Tamil Nadu - Chennai

ISCA chapter revived

CHENNAI: The Chennai chapter of the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA), the country’s oldest forum devoted to promotion of science, has been revived. The Chennai unit, which had remained dysfunctional for a few years, survived a closure recommendation from the ISCA executive committee following the intervention of Department of Science and Technology Secretary T. Ramasami.

Addressing the first meeting hosted by the revitalised chapter, the ISCA general secretary Ashok Saxena said that the organisation which was founded in 1914 had grown from strength to strength over the decades.

The ISCA now has 20 chapters with a combined membership of 17,000 professionals and students.

Only the ISCA chapters at Patiala and Chandigarh remained inactive, he said.

P. Thangaraju, Vice-Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Science University (TANUVAS) said that the association with the parent forum for all science activities in the country would greatly benefit the veterinary profession. He also stressed the importance of basic sciences which was the pivot for research applications in areas such as veterinary sciences, health and agriculture.

S. Rajarajan, convenor of the Chennai chapter, said that a membership mobilisation drive would be top priority for the year 2008-09.

The current strength of 130 members belied the fact that the State had produced two Nobel Laureates and one Abel Laureate, he said.

The chapter expects to grow to a membership of 1,000 over the next year and also to launch a website within a month.

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