AIPSN Joins the Global March for Science on 14th April 2018

The All India Peoples Science Network (AIPSN) decided to join the Global March for Science to on 14th April, 2018. The AIPSN sees a pattern in the attacks on science and reason across the world. The US President Trump’s denial of climate science, and the current Indian central government Ministers’ rejection of evolution, and other scientific advances, are prime examples. See a Video report here.

Ask How Campaign 2019

The Ask How campaign brings awareness to people about the rights that are enshrined in our constitution and how these constitutional rights are to be safeguarded from fundamentalist and neoliberal onslaught. Visit https://aipsn.in and take the pledge

On the draft STIP2020: Need for a people-centered and future-oriented STIP based on reality

AIPSN demands for transforming the draft STIP2020 into a people-centered and future-oriented STIP based on reality:       a) The draft STIP2020 be made available officially on the website in all the Scheduled languages and propagated through social media and TV. After that is made available at least two months period should be given for wide dissemination and involvement in discussions.  b) There should be a provision for giving feedback through hard copies also apart from only online as online access is still limited in the country. One contact person should be mentioned to ensure that the hard copies will be received correctly.  c) All the suggestions received, as hard copies and online, must be put into an indexed publicly available online database so that there can be cross checking about incorporation in the STIP.  d) The draft STIP2020 has to reduce the rhetoric and make it more realistic....... h) There were only limited online attempts to involve or seek the opinions of the wide thriving S&T community in the country. There needs to be more engaged consultations with such S&T communities distributed across the country to evolve this national policy...click link to read the full details 

All India Save Education Day on 05th September Teachers Day

All India Peoples Science Network (AIPSN) has been actively engaged with a critical appraisal of the Union Government’s proposals for a new education policy since its release as a draft DNEP 2020 calling for comments from the public, then as a finalized National Education Policy (NEP) document with many changes to the earlier draft but without rationale or explanation of responses to suggestions received, and finally to the aggressive roll-out of the NEP without discussion in Parliament or the States despite Education being a Concurrent subject. AIPSN’s detailed critique of NEP, highlighting the many objectionable and undesirable aspects of NEP, have been widely discussed and disseminated. ... AIPSN pledges on this Save Education Day, to work with JFME and other stakeholders, teachers, students and parents to oppose and reverse the NEP, to defend and expand public education, and work to improve the education system so as to answer to the needs of all sections of India’s diverse society and to meet the aspirations of India’s youth for a bright future...click the LINK to read more...

75 Years of Independence: Self Reliance, Idea of India and Road to the Future

.....In this the 75th year of Independence, the Peoples Science Movement looks at how our independent nation started, what was achieved, what went wrong and what prospects and challenges lie ahead in the future.... To achieve its due, India needs to re-generate, re-imagine and take forward the values and aspirations of its freedom movement in the contemporary context and learning from all the missteps, failures and missed opportunities over the years...The Peoples Science Movement will take this message to the people during the year through grassroots dialogues and other mass contact programmes. ..Click LINK to read the full text.. 

AIPSN Foundation Day Webinar series

As part of the Knowledge as Commons webinar series started on AIPSN Foundation Day on Feb 11 is being celebrated by a series of webinars on "Knowledge as Commons" based on the book by Prabir Puryakastha. The inaugural webinar was on Feb 11 6.30pm. The secod seminar was on 21st Feb at 6.30pm continues the theme. You can join via fb live page of AIPSN or through zoom. See link for details..

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.

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

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

Declaration and Resolution on Scientific Temper

Declaration of Statement on Scientific Temper with signatories and Resolution adopted along with the Declaration on Scientific Temper Adopted at “Campaign for scientific temper culmination program and National convention for declaration on scientific temper" held on 28th Feb 2024 at Kolkata See link for more details

AIPSN brief to the political parties for consideration in their election manifesto

To, Political Parties :: In view of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 that has been announced, All India People’s Science Network (AIPSN) is submitting a brief to the political parties to take up in their election manifesto. Click the link to see the AIPSN brief to the political parties for consideration in their election manifesto.