PBVM submitted feedback on Draft Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, 2020 on 30th January, 2021. It is attached for information.
Feedback on STIP 2020 by PBVM (click to view)
Please note & act accordingly
Due to the present devastating situation arises from Super Cyclone Amphan All are requested to donate generously for the relief of the affected people in the worst time of COVID-19 pandemic. Appeals attached.
Appeal for Donation (click to view)
Appeal for Relief (click to view)
Please note & act accordingly
Due to the present situation arises from COVID - 19 please organise Intensive campaign (leafleting, postering, using tableau with flex banner, through social media, door to door campaign etc.) up to unit level for preventive measures on Corona Virus.
Science popularization was not a totally new concept to the people of West Bengal in 1986 when Paschim Banga Vigyam Mancha (PBVM) started function. The doyens of our renaissance were involved in this social reform work even in early nineteenth century. The only difference is that PBVM initiated an organized People's Science Movement.
More than three decade has passed since its inception and now no one will deny that PBVM is a name in this field of science popularization not in West Bengal but also in India.
PBVM is the largest people science organization in India with membership exceeding 3.42 lakhs. In the twenty two Districts of West Bengal, most of the Blocks of the State, in the research Institutes and Universities have their respective units/committees of Paschim Banga Vigyan Mancha. Millions of people of West Bengal are very much familiar with the name PBVM because of its sustained various type of activities which relates with all walks of life.
PBVM has been awarded National Award for best effort in Science Popularization in India during the period 1985-89, by the Department. of Science and Technology, Govt. of India.
Paschimbanga Vigyan Mancha is going to organize Vidyasagar – Akshay Dutta Vigyan Abhijan – an intensive campaign programme to resist attack on science and uphold scientific temper under 'Sabka Desh Hamara Desh' programme, between 18 January and 2 February, 2020, throughout West Bengal. We are organizing relay cycle rally, cultural program, exhibition, dialogue etc. for campaign.
In northern part of our state two such relay cycle rallies starting from 1) Tufangunj in Coochbehar district (will pass through Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts) and 2) Malda (will pass through Malda, South Dinajpur, North Dinajpur and Darjeeling districts) following different routes, will culminate at Siliguri at 1 pm on 26th January, 2020. Before reaching Siliguri, cultural program, dialogue and exhibitions will be organized in 40 different places.
In southern part of our state five such relay cycle rallies starting from 1) Purulia (will pass through Purulia, Bankura, Paschim Midnapur, Jhargram, Purba Midnapur, Howrah and Kolkata districts), 2) Murarai in Birbhum district (will pass through Birbhum, West Burdwan, East Burdwan, Hooghly and North 24 Parganas districts), 3) Kandi in Murshidabad district (will pass through Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24 Parganas and Kolkata districts), 4) Birsingha in Paschim Midnapur district (will pass through Paschim Midnapur, Hooghly and Howrah districts) and 5) Sarisha in South 24Parganas district (will pass through 24Parganas and Kolkata districts) respectively, following different routes, will culminate at Sahid Minar Maidan, Kolkata at 1pm on 2 February, 2020. Before reaching Kolkata, cultural program, dialogue and exhibitions will be organized in 160 different places. We are expecting a good gathering of people from all walks of life including Scientists, Eminent Personalities, Researchers, students and science activists including cyclists in both the culmination programme at Siliguri and Kolkata.
All are cordially invited to participate in the said Rally to resist attack on science and uphold scientific temper.
16th June was observed as water-body preservation day (Jalabhumi Divas) by several districts of PBVM by variety of activities like action program, sit-in-demonstration, rally etc. to protect and preservation of water-bodies for the shake of society and environment.
DFO, North 24 Pgns ultimately issued a notice to stop further cutting of the trees at Sankdaha village of Saguna gram panchayet under Swarupnagar block, North 24 Pgns after agitation and deputation to DFO, BDO, Chair-person, Swarupnagar panchyet samiti and OC, Swarupnagar PS on 12th June by PBVM North 24 pgns district committee against the large scale tree felling at Saguna gram panchayet.
5th June was observed as World Environment Day by Paschimbanga Vigyan Mancha, throughout the state in every district and in most of the Vigyan Kendras with multi various activities. The theme of WED for this year was ‘Beat Air Pollution’. In 22 districts more than 150 programme were organized.
A state level workshop on environment was organized by PBVM on 26 May, 2019 at Sankar Chakraborty Sabha Ghar (PBVM State Office) between 10.30 am and 5.00 am. 112 organisers/activists from 22 districts participated. In the Inaugural session Prof. T. Jayaraman of Tata Institute of Social Sciences gave the key note address on ‘Climate change with special emphasis on IPCC special report (October, 2018), Role of PSM’. The session was started by welcome address by GS, PBVM and was presided over by Prof. Satyajit Chakrabarti, Working President, PBVM. Future work plan on environment was placed by Sourav Chakraborty, Convener, Environment Subcommittee in the 2nd session which was chaired by Tapan Saha, Vice president, PBVM. After discussion of the delegates in the concluding session General Secretary, working president, Convener of Environment Subcommittee, Dr. Tapan Mishra (Vice president) and Prof. T. Jayaraman made some point on action programme. The workshop was ended with vote of thanks.
Photographs of Environment Workshop
Prof. Debkumar Basu, eminent economist, specialist in statistics, founder working president of Paschimbanga Vigyan Mancha passed away on 20 April, 2019. A condolence meeting was organized jointly by PBVM and FOSET on 11 May 2019 at seminar hall, PBVM state office. Many scientists, eminent personalities and science activists gathered to pay homage to Prof. Debkumar Basu.
Prof. Dilip Kumar Basu, Prof. Subimal Sen, Prof. Satyajit Chakrabarti, Prof. Hemanta Kumar Majumder, Pro. Atish Dasgupta, Pfof. Siddhartha Dutta, Dr. Tarasankar Bandopadhyay, Dr. Santipada Gonchowdhury, Prof. Ishita Mukherjee, Srimati Maya Mitra, Sri Sridip Bhattacharya, Prof. Shymal Chakraborty recollected their memories with Prof. Debkumar Basu and advocate for building scientific temper and for reaching the benefits of science & technology among the common people. Pradip Mahapatra, GS, PBVM read out the condolence message (attached with some photographs).
Global March for Science was organised worldwide on 4 May 2019 to protect our earth from the threat of environmental pollution & war, to stop the attacks on science and to inculcate scientific temperament among the people, for implementation of equitable and evidence based govt. policies, to increase the budget allocation on science education & research for the development of the country and to protect secularism & pluralistic cultural heritage of our country.
Like previous years, Paschimbanga Vigyan Mancha organised central rallies on Global March for Science in Siliguri and Malda on 4 May 2019 simultaneously. Siliguri rally was started at 4pm from Rabindra statue, Bagha Jatin park, Siliguri and ended at Air View More, Siliguri. Malda rally was started at 4pm from Atul Market, Malda Town. Both the rallies were successfully organized by the participation of activists from different organizations, college & school students, scientists & science activists and people from all walks of life. Kolkata Rally was postponed due to the Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm, Fani.
Token fasting and sit in demonstration programme to save Ganga was organised by PBVM on 21st April from 9am to 5pm at Mahotsabtala Ghat, Panihati, North 24 Paganas. Nearly 150 science activists from various districts participated in the day long fasting progamme on the following denads 1. Make Ganga free from pollution, 2. Water flow of the river to be increased and flow should be without any hindrance. Other organisations like Paribesh Bandhab Mancha, Barakpore, Nadi Bachao Jiban Bachao Committee, Punarnaba, Sabuj Mancha and Individual environmental activists were also took part in the programme. Speechs, songs, recitations, choreography were the components of the programme. From the programme PBVM expressed solidarity to Atmabodhananda’s fasting for the same issue at Haidwar from October, 2018. Some photographs are attached herewith.
