Jitendra Singh Calls for City-Based Science Clusters, Wider Public Outreach
Science ministries told to deepen coordination and public outreach; coastal clean-up covered 231 locations with 15 lakh ocean pledges.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh, has called for stronger coordination among science ministries and departments, the development of city-based scientific clusters, and wider public outreach of India's scientific achievements.
He was speaking at the Monthly Review Meeting of Scientific Ministries/Departments, attended by Principal Scientific Adviser Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood; Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Dr. Rajesh Gokhle; Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Prof. Umesh V. Waghmare; Secretary, Department of Scientific & Industrial Research, Prof. N. Kalaiselvi; Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Dr. T. Srinivasa Kumar; and CEO of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, along with senior officials.
The Minister said scientific institutions should work with greater synergy and visibility, with city-based clusters bringing together institutions and stakeholders in related fields. He stressed the need to continuously identify and showcase new, impactful achievements so that work emerging from laboratories reaches a wider section of society, and called for a stronger communication ecosystem across ministries so that developments in science, technology and innovation are shared in a timely and accessible manner.
The meeting reviewed progress on the proposed Digital Library of Scientific Achievements, envisaged as a common repository of videos and other communication products. CSIR-NIScPR is the nodal institution developing the institutional mechanism and implementation framework, while modalities for participation and resource pooling among ministries are being worked out. It also took stock of digital outreach by DST, DBT, DSIR/CSIR and MoES, including short-form content on significant scientific achievements.
Dr. Singh reviewed the recently concluded Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar 5.0, held from September 12 to 19, 2026. The coastal clean-up covered 231 locations across 13 States/UTs, and 15 lakh people took the Ocean Conservation Pledge. The campaign drew in citizens, students, coastal communities, government agencies, scientific institutions and volunteers. The Minister called for sustaining this momentum and strengthening the link between scientific awareness, environmental responsibility and citizen action.
The review also covered Vigyan Ki Baat, the monthly lecture series launched by the Department of Science & Technology to showcase the work of India's autonomous scientific institutions. Its second edition is scheduled for September 26, 2026, featuring the Director of the S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, with a session on advances in foundational physical sciences and quantum technology. The inaugural edition on August 29, 2026, saw participation of more than 7,500 people from academia, research organisations and industry.
Preparations for CSIR@85, including the programme scheduled for September 25, 2026, and updates relating to ESTIC-2026 were also reviewed, covering programme preparedness, coordination and communication of institutional contributions. The meeting further discussed mechanisms for inter- and intra-ministerial coordination, including thematic interactions and cluster-based engagements, and emphasised regular exchange among the communication teams of scientific ministries and departments.
Dr. Singh stressed that India's advances in science, technology and innovation should be visible, accessible and relevant to society, with institutional collaboration, coordinated communication and sustained public engagement forming an integral part of the scientific ecosystem.