Indian Science Congress opens tomorrow, focus on Planet Earth

Chidambaram, Jan 2 (UNI) The 94th Indian Science Congress (ISC) will open here tomorrow to address the vital issues concerning Planet Earth-- global warming, monsoon forecast, energy security, natural disasters and environmental pollution.

The five-day event, to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu, is expected to see the presence of more than 6,000 scientists from across the country.

Nobel Laureates-- Prof Aaron Ciechanover and Prof Hartmut Michel-- and Prof Robert C Gallo, co-discoverer of HIV, will deliver public lectures at the annual Congress that will have 21 theme sessions.

Indian scientists scheduled to participate in the conclave include Dr C N R Rao, Chairmain of the Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Dr R Chidambaram, Principal Adviser to the Government of India, Dr Anil Kakodkar, Secretary in the Department of Atomic Energy, and Agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan.

President A P J Abdul Kalam will open the Children's Science Congress on January 5.

A mega Exhibition, 'Pride of India', will be held simultaneously at the University campus where the country's leading public and private sector organisations, government departments, research labs and institutions will showcase their products, services, technologies and other achievements.

The 'Hall of Pride', a section of the science expo, will this year be dedicated to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Ghanshyamdas Birla.

The theme pavilion-- Environment and Energy-- will focus on optimum energy use.

'Planet Earth' has been chosen as the theme of the Congress since 2007 is being celebrated as the International Year of the Planet Earth by the United Nations.

According to Harsh Gupta, General President, ISC 2007, ''the theme has been chosen as the very survival of mankind depends on how well we know our planet.'' ''Even as great scientific advances have been made, the forecast of Monsoon is still a big challenge,'' he says.

The issue of climate change associated with global warming leading to rainfall variability, sea-level changes, glacial melting, and frequency of cyclones and hurricanes is also to be addressed.

The ever-increasing demand for energy, mineral resources and safe drinking water for the burgeoning population will also receive the attention of scientists at the conclave.

UNI