Mumbai, Dec 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the 102nd Indian Science Congress here on January 3, it was officially announced here today. Preparations are in full swing at the University of Mumbai’s Kalina Campus to host the 102nd Indian Science Congress from January 3 to January 7, 2015. Around 12,000 delegates are expected to attend this mega event which would also see the presence of seven Nobel laureates and four Nobel-equivalent prize winning scientists.

The theme for this year’s Indian Science Congress is ‘Science and Technology for Human Development’. Modi would inaugurate the Indian Science Congress 2015 on January 3 morning, in the presence of Governor of Maharashtra Vidyasagar Rao, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis, Union Minister for Science and Technology Harshvardhan and Union Human Resources Minister Smriti Irani, Vice Chancellor of University of Mumbai Rajan Welukar told reporters here today.

“The Indian Science Congress is returning to Mumbai after 45 years. The last time the event was held here was in 1969. By bringing the Indian Science Congress to Mumbai, we want to showcase Mumbai as a science city as well, besides India’s financial capital,” Welukar said. Mumbai is home to world renowned institutes like the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Indian Institute of Technology and Tata Memorial Centre among others, he said. All these institutes would actively participate in the Indian Science Congress, he said.

Besides the main sessions and symposia, a Children?s Science Congress, a Women’s Science Congress and a Science Communicators’ Meet would also be held as parallel events. The Children’s Science Congress would be inaugurated by former President of India, A P J Abdul Kalam. A science exhibition would be organised at the MMRDA. Grounds in the Bandra-Kurla Complex, to showcase various science and technology innovations by Indian firms and organisations.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) would also participate in the mega exhibition. The Congress sessions would bring together eminent scientists as well as research scholars to popularise science and foster a scientific temperament. The sessions would cover a wide variety of topics like agriculture and forestry, veterinary sciences, earth science, environment, engineering, information and communication, computer sciences, mathematics, medicine, biology, physics and plant sciences, among others.

Other themes of interest include science and technology in SAARC countries, biodiversity conservation, space application, genetically modified crops, use of modern biotechnology in agriculture as well as clean energy systems for the future. A session would be dedicated to ‘Innovation and Make In India’ initiative, while another on ‘Ancient Indian sciences’ would be attended by Union Minister for Environment Prakash Javadekar.

2001 Nobel Prize winner in Medicine Paul Nurse from London, 2002 Chemistry Nobel Prize winner Kurt Wuthrich from Switzerland, 2009 Chemistry Nobel laureate Ada E Yonath from Israel, 2013 Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, Randy Schekman of University of California, Berkeley, are among the guests expected to attend.

2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohammed Yunus of Bangladesh would also be present. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Radhakrishnan, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, 2013 Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, Randy Schekman of University of California, Berkeley, DG, Indian Council of Medical Research, V M Katoch, eminent nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar are some of the other big names scheduled to attend the Indian Science Congress 2015.

University of Mumbai has made arrangements to webcast some of the key sessions of the Indian Science Congress, Welukar said. A daily web bulletin covering various aspects of the Indian Science Congress would be compiled and published by students of the varsity’s Mass Communication Department.