The Breakthrough Science Society called for "March for Science, India" 6 months after the event was held globally.
I marched.
There were about 100-200 people who marched from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar in Delhi. For the number of institutes and universities located in Delhi (including the NCR), the participation was pathetic. Most of the number was made up by non-science faculty. My own school was represented by two of us and handful of students from one of the lab (the faculty was marching and he asked them to come). And when I think of the demonstration the students held on Science day couple of years back demanding for fellowship, I really do wonder about priorities. I also wonder about our (teachers) priorities. We grumble and groan about fund cuts, about poor quality of students, about life as a scientist but really, aren't we ourselves responsible for the abysmal situation? When it comes to crunch time, when we have to speak up, we don't. We back out. We worry about promotions, about membership to various academies, we worry about grant (oh, if we speak up the funding will be cut. It does. I have had first-hand experience in this matter but...)...in general we worry about everything but about science.
So the government continues to spend 0.8% of GDP on Science, knowing fully well that there will be no protests.
Rubbish continues to thrive. Vaastu Shastra masquerades as science. People flock to astrologer and numerologists- change the spelling of your name and your fortune will change. As my brother pointed out, only the English spelling seems to be targeted. There are astrologers who promise that fortune will change if one uses their particular brand of ash (vibhuthi). Then there gemologists who promise that the fortune will change if one wears a ring of particular stone. Wait a minute. I know of scientists as well as students who wear these rings.
I rest my case.
I marched.
There were about 100-200 people who marched from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar in Delhi. For the number of institutes and universities located in Delhi (including the NCR), the participation was pathetic. Most of the number was made up by non-science faculty. My own school was represented by two of us and handful of students from one of the lab (the faculty was marching and he asked them to come). And when I think of the demonstration the students held on Science day couple of years back demanding for fellowship, I really do wonder about priorities. I also wonder about our (teachers) priorities. We grumble and groan about fund cuts, about poor quality of students, about life as a scientist but really, aren't we ourselves responsible for the abysmal situation? When it comes to crunch time, when we have to speak up, we don't. We back out. We worry about promotions, about membership to various academies, we worry about grant (oh, if we speak up the funding will be cut. It does. I have had first-hand experience in this matter but...)...in general we worry about everything but about science.
So the government continues to spend 0.8% of GDP on Science, knowing fully well that there will be no protests.
Rubbish continues to thrive. Vaastu Shastra masquerades as science. People flock to astrologer and numerologists- change the spelling of your name and your fortune will change. As my brother pointed out, only the English spelling seems to be targeted. There are astrologers who promise that fortune will change if one uses their particular brand of ash (vibhuthi). Then there gemologists who promise that the fortune will change if one wears a ring of particular stone. Wait a minute. I know of scientists as well as students who wear these rings.
I rest my case.
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