The Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA)!
The credit of the origin of this association completely goes to the two British Pharmacist, the effort of their initiative and the foresight that they had… Well, moving forward with their introduction namely, Professor P.S. MacMahon and Professor J.L. Simonsen. It stroked them that a Scientific Research in India can bloom if an annual meeting of all the researchers could be possible under the guidelines of British Association for the Progression of Science that could be devised.
The objective of the association is as follows:
- To uphold the progress and promotion of the cause of Science in India
- To schedule, a yearly Congress meet at an appropriate place in India
- To promulgate such journals, transactions proceedings and other publications as might be considered related to protect and administer funds and legacy for the advertisement of Science and the authority to sell-off or dispose of any portion of the Associations’ Property
- Performing the acts that would be incidental or conducive to for the objects mentioned above
The first meeting of the Association was ever held on 15th of January to 17th of January, 1914, at the campus of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta, this was commenced in the presence of the Honorable Justice Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee and the Vice Chancellor of the Calcutta University, as President. Well, the total of 105 scientists from the various nook of India and also from abroad people attended wherein the paper numbering has been segregated into six sections, Chemistry, Geology, Zoology, Botany, Ethnography, and Physics under Sectional Presidents.
From this very decent initiation with 105 members along with 35 papers for the reading at the prime session, ISCA has bloomed into a powerful confraternity with 10,000 plus members till date. The reading of the number of papers has been rise up to 1,000. Around 2,000 it consisted of Sixteen Sections, Six Forums and Two Committees comprising of, Computer Sciences, Anthropology & Archaeology, Biophysics & Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Earth System Sciences, Material Sciences, Medical & Veterinary Sciences, Psychology & Educational Sciences, Entomology & Fisheries, Science & Society, Forensic Science, Science for School Students and Women & Science, Agricultural Sciences, Biochemistry, Botany, Engineering Sciences, Mathematics, Physics Physiology, Zoology, Committees-Home Sciences, Forums-Communication & Information Science and Science Education.
There have been now the total of fourteen sections which includes Animal, Veterinary and Fishery Sciences, Veterinary and Fishery Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Information and Communication Science & Technology, Mathematical Sciences, New Biology, Physical Sciences, Committee Science & Society, Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Anthropological and Behavioral Sciences, Earth System Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Material Sciences, Medical Sciences and Plant Sciences.
Well, this was all about the Indian Science Congress Association now coming back to the question which city would be hosting the Indian Science Congress (ISC)…
So, the 105th occasion of the Indian Science Congress (ISC) would be held at Osmania University (OU), Hyderabad from 3rd of January until 7th of January, 2018. The Association has decided upon the theme for the conference and that is “Science & Technology- Reaching the Unreached”. The University would be hosting the conference for the 6th time in its history and now the 7th time in Hyderabad. Around 25 of the Nobel Laureates would be taking part in the Conference.
Cheers!