The Department of Science and Technology (DST) along with Doordarshan (DD), Prasar Bharati today launched two science communication initiatives, DD Science and India Science .While DD Science is an one-hour slot on Doordarshan National channel, which will be telecast Monday to Saturday from 5 pm to 6pm, India Science is a internet-based channel, which is available on any internet-enabled device, and will offer live, scheduled play and video-on-demand services.Inaugurating the two key initiatives Union Science & Technology Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that today is a watershed moment not only in science and technology communication but in developing the scientific temper of our society. Recalling, the role played by Doordarshan, India’s public service broadcaster, in the Pulse Polio campaign back in 1990’s, Dr. Vardhan said that Doordarshan,which reaches out to more than 92 per cent of India’s population would be a very impactful medium for popularization of science. The minister expressed hope that in near future the country will see a 24*7 DD Science Channel. “By 2030 we have to be in top three countries in science and technology and such initiatives are building blocks towards that”, said Dr. Vardhan.
The inauguration programme and the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Vigyan Prasar and Doordarshan was attended by Secretary DST, Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary Information and Broadcasting ,Shri Amit Khare, Director General Doordarshan, Ms Supriya Sahu, CEO Prasar Bharati, Shri Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Director Vigyan Prasar, Dr Nakul Parashar and senior officials from Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry and Information and Broadcasting.The two science communication platforms are National level initiatives to elevate science into a celebration and bring it close to everyday life. DST and DD aim to make them jewels in the crown of the country for serving humanity for the furtherance of science. The channels have been conceived and supported by the DST and are being implemented and managed by Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous organisation of DST. The two science channels which are milestones in the history of science communication in India, are the first step in creating a national science channel for the country. While India Science (www.indiascience.in) is already a 24x7 presence, DD Science may also be scaled up to a full-fledged channel in the future.The two channels will have science-based documentaries, studio-based discussions, and virtual walkthroughs of scientific institutions, interviews and short films and will be completely free to access.