Developing scientific temper in society is of paramount importance, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Saturday, stressing the dangers posed by the promotion of pseudo-science.
Society should be encouraged to accept scientific outlook as the beacon for progress. At every level, the conviction should be strong that the scientific method offers the best solutions to the problems faced by the individual, society and the country, the Chief Minister said, inaugurating the valedictory of the 33rd Kerala Science Congress (KSC) organised by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE).
The scientific interventions in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, back-to-back floods and the economic crisis further emphasise the relevance of inculcating scientific outlook in the country, he said.
Science paved the way for progress in post-Independence India. Nonetheless, the answer to whether the country has developed the scientific temper envisioned by the Constitution can be somewhat disturbing, Mr. Vijayan said.
In the present Indian situation, individuals who interpret myths and fables as history are being installed atop institutions, even as research projects are being announced to establish beliefs and customs as science. This is a dangerous trend which challenges science and the scientific outlook, he said.
The emphasis on scientific temperament enabled the Kerala government to achieve unparalleled infrastructure development in the State in spite of the pandemic, two floods and the Nipah virus outbreak, Mr. Vijayan said.
The noted virologist and chairman of the 33rd KSC, T. Jacob John, underscored the importance of establishing a dedicated ‘Health Protection Agency’ in the State for tackling infectious diseases.
It would be a robust and lasting system of defence, given the State's susceptibility to infectious diseases due to the high population density and volume of travel, he said.
The 33rd KSC was themed on ‘Pandemics: Risks, Impacts and Mitigation.’ Technical sessions were held from January 25 to 28. Around 160 papers were presented. Prof. K.P. Sudheer, executive vice-president, KSCSTE, presided.
Thomas V. P., assistant professor, Botany, Catholicate College, Pathanmthitta, won the Dr. S. Vasudev Award - 2020 instituted by the KSCSTE for the best project completed under the Science Research Scheme.
The Young Scientist Awards were presented to A. A. Ambily, assistant professor, Mathematics, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT); Deepu Sivadas, post-doctoral fellow, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI), Palode; Sreejith Shankar P., assistant professor, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology; and Sudarshan Karthik, assistant professor, Avionics, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Valiamala.
