AIPSN Demands recall of NCERT special modules on Chandrayaan 3: Modules filled with Errors and Pseudoscientific Claims
There is a clear danger that this wrong information will be transmitted to students as-is and cause real harm. Or worse: the content is so badly written that students will be put off this exciting field. Members of the scientific community and all rationally minded citizens should summarily reject this shoddily prepared material. The way NCERT reacted after the criticism to withdraw them and then put them back on after the government defended the mythology must not happen again. The demand is that NCERT recalls all these modules at once permanently. For more details and to see the list of some of the errors and pseudoscientific claims
AIPSN Newsletter: People’s Science
We are happy to publish our newsletter after a long break. The newsletter People's Science or Jan Vigyan was released at the National Education Assembly in New Delhi on 30 April and has been updated after that. We hope to have more content in the future
AIPSN Statement on Chandrayaan-3 – Press Release
The All India Peoples Science Network (AIPSN) salutes the scientists, engineers, technical staff and all others at ISRO, its affiliated Institutions, and all associated PSUs, other companies and contractors for the grand success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission’s soft landing on the moon by the Vikram Lander and the Pragyaan Rover. AIPSN calls upon the Government to clearly declare that it regards the Moon and other extra-terrestrial bodies as a common good of all humanity, and that it is opposed to national or corporate exploitation of any resources found in such bodies. The Government also needs to reconsider its naming of the Chandrayaan-3 landing site as “Shiv Shakti Point,” since this appears to run counter to the naming convention of the International Astronomical Union. The Government should propose such a name as would conform to IAU norms and therefore gain international acceptance.
Dr. Narendra Dhabolkar Award for Science and Scientific Temper work of AIPSN
The award ceremony for Dr. Narendra Dhabolkar Award instituted by Maharashtra Foundation took place in Pune on Saturday 28th January 2023. President AIPSN Satyajit Rath and General Secretary AIPSN Asha Misha received the award on behalf of AIPSN. The EC of AIPSN was also represented by Convenor of Scientific Temper Desk Arunabha Misra along with Vivek Monteiro, Geeta Mahashabde , others from BGVS Maharashtra and Samata Coordinator. The President AIPSN Dr. Satyajit Rath gave the acceptance speech. The article on Universalizing Scientific Temper from AIPSN was published in the Maharashtra Foundation Souvenir. The EC of AIPSN had earlier decided to accept only the non-monetary part of the award. The memorial plaque received is shown in picture in the link. Click the link to see the details and the pdf of the article in English and Marathi.
NCERT special modules on Chandrayaan 3 which are full of errors and pseudoscientific claims
ON 17 October 2023, NCERT released ten special modules in English and Hindi on Chandrayaan 3, for circulating to millions of school students as supplementary reading material. However due to severe criticism as seen in press and media coverage the NCERT initially took down the webpage on the modules but after the Government defended the modules in a PIB release on 25 October saying “Mythology and philosophy put forward ideas and ideas lead to innovation and research” the website came back online! The pdf link of the modules (English) are given in this page
Sabka Desh Hamara Desh Campaign
The All India People’s Science Network (AIPSN) at its All India People’s Science Congress in Bangalore in May 2015 had decided to launch an All India campaign that addresses the twin threats posed by the neoliberal and religious sectarian assault on people’s lives in India.
National Education Assembly
As part of the #SaveEducationSaveTheNation campaign AIPSN and BGVS are organising the National Education Assembly on 30th April 2023 at New Delhi. It is supported by other fraternal organisations such as JFME, AIFUCTO, STFI, SFI, AIDWA, AFRTE, RTE forum, FEDCUTA, JNU Teachers Association, DTF, All India Education Committee, AIFAWH. The national assembly will discuss an alternate education policy and the demands of the People's Science Movement under the campaign #SaveEducationSaveTheNation and intensify the actions of resistance in the coming times.
AIPSN Foundation Day
AIPSN Foundation Day on Feb 11 is being celebrated by a series of stories from AIPSN and its affiliated Popular Science Movements (PSMs) from different States. Along with the posters circulated for 'each storynar' which consists of songs from different PSMs and stories told by members from AIPSN and the PSMs. For readers is offered here a book "Science for Social Revolution" that was brought out by Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) one of the founder PSMs of the AIPSN. This book was edited by M.P. Parameswaran a vibrant visionary and one the founders of AIPSN. To see the book and the posters with the details of the storynars click on the link..
AIPSN Response to the JPC on the amendments to Forest (Conservation) Act (1980)
....In view of the above, AIPSN is of the view that the proposed Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, placed by the Union Government in the Lok Sabha be withdrawn in its present form. The need of the hour is restoration, protection and improvement of devastated forest ecosystems, rather than diversion or alteration in the use of forest lands in large parts of the country in one guise or another. click the link to read the details..