Pondicherry S c i e n c e F o r u m

Pondicherry S c i e n c e F o r u m

Science India Forum-UAE (SIF) is voluntary organization formed and supported by a group of professionals, entrepreneurs and philanthropists in UAE with a goal to help the gifted and talented children to take up science as a career and contribute towards India’s development and the betterment of the world.
Our efforts are influenced and guided by a science movement in India called “National Science Movement of India” popularly known as “Vijnana Bharathi”.
PONDICHERRY SCIENCE FORUM (PSF), was founded in 1985 with the primary objective of Science Popularization. It has since evolved into a Peoples' Science Movement with a clear mandate of shaping Science & Technology and ensuring its utilization to benefit the weaker sections of society.
The PSF's work is organized into three wings - Development, Science Communication and Women's Empowerment and to carry these tasks out effectively it has build two more institutional structures - the Centre for Ecology & Rural Development (CERD) and the Samam Makalir Suyasarbu Iyakkam (Samam).
Celebration of National Science Day
The National Science Day is being celebrated all over the country on 28th February every year to commemorate the date of discovery of “Raman Effect” by Sir C.V.Raman, the Nobel laureate of our country. For this year, “Understanding Planet Earth” is the theme given by the Department of science & Technology, Government of India. National Science Day – 2008 was celebrated in befitting manner in the U.T. of Puducherry
GOALS
To organise various science writers and science communicators on one platform.
To popularise the science and the scientific temperament among the masses.
To aid in rural reconstruction and development.
To coordinate in the establishment and development of education in the areas of the Science Journalism, Science writing and Science communication.
To aid in development and management of local resources.
To develop the public opinion against myths and superstitions masses...
Activites
Training in Science Journalism and Science writing.
science Awareness campaigns – Rallies and Padyatra.
Energy conservation campaigns.
Elementary Professional Training to Science Communicators.
Public Relation Campaigns.
Offer solution to public problems/queries related with science.
Distribute educational material/literature on popular science.
Science Exhibition/Melas
Slogan writing on science.
Organise dramas/theaters on science issues.
Promote/establish Listener’s/Viewer’s clubs with active workers/participants
Science popularisation among children, specially school going children.
Environment, security and public hygiene campaigns
Organise science symposiums at village /Block/ Tehsil/ District/ Division/ State/ National level
Self employment scheme – including training and guidance based on science and technology.

Nowadays, India is experiencing a widespread diffusion of science communication activities. Public institutions, non-governmental organisations and a number of associations are busy spreading scientific knowledge not only via traditional media but also through specific forms of interaction with a varied public. This report aims to provide a historical overview of the diffusion of science communication in India, illustrating its current development and its future prospects.
NERD
Non-conventional Energy and Rural Development (i.e. NERD) society was established in the year 1984 and it is registered under societies registration Act and the foreign contribution Regulation Act. A small Women group of development workers initiated an integrated development programme, in consensus with national development policies.The Non-conventional Energy and Rural Development (i.e. NERD) Society is implementing many programmes including empowerment of women through promotion of Self Help Groups, Promotion of Renewable Energy programmes including Biogas programme, Solar energy programmes and Improved Smokeless Chulha programme, Waste management and treatment, Water conservation, Vermi-composting and Organic farming programSolar lantern program: The society has promoted about 260 solar lanterns and opened 4 sales cum service centers as follow up mechanism.
Night soil linked Biogas plant program: The maintenance of Community toilets was the major concern so far. Now the Self Help Groups are maintaining the toilets in a clean and better environment. But the groups were facing the problem of paying the monthly electricity bill for the lighting and water pumping. Further they have to empty the septic tank since it is getting filled with night soil often. To overcome these problems, NERD Society has designed and promoted the night soil based biogas plant for treating the night soil through anaerobic digestion in an environmental friendly way. In this context, the NERD Society has installed 12 night soil linked demonstration biogas plants in 12 districts of Tamilnadu state to meet the lighting and pumping energy need of Women and sanitary Complexes run by the SHG’s.
Solar cooker program: Solar cooker is an environmental friendly cooking device making use of natural solar energy. So far about 150 cookers have been promoted.
Biogas program:
Biogas is an efficient cooking fuel. In comparison to the impending depletion of the nature sources such as fuel wood and the ever – escalating prices of commercial fuels like LPG, Biogas is efficient user friendly and safe fuel. Biogas is free of smoke and soot. A cow and a calf can assuredly meet the cooking fuel needs of a small household. Biogas is definitely a boon to housewives in the rural areas of India. The society has installed 10,500 biogas plants during the last 23 years. Improved smokeless Chulha program: This is an improved cook stove, which consumes less fuel but without smoke due to proper combustion. The program has installed about 4550 smokeless chulhas benefiting landless poor laborers
Waste management program: Disposal and treatment of solid waste is a major problem not only for big cities but also for small towns. The burning of plastic waste creates environmental hazards to human beings. The present collection system is also not efficient one. Peoples have to be motivated for the segregation of waste at the source level itself, otherwise it is not economical to segregate waste in the dumping yard. Many towns have failed in the segregation of waste in the dumping yard. In order to demonstrate the scientific way of waste collection, segregation, treatment and disposal, the nearby Vadavalli town has been selected by the NERD Society. Sixty poor women were selected in the Vadavalli town and they were formed as four Self Help Groups. They are being involved for the waste collection. The town panchayat authorities are paying the wages for the selected SHG members with the supply of pushcart for the collection of waste. The peoples are motivated for the segregation of waste at the source itself. It is planned to install vermi-composting units for the conversion of waste in to value added organic manure. By the selling of manure by the unemployed youth, the system will become a sustainable one without any more financial requirement. The Toyota foundation is supporting this innovative scientific solid waste management programme.Vermi-Composting: In order to convert the domestic and agricultural waste materials in to value added organic materials, a simple vermi-composting unit is designed and installed in houses, farms and educational institutions. The organic manure obtained through vermi-composting replaces the chemical fertilizer and also helpful for the sustainable organic farming.
Tribal Electrification with Biogas:
It is proposed to electrify the Thalingi Tribal Settlement and to meet the cooking demand through Biogas Generation. The Thalingi Settlement is located in Amaravathy Forest Division, Udumalpet Taluk, Coimbatore (District), Tamilnadu State. The Tribal hamlet is not yet electrified and there is no transport facility to that hamlet, which is in the interior forest at a distance of 6 KM from the main connecting road. There is no proposal to electrify the hamlet in the near future because it is located in the interior forest area. The cooking demand is met through firewood by cutting the trees and collecting it. The lighting demand is met by the Kerosene.
Watershed Development Programme:
In recent years, there has been a growth of awareness among the community regarding the need to manage the natural resources hamelt land, water and vegetation on a rational basis. Simultaneously understanding of related issues like equity, sustainability and people's initiatives in natural resource management have also grown considerably.. NERD Society has identified Vadavalli Watershed Program in Annur Block of Coimbatore District and 1750 Hectare of land is under development with financial assistance of CAPART, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, NewDelhi.

MYRADA
MYRADA through its various programs reaches out to people in various districts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and is providing on-going support including deputations of staff to programmes in 6 other States. It also promotes the Self Help Affinity strategy in Cambodia, Myanmar and Bangladesh . While the objective is to help the poor help themselves, MYRADA achieves this by forming Self Help Affinity Groups (SHGs) and through partnerships with NGOs and other organisations
Mission
To foster a process of ongoing change in favour the rural poor in a way in which this process can be sustained by them through building and managing appropriate and innovative local institutions rooted in values of justice, equity and mutual support.
To promote strategies and skills through which the livelihoods of poor families and the rights of women and children are secured.
To promote systems that foster primary health care and reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS/STIs on the poor and vulnerable in a sustainable manner. To influence public policies in favour of the poor.
To strengthen networks and linkages between and among formal and informal institutions that can foster and sustain the impact of development initiatives.
MYRADA is committed to doing its part in contributing to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Its major activities in relation to the MDGs have been as follows :
Goal 1 : Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger
Goal 2 : Achieve Universal Primary Education
Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
Goals 4 and 5 : Reduce Child Mortality and Improve Maternal Health
Goal 6 : Combat HIV-AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and other Killer Diseases
Goal 7 : Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Goal 8 : Global Partnership for Development
Celebration of National Science Day
The National Science Day is being celebrated all over the country on 28th February every year to commemorate the date of discovery of “Raman Effect” by Sir C.V.Raman, the Nobel laureate of our country. For this year, “Understanding Planet Earth” is the theme given by the Department of science & Technology, Government of India. National Science Day – 2008 was celebrated in befitting manner in the U.T. of Puducherry
Samam SHG Women's Federation in Pondicherry. Samam was promoted by Pondicherry Science Forum as a continuation of the Literacy Programme in Pondicherry in 1992 as an experiment in micro credit. Samam was registered as a Society in the year 1997 with an all women Executive Committee. Currently Samam functions as a Federation of more than 4500 SHG women covering about 66 villages in Pondicherry and Karaikkal.
All the development initiatives undertaken by PSF are carried out under a specific R&D centre called "Centre for Ecology & Rural Development" (CERD) jointly promoted by PSF and its sister organisation Tamil Nadu Science Forum in the year 1994 CERD works in the areas of Natural Resource Management, Health and Sanitation, Micro Enterprise Development for weaker sections with specific focus on women, use of Information Technology for rural development etc. CERD has a field station at Bahoor called the Kalanjiyam (meaning Granary in Tamil) which acts has a hub of agriculture and technology options for the surrounding area. CERD has a fulltime manpower structure with a committed team of scientists working on a variety of areas ranging from women's technology, science communication, Continuing Education, Participatory Irrigation management through local democratic people's institutions, women's micro credit networks etc. The latest of the projects that CERD is now implementing includes the Women's Technology Park (WTP), an AICP Project on BIOFARM, a watershed development project in Sedappatti Block of Madurai funded by NABARD, the Tank Rehabilitation Project-Pondicherry etc.

Pondicherry Science Forum is a Registered Society under the Societies Registration Act 1860, which was founded in the year 1985. PSF has a General Body by paid membership, which elects an Executive Committee, which is the Governing Body of the Society. The term for the Executive Committee is for two years after which the outgoing Executive Committee suggests a new Executive Committee, which is ratified by the General Body with changes if any. The day to day activities of the Society is governed by the Office Bearers which include a President who is an invited Scientist of repute, a General Secretary, up to four Vice Presidents, four Joint Secretaries and a Treasurer. The Executive Committee appoints Sub Committees for decentralized functioning. Currently there are three Sub Committees which are : 1.ScienceEducation&Communication 2.Development 3. Women's Empowerment