
| 21st | 1934 | Mumbai | Megh Nad Saha | Fundamental cosmological problems |
| 22nd | 1935 | Kolkata | J. H. Hutton | Anthropology and India |
| 23rd | 1936 | Indore | U. N. Brahmachari | The Role of science in the recent progress of medicine |
| 24th | 1937 | Hyderabad | T. S. Venkataraman | The Indian village – its past, present and future |
| 25th | 1938 | Kolkata | James Jeans (Lord Rutherford of Nelson died prematurely) | Researches in India and in Great Britain |
| 26th | 1939 | Lahore | J. C. Ghosh | On research in Chemistry in India |
| 27th | 1940 | Chennai | Birbal Sahni | The Deccan Traps: an episode of the Tertiary era |
| 28th | 1941 | Varanasi | Ardeshir Dalal | Science and industry |
| 29th | 1942 | Vadodra | D. N. Wadia | The making of India |
| 30th | 1943 | Kolkata | D. N. Wadia | Minerals’ share in the war |
| 31st | 1944 | Delhi | S. N. Bose | The Classical Determinism and the Quantum Theory |
| 32nd | 1945 | Nagpur | Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar | Give science a chance |
| 33rd | 1946 | Bangalore | M. Afzal Hussain | The food problem of India |
| 34th | 1947 | Delhi | Jawaharlal Nehru | Science in the service of the nation |
| 35th | 1948 | Patna | Ram Nath Chopra | Rationalisation of medicine in India |
| 36th | 1949 | Allahabad | K. S. Krishnan | |
| 37th | 1950 | Pune | P. C. Mahalanobis | Why statistics? |
| 38th | 1951 | Bangalore | H. J. Bhabha | The present concept of the physical world |
| 39th | 1952 | Kolkata | J. N. Mukherjee | Science and our problems |
| 40th | 1953 | Lucknow | D. M. Bose | The living and the non-living |
| 41st | 1954 | Hyderabad | S. L. Hora | Give scientists a chance |
| 42nd | 1955 | Vadodra | S. K. Mitra | Science and progress |
| 43rd | 1956 | Agra | M. S. Krishnan | Mineral resources and their problems |
| 44th | 1957 | Kolkata | B. C. Roy | On science for human welfare and development of the country |
| 45th | 1958 | Chennai | M. S. Thacker | Grammar of scientific development |
| 46th | 1959 | Delhi | A. L. Mudaliar | Tribute to basic sciences |
| 47th | 1960 | Mumbai | P. Parija | Impact of society on science |
| 48th | 1961 | Roorkee | N. R. Dhar | Nitrogen problem |
| 49th | 1962 | Cuttack | B. Mukherji | Impact of life sciences on man |
| 50th | 1963 | Delhi | D. S. Kothari | Science and the universities |
| 51st | 1964 | Kolkata | Humayun Kabir | Science and the state |
| 52nd | 1965 | Kolkata | Humayun Kabir | |
| 53rd | 1966 | Chandigarh | B. N. Prasad | Science in India |
| 54th | 1967 | Hyderabad | T. R. Seshadri | Science and national welfare |
| 55th | 1968 | Varanasi | Atma Ram | Science in India – some aspects |
| 56th | 1969 | Mumbai | A. C. Joshi (A. C. Banerjee died prematurely) | A breathing spell:plant sciences in the service of man |
| 57th | 1970 | Kharagpur | L. C. Verman | Standardization: a triple point |
| 58th | 1971 | Bangalore | B. P. Pal | Agricultural science and human welfare |
| 59th | 1972 | Kolkata | W. D. West | Geology in the service of India |
| 60th | 1973 | Chandigarh | S. Bhagavantam | Sixty years of science in India |
| 61st | 1974 | Nagpur | R. S. Mishra | Mathematics – queen or handmaid |
| 62nd | 1975 | Delhi | Asima Chatterjee | Science and technology in India: present and future |
| 63rd | 1976 | Waltair | M. S. Swaminathan | Science and integrated rural development |
| 64th | 1977 | Bhubaneswar | H. N. Sethna | Survey, conservation and utilisation of resources |
| 65th | 1978 | Ahmedabad | S. M. Sircar | Science, education and rural development |
| 66th | 1979 | Hyderabad | R. C. Mehrotra | Science and technology in India during the coming decades |
| 67th | 1980 | Jadavpur | A. K. Saha | Energy strategies for India |
| 68th | 1981 | Varanasi | A. K. Sharma | Impact of development of science and technology on environment |
| 69th | 1982 | Mysore | M. G. K. Menon | Basic Research as an integral component of self-reliant base of science and technology |
| 70th | 1983 | Tirupati | B. Rama Chandra Rao | Man and the ocean – resource and development |
| 71st | 1984 | Ranchi | R. P. Bambah | Quality science in India – ends and means |
| 72nd | 1985 | Lucknow | A. S. Paintal | High altitude studies |
| 73rd | 1986 | Delhi | T. N. Khoshoo | Role of science and technology in environment management |
| 74th | 1987 | Bangalore | Archana Sharma | Resources and human well-being-inputs from science and technology |
| 75th | 1988 | Pune | C. N. R. Rao | Frontiers in science and technology |
| 76th | 1989 | Madurai | A. P. Mitra | Science and technology in India:technology missions |
| 77th | 1990 | Kochi | Yash Pal | Science in society |
| 78th | 1991 | Indore | D. K. Sinha | Coping with natural disaster: an integrated approach |
| 79th | 1992 | Vadodra | Vasant Gowariker | Science, population and development |
| 80th | 1993 | Goa | S. Z. Qasim | Science and quality of life |
| 81st | 1994 | Jaipur | P. N. Shrivastava | Science in India: excellence and accountability |
| 82nd | 1995 | Kolkata | S. C. Pakrashi | Science, technology and industrial development of India |
| 83rd | 1996 | Patiala | U. R. Rao | Science and technology for achieving food, economic and healthy security |
| 84th | 1997 | Delhi | S. K. Joshi | Frontiers in science and engineering, and their relevance to national development |
| 85th | 1998 | Hyderabad | P. Rama Rao | Science & Technology in Independent India : Retrospect and Prospect |
| 86th | 1999 | Chennai | Manju Sharma | New bioscience: opportunities and challenges as we move into the next millennium |
| 87th | 2000 | Pune | R. A. Marshelkar | Indian science and technology into the next millennium |
| 88th | 2001 | Delhi | R. S. Paroda | Food, nutrition and environmental security |
| 89th | 2002 | Lucknow | S. K. Katiyar | Health care, education and information technology |
| 90th | 2003 | Bangalore | K. Kasturirangan | Frontiers of science and cutting-edge technologies |
| 91st | 2004 | Chandigarh | Asis Dutta | Science and society in the twenty first century : quest for excellence |
| 92nd | 2005 | Ahmedabad | N. K. Ganguly | Health technology as fulcrum of development for the nation |
| 93rd | 2006 | Hyderabad | I. V. Subba Rao | Integrated rural development: science and technology |
| 94th | 2007 | Annamalainagar | Harsh Gupta | Planet Earth |
| 95th | 2008 | Visakhapatnam | Dr. Ramamurthi Rallapalli | Knowledge Based Society Using Environmentally Sustainable Science And Technology |
| 96th | 2009 | Shillong | Dr. T. Ramasami | Science Education and Attraction of Talent for Excellence in Research |
| 97th | 2010 | Thiruvananthapuram. | Dr. Madhavan Nair | Science & Technology of 21st Century - National Perspective |
| 98th | 2011 | Chennai | Prof. K.C. Pandey | Quality education and excellence in science research in Indian Universities. |
| 99th | 2012 | Bhubaneshwar | Prof. Geetha Bali | Science And Technology for Inclusive Innovation- Role of Women |