Friends,
Here is a news compilation/update on Indian Science Congress 2009 which is in session in Shilong .Courtesy,INDIAN SCIENCE WRITERS' ASSOCITION (ISWA),YAHOO GROUPS.
Arvind
Note: Forwarded message attached

-- Original Message --

From: "dr.ybalu" <ybalamuralikrishna@gmail.com>
To: iswaindia@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [iswaindia] Re: Good wishes for the year 2009

dear friends,
this post may be of some interest to you.click the link below.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/10-science-experiments.htm
balu-panaji-goa

also find some ISC Congress stories below for your info.

SPACE-ISRO-PROPOSAL
ISRO submitted proposal to launch manned flight into space

Shillong, Jan 4-2k9 (UNI) The Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO)
has submitted a proposal to send its first manned flight into space
by 2015, an ISRO official said today.
Dr K Radhakrishnan, member of Space Commission and Director of
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, said the proposal has been sent to the
government and approval is awaited.
''There are plans to send a two-member crew into space and orbit
around 200 kms away from the earth,'' Mr Radhakrishnan, who was here
at the 96th edition of the Indian Science Congress, said.
The space scientist said the proposal to send a manned spacecraft
was sent after India successfully launched the Chandrayaan-I on the
Moon. ''ISRO also has plans to hoist the tricolour by an Indian on
the Moon before 2020 and a Mars mission during the same period,'' he
said.
All are at a conceptual stage, he said, adding, ''Obviously
everyone is happy with the successful launch of Chandrayaan and now
there are preparations for Mission Chandrayaan-II after the
government approval.''
Chandrayaan-I was mostly a remote-sensing spacecraft scanning the
lunar surface for minerals and water, Chandrayaan-II would be a
lander-rover with capabilities to move on the moon's surface.
UNI RRK DPM LS AS1802
DI 34
SCIENCE-CONGRESS-CHANDRAYAAN
Chandrayaan dominates day two at 96th Indian Science Congress

Shillong, Jan 4-2k9 (UNI) Hundreds of children in Shillong watched
with great enthusiasm and expectations as a film took them on a
journey to the making of Chandrayaan-I here at the ongoing 96th
Indian Science Congress, ISC -2009.
The film was brought to them by none other than Prof M G K Menon,
an eminent scientist and the Chancellor of North Eastern Hill
University, NEHU. The show and the interaction there after was part
of the North Eastern Region (NER) Awareness Programme for School
Children.
ISRO's Chandrayaan-I success story was also the theme of one
of the Plenary sessions chaired by Dr K Radhakrishnan, Member, Space
Commission and Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. Several
members of the Team Chandrayaan-I participated in the discussion and
enlightened the audience with detailed information on various
aspects of the project.
A large number of people visited the ISRO stall within the NEHU
Campus to see the Chadrayaan-I model.
Earlier, a panel discussion on Societal and Technological
Response to Climate Change saw several eminent experts in the area
deliberating on issues related to the subject. These included Dr M S
Swaminathan, Member of Parliament, Dr R Chidambaram, Principal
Scientific Advisor to the government, Dr Shailesh Nayak, Secretary,
Ministry of Earth Science, Dr Anand Patwardhan, former Executive
Director of TIFAC, Prof Jyoti Parekh of eRADE, Dr Suman Sahai of
Gene Campaign, an NGO and the youngest Member of Parliament, Ms
Agatha Sangma.
The other sessions included a thought provoking discussion on
Women in Science. This was chaired by Dr Manju Sharma, former
secretary, Department of Biotechnology. It focused on gender issues
and why women lose out. Several young students came out with useful
suggestions to counter the problems faced by women in furthering
their careers as scientists.
Dr R A Mashelkar, former Director General, CSIR, chaired the
session on CSIR in 21st century which focussed on using high science
for India's technological prowess. CSIR has also put out an
exhibition on its Project 800, where the display of "Solekshwa", an
eco-friendly solar operated cycle rikshaw, is drawing huge crowds.
Later, addressing a press conference, Prof Samir Brahmachari,
Director General, CSIR explained the concept of Project 800, which is
expected to touch the lives of 800 million people across the
country. He also announced setting up of CSIR-NEHU Centre of
Excellence.
There was also a symposium on "Need for Innovative PPP Models for
Science Education to Empower Emerging India".

UNI BKS KK UCS1943

ZCZC
CA 37
SCIENCE-INDIA-SIBAL-RESEARCH
Sibal calls for utilitarian and result oriented research

Shillong, Jan 3 (UNI) Emphasing that research should be utilitarian
and result oriented, Union Science and Technology Minister Kapil
Sibal today said resources should be spent on projects which can
offer quick and lasting solutions.
Delivering a key-note address at the 96th edition of the Indian
Science Congress held at North Eastern Hill University here, Mr
Sibal said the country needed to continue with its efforts to ensure
a strong future supply of scientists, engineers and technologists
and to unlock the talents of all people in the country to use
science and technology to help them lead their lives more richly.
Expressing concern over the misuse of technology for destructive
purpose, the Union Minister said the answer to the problem lies not
in embracing a technology denial regime, but act in the belief that
technology alone can provide answers to those who seek to misuse it.
Mr Sibal said the challenges for society are formidable and will
require substantial information, knowledge, wisdom, and above all
collaboration between the scientific community, policy makers and the
public.
Observing that the importance of scientific engagement across
society and the potential for science to contribute to good policy
making and sound governance has never been greater, the Union
Minister expressed confidence that it is only science which will
help the nation address the challenges facing it.
In this regard, Mr Sibal believed that there is a pressing need to
strengthen the level of high quality engagement with the public on
all major scientific issues; and increase the number of people who
choose to study science subjects and to take up research and
scientific careers.

UNI RRK DPM AKJ UCS2104
PRIORITY
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PM-MEGHALAYA-SCIENCE
PM urges industry to invest in R&D

Shillong, Jan 3 (UNI) Urging the Indian industry to invest in

Research and Development to boost the demand for sciences and

technology graduates and researchers, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

today promised to double allocation in science to two per cent.

''India is lagging behind not just the developed western nations,
but also the new industrialising economies of Asia,'' Dr Singh said
while inaugurating the 96th edition of Indian Science Congress at
the North Eastern Hill University here, even as he called for the
new wave of investment from private sector to encourage young people
to seek a career in science.
''They must look at the role played by public investment in
nuclear energy, space and defence related industry in creating the
demand of science and technology graduates,'' the Prime Minister
said.
Stating that the best science is done by young people, Dr Singh
urged the institutions to be receptive to the needs of this segment.
''Seniority and age may be relevant in bureaucratic systems, but
scientific institutions must be led by intellectual leaders
irrespective of age,'' he said.
He said the budget outlay for the Ministries of Science and
Technology and Earth Sciences had been trebled for the last four-year
period--2004-08, relative to the previous four year period--2000-04.
''The government has mounted several promotional measures to
strengthen the Research and Development base in the country and 50
per cent research fellowships for doctoral students has been
increased,'' he said.
Stating that the government has placed the highest emphasis on
making a career in science attractive to young students, Dr Singh
said his government had widened the higher education base of the
country by investing in the creation of 30 new Central universities,
five new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, eight
new Indian Institutes of Technology and 20 new Indian Institutes of
Information Technology.
''New institutes for research in Himalayan glaciology, molecular
materials, nano science and technology are to be created, besides an
inter ministerial group of secretaries in the bio-technology sector
and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council,'' he said.
There are also proposals from the Ministry of Science and
Technology to adopt a Cancer Research Institute in Chennai,
Institute for Advanced Study in Science and Technology in Guwahati
and the National Innovation Foundation as guarantee institutions.
The Prime Minister also informed that a Bill had just been passed
by Parliament to set up a National Science and Engineering body. The
Research Board would be responsible for bringing a major change in
the scientific research scenario and funding.
Bills for Protection of Intellectual Property Rights for publicly
funding research and for Medical Devices Regulation are on the
anvil, he added.

UNI RRK PL RSA BD1330
SCIENCE-KALAM-CANCEL
Kalam cancels visit to Children's Science Congress

Shillong, Jan 4 (UNI) Former President APJ Abdul Kalam's scheduled

visit to Meghalaya to inaugurate the Children's Science Congress

has been cancelled due to his ill-health.

''Dr Kalam will not inaugurate the Children's Science Congress
due to his ill-health,'' NEHU's vice-chancellor Professor Pramod
Tandon said.
The former President was due to arrive here this evening and
deliver a lecture at the Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of
Management-Shillong.
This was the first time that the nuclear scientist had cancelled
his programme to attend the Science Congress.
Dr Kalam was also scheduled to inaugurate the state-of-the-art
Param Sheersh, a supercomputing facility for bio-informatics and
computational biology at NEHU.
UNI RRK PC AKJ BST1956
more in due course
yours
balu-

--- In iswaindia@yahoogroups.com, TARIQ BADAR <polestar2k@...> wrote:
>
> Thanks Kalaji and Bala for New Year Greetings! I wish all ISWA
members and friends A Very Happy & Eventful New Year 2009.
>  
> With warm regards,
>  
> TARIQ BADAR
>
> Wandering One gathers Honey!
>
> --- On Sat, 3/1/09, dr.ybalu <ybalamuralikrishna@...> wrote:
>
> From: dr.ybalu <ybalamuralikrishna@...>
> Subject: [iswaindia] Re: Good wishes for the year 2009
> To: iswaindia@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Saturday, 3 January, 2009, 7:22 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Dear ISWA members,
> I wish U all a very very happy new year.
> Let all of us exchange views and developoments through this group.
> Incidentally, I witnesssed the inaugural session of the ISC today
> telecast by the DD.
> dr.bala-uni- panaji-goa
> --- In iswaindia@yahoogrou ps.com, "ldkala" <ldkala@> wrote:
> >
> > Dear Friends,
> >
> > Wish you a very happy, peaceful, joyous and creatively productive
> new
> > year.
> >
> > Kindly advise all ISWA members to become member of this group as
a
> > quick and regular mode of keeping in touch with the activities of
> ISWA
> > members.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > L D Kala
> >
>