· Inaugurated by Union Minister for Textiles Smriti Irani
· Women’s Science Congress is the congregation of leading women scientists from across the country
· This is the Eighth edition of Women’s Science Congress
Phagwara, January 5, 2019: Women’s Science Congress, as part of of the 106th Indian Science Congress, was kicked off by Union Minister for Textiles Smriti Irani at the Lovely Professional University near here.
This is the eighth chapter of the Women’s Science Congress since it started in 2012. The objective of the Women’s Science Congress is to showcase the work of women scientists. Many leading women scientists and distinguished women from other disciplines are participating in talks and discussions in the Congress.
Speaking after inaugurating the Women’s Science Congress, Union Minister Smriti Irani said that women are facing serious challenges in the world of science. “Only about 14% of the scientists and engineers of the total 2.8 lakh people working in Indian research institutes are women. This shows that there is a male-bias in this field,” she lamented. “Gender bias starts at home when a parent buys a doll for the baby girl and a car or a lego set for the baby boy,” she said urging women to come out of the stereotype.
Majority of the Indian scientific journals or material is in English and most students from rural areas are not very familiar with English language, Smriti Irani said, calling upon the Indian Science Congress Association, the body which organises the Indian Science Congress, to come out with science journals in Indian languages to facilitate scientific fervour among rural students.
Mr Ashok Mittal, Chancellor of the Lovely Professional University, which is hosting the Indian Science Congress, said that his university has ensured gender parity by having more than 50% of women in the staff. “Majority of our senior management team is represented by women in our university,” he added.
Dr Namita Gupta, scientist with the Department of Science and Technology, Dr Purvi Mehta from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ms Suja Warrior from Infosys, Dr Shakuntala Das from State University of Newyork are among the women who will deliver lectures on various topics.
Before inaugurating Women’s Science Congress, Mrs Irani also unveiled the 55 feet tall Robot structure ‘Metal Magna’ at the gates of the Lovely Professional University. The Robot structure is made up of 25 tons of steel and was built in 2 months by 50 students from the Mechanical and Civil Engineering departments of Lovely Professional University.
About LPU
Established in 2005, Lovely Professional University (LPU) is a private university based out of Jalandhar, Punjab. The university campus spreads over 600 acres on the outskirts of Jalandhar. LPU offers a wide variety of courses such as engineering streams, Hotel Management, and Tourism, Architecture and Design, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Agriculture, Fashion Design, Journalism, Films and Creative Arts, Law, Physiotherapy and Paramedical Sciences as well as Art and Languages.
With over 25,000 students currently enrolled LPU offers students full-time as well as part-time courses. LPU houses students from over 50 countries and encourages diversity. The sprawling campus consists of its own shopping mall, a MAC lab for students to develop & deploy Apple apps, an aviation lab, a skating rink, in-house bowling complex, convenience stores, and numerous food kiosks.
The vision of LPU is to be a premier academic institution, recognized internationally for its contribution to industry and society through excellence in teaching, learning, research, internationalization, entrepreneurship, and leadership. LPU aims to implement a relationship of cooperation between industry and academia and to prepare graduates to be lifelong learners with strong analytical and leadership skills.
For more details: https://www.lpu.in
About Indian Science Congress Association
Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) is a premier scientific organisation of India with headquarters at Kolkata, West Bengal. The association started in the year 1914 in Kolkata, it owes its origin to the foresight and initiative of two British chemists, namely, Professor J. L. Simonsen and Professor P. S. MacMahon, who were keen to conduct an annual meeting of research workers somewhat on the lines of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, in India. From a modest beginning of only hundred and five members, ISCA has today grown into a strong fraternity with membership of more than 30,000 scientists.
For more details: http://www.sciencecongress.nic.in