Eminent scientist Debiprosad Duari believes that science, government and press should make people much more aware of India’s achievements in science and technology.
Duari, who has been associated with Kolkata’s Birla Planetarium for over two decades, said one of the main goals of the center’s “Technology Vision 2035” is to make people aware of their own potential and that of the country in terms of technological advancement.
He said communicating with people in their language is key to spreading information about scientific achievements and giving them a sense of well-being and euphoria.
“I’ve been part of the education and technology sector as part of the ‘Technology Vision 2035’ and we’ve sat together and discussed various things for five to six years since 2012 when this was conceived.
“The main focus of this initiative is to get involved and create an environment by 2035 where people know the actual reality of developments in the scientific field, not just the promises,” Duari told PTI during an interaction at his office in Calcutta.
He also urged the press to report more on India’s scientific achievements in order to motivate the masses to pursue their goals.
Giving some concrete examples, he said India is building an ambitious neutrino observatory deep underground as part of a particle physics project. The country is also building the “world’s largest” liquid-surface telescope, whose surface is said to be made of mercury instead of glass.
“The problem is that many such developments in the field of science are not known to ordinary people. News of such events will be of immense interest to children and students.
“This is where the media needs to step in and report more… The masses should be sensitized but keep an eye on the secret details that cannot be made public,” Duari said.
The renowned scientist, who was a faculty member at the University of Manchester, has also recently founded an institute in Kolkata aimed at a graded and structured outreach of science and technology.
“The Institute of Astronomy Space and Earth Science (IASES) started its voyage on May 16 and we have some renowned scientists on board as faculty. The goal of the organization is to reach students in schools, colleges, universities and in general the public,” said Duari, who is the institute’s director.
Duari said he has contacted the West Bengal government as well as concerned officials at the center for financial assistance.
He also said that the need for an educational institution like IASES arose because astrophysics and space sciences are not covered extensively in most national institutes in the metropolis and other parts of the state.
Among other plans, the institute is considering launching Internet radio, a “first for the country,” he said.
“There are community radio channels with a limited range of 50km, but an internet radio channel will be something new and without such limitations. The aim is to demonstrate the potential of India and connect it with the most important scientific and technological developments around the world,” said Duari.
The well-known astrophysicist also has a “dream” of building a few more planetariums in West Bengal that would focus on educational content.
“This is my dream. Nothing is finalized yet. I hope that will materialize in the future,” he said with a big smile.
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