HYDERABAD: In the first time in more than hundred years, the 105th Indian Science Congress (ISC) slated to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been postponed fearing protests by the students of the Osmania University.
The ISC was scheduled to be held from January 3-7 at Osmania University and was deemed to be a fitting tribute to OU which is celebrating its centenary year.
However, the volatile atmosphere on the Osmania University campus following the recent suicide of a student and the ongoing protests over lack of jobs has prompted organisers to postpone the event, said sources.
Dr M Prithviraj, scientist G, Department of Science and Technology (DST) told the New Indian Express that on Wednesday the vice-chancellor of Osmania University, S Ramachandran, mailed Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA), general president, Dr Achyuta Samanta, confirming that the university is not in a position to host the conference following which Samanta informed that the 105th ISC will be postponed.
More than 20 Nobel laureates, apart from 13,000 people from across the country and 200 scientists from abroad were expected to participate in the Congress.
A member of the ISCA who did not want to be quoted said, "We had more than half-a-dozen meetings with the university, including one in October and in none of the reports was it conveyed to us by the university that there might be any problem.
“Now less than two weeks before the ISC, vice chancellor informed us that the university will not be able to host it because of some disturbances,” said the ISCA member.
“Apart from communicating to the thousands of participants, foreign scientists and Nobel laureates regarding the postponement, a lot of time and efforts have to be invested again," the member added.
Prof Premendu P Mathur, general secretary (Scientific Activities), ISCA confirmed that the Executive Committee of ISCA will meet on December 27 or 28 to discuss further course of action.
The volatile atmosphere can be dated back to December 3, when 21-year-old MSc Physics student E Murali killed himself in his hostel. Student leaders on the campus connected the suicide to the problem of unemployment in Telangana.
Unemployment has been a bone of contention between the youth in state and Telangana government and has been a reason of many protests in OU, as Chief Minister, K Chandrasekhar Rao had promised one lakh jobs for Telangana before the formation of the state.
It may also be recalled that the CM was not allowed to speak in the inaugural of OU's Centenary Celebrations held in April this year due to sloganeering, protests and waving of black flags by some students.