9th India International Science Festival held in Faridabad, Haryana

The 9th edition of India International Science Festival (IISF 2023) was held from 17th to 20th January 2024 at Faridabad, Haryana. The festival aims to celebrate the achievements of India in the frontier areas of science and technology.

• IISF 2023 is held under the central theme – ‘Science and Technology Public Outreach in Amrit Kaal’.

Aim: To recognize science enthusiasts, foster scientific curiosity in students, and promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) among Indian citizens.

About IISF 2023:

i.Venue: Campus of Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) and Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB) of Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology (MoST), in Faridabad.

ii.Organiser: Department of Science and Technology (DST), MoST.

iii.Coordination and implementation body: National Innovation Foundation – India, autonomous body of the DST.

iv.Participants: around 22 countries participated at IISF 2023. These includes Argentine, Armenia, Australia, Cambodia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia,  Myanmar, Namibia, Philippines, Rwanda, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

v.The Science Media Communication Cell (SMCC) at Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-National Institute of Science Communication & Policy Research (NIScPR) coordinated and facilitated the media coverage of IISF 2023.

Inaugural & Closing Ceremony:

i.Union Minister of State (MoS) (Independent Charge) Dr Jitendra Singh, MoST graced the inaugural ceremony of IISF 2023 on 17th January 2024.

ii.Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister (CM) of Haryana, graced the closing ceremony of IISF 2023 as Chief Guest.

• He also announced that the Haryana Government has plans to develop a state-of-the-art Science City in Faridabad (Haryana) spanning across 50 acres.

Key People:

Principal Scientific Advisor Ajay Sood; secretary, department of science and technology, Abhay Karandikar; secretary, department of biotechnology, Rajesh Gokhale; secretary, ministry of earth sciences, M Ravichandran; among others.

Highlights:

i.IISF 2023 featured 17 events which includes Student Science Village, Face to Face of New Frontiers of Science & Technology, Students Innovation Festival – Space Hackathon,Young Scientists Conference, Science, Technology, and Innovation Exhibition etc.

ii.IISF also organised a series of outreach events in R&D institutes, labs and schools for around one month to create awareness among different stakeholders in society.

iii.A number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were also signed at IISF 2023.

Science, Technology, and Innovation Exhibition:

i.Over 100 stalls featured at the mega science expo. 20 stalls were  from private organizations and over 80 stalls were from government entities. The exposition attracted approximately 1 lakh visitors.

ii.Prominent organizations, such as Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), and DST and its autonomous bodies showcase their inventions and innovations at the expo.

Awards:

Several awards under different categories were given to the participants at the mega science expo.