Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences inaugurated the curtain raiser event of the 6th India International Science Festival (IISF) – 2020 virtually at Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), Leh-Ladakh, on December 8.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan briefed about the importance and relevance of celebrating this festival and asked all the stakeholders to promote and make science and technology reach every remote location of the country. He further emphasized the importance of S&T in realizing the theme of the 6th IISF to “make India self-reliant and contribute to global welfare”. 

The Union Minister congratulated DIHAR for the contribution the Institute is making in terms of R&D to improve the agro-animal development of the Ladakh region. 

India International Science Festival (IISF) launched in 2015 is a celebration to promote Science and Technology and demonstrate how science could lead India towards a developed nation within a short time. The aim is to engage the public with science and celebrate the joy of science and show the ways how science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) provide us with the solutions to improve our lives. This unique platform of India International Science Festival intends to create an innovative knowledge society to inspire curiosity and make learning more rewarding for the young while motivating the public to engage with and celebrate the joy of science. 

The IISF 2020 is the sixth of the series, organized continuously since 2015-2019. Every year IISF has witnessed diversity in its programs in terms of many events, participants, etc. Today, IISF has become a much-awaited annual event that celebrates the achievements of Science, Technology, and Innovation and demonstrates how science can be the fulcrum of the country’s progress.

Lieutenant Governor, R K Mathur briefed about the role of Science & Technology to improve the socio-economic standard of the population as well as its inherent capacity to reach every corner of our country, irrespective of challenging physical boundaries. This becomes more relevant in Ladakh like region, where the prevailing harsh environment throws a great challenge for the sustenance of humans and animal. S&T has immensely helped to make a livelihood in Ladakh more comfortable for the general public and remunerative for the local farmers, for which the contribution of DIHAR is commendable. He also briefed about the huge potential to exploit renewable energy sources of Ladakh to make the region self-sustainable with zero carbon emission.

Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, MP Ladakh briefed about contributions made by DIHAR by developing suitable technologies to increase the availability of vegetable diversity in Ladakh. Endeavors like this, utilizing the potential of S&T has to be disseminated in various other domains and far-flung locations. 

Dr. AK Singh, DS &DG (LS) DRDO, mentioned the importance of taking science out of R&D premises to the actual field locations, so that livelihood of the population is made healthier, economical, and sustainable. He further emphasized strengthening S&T to find local solutions to the prevailing local problems.

Dr. OP Chaurasia, Director, DIHAR and overall coordinator of this event at Leh, in his welcome address, mentioned the importance of organizing such an event in a remote location of Ladakh and he pledged to disseminate the developed technologies among the masses in this high altitude region of Ladakh.

The event witnessed participation via online media from diverse areas like administration, policy, education, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and students.