Unwarranted political intervention and policy changes have already caused significant strain, with 100 scientists leaving ISRO within a three-month period... Since independence, the nation has reached a consensus that the scientific community should receive full academic freedom and financial support to serve the country. Where structural impediments have restricted research and technological development, the government's responsibility is to address those gaps. However, since 2014, political intervention has increased alongside a shift towards handing over public sector assets to private interests. Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) have, in effect, led to the syphoning of public assets for private gain. It is deeply alarming that this approach is now being directed at ISRO. For decades, ISRO has served the nation with distinction. It is now our duty as citizens of India to defend this vital institution, resist these damaging shifts, and stand in firm support of our scientific community
Of particular concern is the growing role envisaged for the private sector in space-related activities in India and what appears to be shrinking responsibilities for ISRO, which is now mandated to transfer all technologies pertaining to rocket launchers and satellites to private and other non-government private entities (NGPE)...Technology transfer for manufacturing to PSUs or capable private sector entities through licensed production or similar appropriate arrangements between ISRO and the private sector will then make sense. Hopefully, the private sector generates the necessary commercial applications and businesses, their supposed core competences, without waiting for government funds for that too.....AIPSN is opposed to transferring public wealth to private monopolies, shrinking regular employment while expanding contract labor, and providing public-sector technology free for private profit. Moving towards a form of privatization that gradually renders ISRO—built with the tax money of crores of people, the hard labor of generations, and a lifetime of dedication by scientists—less relevant is unacceptable, as it would be a serious loss to the country’s scientific capability and public interest. ISRO’s technology is the wealth of the nation. Its infrastructure is the creation of the people’s money. Its real strength is the collective labor of scientists, employees, and workers...click link to read more.
The All-India People's Science Network (AIPSN) of 40 organisations/movements across 25 states, stands shoulder‑to‑shoulder with the students’ and youth protests for justice and accountability in higher education, especially regarding centralised examinations NEET, NET and the NTA. We congratulate all the protesters for securing the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who presided over the testing fiasco. ..click link to read more.. .
All India People’s Science Network (AIPSN) strongly demands : Scraping of the NEET and also the NTA and the handing over of NTA responsibilities to competent public institutions and academics; End the outsourcing of examinations; Admission through State Level Tests and due weightage to students’ school examination marks; Admission to be decided by the States. No single stage test based on multiple choice questions (MCQ) to decide the abilities and aptitude of students. The multiple stage testing process must identify and select students who will serve communities, not become self-serving mercenaries State governments to organise special courses to help deserving students to take entrance tests, not place them into private coaching classes Ban on private coaching centres for examinations Prosecute and punish through fast-track judicial proceedings all those involved in the selling of “guess papers” based on the question paper ; Resignation of the Union Education Minister