National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources, CSIR, India

1. National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources, CSIR, India 25 years of Science Communication In India Lessons From Kumbh Mela Studies Gauhar Raza & Surjit Singh

2. the beginnings… In India the first efforts to communicate modern scientific ideas originating in the west were made during the latter half of the nineteenth century. A number of science books were translated from English into Indian languages

3. the pioneers … • Small groups in the form of ‘science societies’ mushroomed in various parts of the country • Such groups held regular discussions on mathematics and science subjects but their sphere of activities was confined to the upper ‘class’ and ‘caste’ intellectuals • they did not make any serious efforts to transform themselves into a large scale ‘science movement’

4. mass movements… • Organised freedom movement, in India started taking shape in the last decade of 19th century • The freedom movement was the most potent source and the carrier of modern ideas. • The phrase ‘scientific temper’ was coined by a politician. It was Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India

5. the realm of ideas… Freedom movement while constructing Indian identity popularized a few specific notions. Most of these ideas did not originate in Indian culture • World peace and nonviolence • Equality of human beings • Gender equality • Freedom of speech • Education for all • Jobs for all • Science and technology for nation building

6. pioneer scientists.. • JC Bose, CV Raman, SN Bose, SS Bhatnagar, H Bhabha, Birbal Sahani----- argued that when we get independence we will require large scientific and technical manpower and infrastructure

7. shaping of modern India …. • Their personal close relations with political leadership helped the cause of science and science popularization • After India achieved independence the ruling classes of the emerging capitalist society were convinced that a wider acceptance of modern scientific ideas is necessary for building an industrialized country

8. discourses on S&T ….. • Phrases such as ‘scientific temper’ ‘broad scientific outlook’, ‘scientific belief system’ and ‘scientific method’ echoed repeatedly in various forums of debate including political speeches

9. institution building… • Education, agriculture extension centres and health system expanded • CSIR, IARI, DRDO, Atomic Energy Commission were built • Popular Science Books, Text books, journals (specialised as well as popular), print and electronic media was geared up to propagate science. Many Museums and Planetariums were built

10. science communication ... • But India is a large country with complex problems. It is a multicultural, multi-lingual society and is a stratified nation. The ruling classes did not have any reason to educate every citizen • Official and private media catered to both the emerging scientific consciousness and the existing reactionary retrograde thought structures

11. science communication ... • It is in this context that a few members of the Communist Party of India and some social reformers who were ‘left of the centre’ realised the importance of communicating science to the people in their own mother tongue

12. communicating for class consciousness... • They recognised that communicating science to the masses could serve two important objectives. One that, it could enhance the class consciousness of the people and two that it would help the 'left', to reach newer sections of society, specially the younger generations

13. cultural modes for communication... • Through experience the leadership of the movement had understood that some scientific ideas propagate faster through the cultural medium • Therefore Street plays and songs became an integral part of Peoples’ Science Movement

14. deconstructing PSM ... • By 1983 some among the leadership of PSM started asking simple questions • What science should be communicated and why? • Why some of the scientific ideas propagate faster than others? • Why some of the ideas can be communicated easily through songs, drama and films? • Is people’s structure of thinking a clean slate on which any thing can be written by scientists or communicators of science?

15. question of progress.. • These questions were not articulated as clearly as I have put them in the previous slide, but these issues did bother us in some form or the other

16. the ‘deficit model’.... • The second half of the 1980s was the period when Jon Miller and many other colleagues were trying to probe the level of scientific literacy, in the western countries • By mid 1990s Miller et al. developed categories of Scientific Literacy (civic, cultural, etc.) • This lead to categorisation of citizens in Scientifically literate and Scientifically illiterate • And finally the trajectory crystallised into what is known as ‘Deficit Model’

17. development of indigenous models... • In India, I was asking a different set of questions. • In order to measure PAUS, can we use the same questionnaire that have been developed in the west? • Who should we focus on, those who give scientifically correct answers or those who give wrong answers? • Instead of categorising respondents can we develop categories of responses? • Given the same demographic parameters of respondents why do some questions elicit higher percentages of correct response while others don’t. What are the causes of percentage variation across various questions?

18. Can we use the same questionnaire? • Answer to the first question was No • Indicators developed in one cultural setting may not be of use in other socio-cultural milieu

19. Who should we focus on? • The second question also led to a clear answer: surely, one can probe why certain sections of society achieve a higher level of absorption of scientific ideas but one must deeply investigate those who have not given correct answers • This would help us to devise strategies to communicate science to those section who have given scientifically wrong answers

20. Can we develop categories of responses? • The third question led to four categories of responses • Scientifically Correct • Scientific but Incorrect • Extra Scientific • Don’t Know

21. Why certain questions elicit larger percentage of correct answers? • The fourth question led us to an understanding that there are a few parameters, besides demographic factors (such as age, gender, education, exposure to media, etc), which determine the intensity of propagation of scientific ideas

22. parametrics of cultural distance... • Intrinsic factors • Complexity: involved in explaining a phenomenon • Control : Collective or individual • Intensity :of intervention in quotidian life of a citizens • Lifecycle: of a phenomenon

23. Cultural Model of Analysis… Demographic determinants People’s Cultural cognitive Structure Scientific Knowledge System Cultural distance Intrinsic factors

24. relative cultural distance model.. • The next natural question was: Can we determine this cultural distance empirically • In response to this question a method to measure ‘Relative Cultural Distance’ was developed

25. relative cultural distance model.. The ‘Relative Cultural Distance’ can be defined as the distance travelled by a scientific idea, information or law on time scale to become an integral part of worldview of a common citizen

26. In 1989 we the research team goes to Kumbh Mela, held at Allahabad, to administer a survey and collects data for the first time

27. Idi= index of democratisation of an idea Xi= cultural distance of a phenomena from quotidian life of people

29. Average Cultural Distance has reduced over the years…

30. Rotation of earth Revolution of earth Cultural distance of various Scientific concepts from province of Kerala 3.0 Formation of galaxy 6.2 Province 1 Kerala -0.5 Shape of earth 6.6 Evolution of mankind 7.4 First Quadrant Cultural distance Fourth Quadrant Cultural distance

31. Cultural distance of various provinces from Rotundity of Earth Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh Bihar 0.0 -0.9 Haryana 2.4 0.5 Andhra Pradesh Shape of earth Maharashtra -0.5 2.8 Kerala -0.5 1.8 Assam -2.0 1.2 Delhi West Bengal First Quadrant Cultural distance Fourth Quadrant Cultural distance

32. Comparative Shift in Cultural Distance ΔΧci = ∑Χcit2 ─ ∑Χcit1 Where, • ΔΧci: denotes the shift in cultural distance • t2: is the latest point of observation on time scale • t1: is the earliest point of observation on time scale

34. High Efficacy Low Efficacy Window of opportunity

35. Newspaper Television Radio

36. The Most Important Lesson From Kumbh Mela Studies

37. To Create A National Centre Which will conduct research on all aspects of Scientific temper and Public Understanding of Science

38. National Council For Science Technology Communication, DST,And National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources, have taken a decision to launch this centre

39. Objectives • Carry out surveys, create and maintain data bases • Carry out international, national and regional comparative studies • Define and monitor scientific temper / rationality in everyday life • Construct of indicators of ‘scientific culture’

40. Structure of the Centre Electronic media Monitoring Cell Interpersonal media/ NGOs Monitoring Cell Print media Monitoring Cell Science Education Monitoring Cell National media monitoring and intervention laboratory Macro level Studies Developed countries Central Audio Video Facilities Cross Country PAUS research NCST In-charge National PAUS Research Regional and Micro Studies Studies on Values, Norms and Attitudes Developing countries Indicators, statistical and database laboratory Database Services Cell PUS information Dissemination Cell Indicators Monitoring Cell Statistical Tools Development Cell

41. Thanks