Lucknow is the place for science enthusiasts
IISF 2018 to be held in October in UP
Lucknow will be the place where science enthusiasts from all corners of this country will be going to, thanks to IISF 2018. The fourth session of India International Science Festival (IISF) will be organised at Indira Gandhi Prathisthan in Lucknow from 5 to 8 October.
S. Vishnu Sharma, INN/Chennai, @svs037
The Ministries of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences are organizing the grand science related event and is being coordinated by Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology. As a prelude to the main event at Lucknow, Department of Biotechnology and Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA) is organizing outreach programmes at 80 centers across the country.
IISF is conceivably the biggest platform in India that brings together students, researchers, artists and general public to celebrate our nation’s achievements in science and technology. It is a medium to encourage the young minds towards the field of science and to promote the networking of stakeholders working towards the propagation of science.
IISF-2018 with its focal theme ‘Science for Transformation’ will have 23 special events. IISF-2018 is expected to be represented by approximately 10000 delegates including 5000 students, 550 teachers, 200 students from north-east region, 20 international delegates and approximately 200 startups.
The Global Indian Science and Technology Stakeholders Meet (GIST), Industry Academia Meet and Science and Technology for Harnessing Innovations (SATHI), a national startup entrepreneurship summit and student science village are some of the important events, being organized. 
The Science Village program is linked with the Pradhan Manthri Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana to reach out to the rural masses and propagate science and for seeking scientific solutions to the diverse challenges facing our society, particularly rural India.
North East Student’s Conclave will bring hundreds of innovative, dedicated, passionate and award winning students on a single platform to share their experiences and put forth the new dimensions of passion with science. As World record attempts have been a key part of IISF since 2015, in IISF 2018, a world record attempt will be made to isolate DNA by 500 students from 8 to 10th standard.
Focusing on the role of women scientists and entrepreneurs in shaping the scientific growth trajectory will be another highlight of this festival. The programme aspires to develop new entrepreneurship and explore new vistas of opportunities in the field of science and technology among the women.
Approximately 800 women scientists,entrepreneurs are likely to attend the event. There will be a special effort to engage with stakeholders of the northeast and the aspirational districts.
Another feature of IISF-2018 will be mega science and industry expo that will highlight the outstanding contributions of India in the field of science, technology, and industry. Nav Bharat Nirman and the science and literary festival are the other highlights of IISF 2018.
This festival is expected to bring all stakeholders together to discuss the contributions of science and technology to the flagship programmes of the government. Through this festival, the largest of its kind in the country and in this region, it is expected that the message of excitement of science will be spread to the students and will be inspiring for the youth. All stakeholders will assemble to collectively work towards ‘Vigyan se Vikas,’ contributing to the making of a new India.
