New Delhi: The Delhi chapter of the India March for Science (IMFS) held Saturday at the Faculty of Arts, North Campus, Delhi University, saw professors, teachers, activists, and school and college students voicing their concerns about climate change, environmental degradation, and the dangers of pseudoscience. Undeterred by a heavy downpour, the participants went ahead with the march, aimed at promoting a scientific temper and squashing dubious claims. March for Science, a global event, was held for the first time on 22 April 2017, on the occasion of Earth Day.
The event was started as a protest against unscientific claims by the administration of the then US President Donald Trump and his denial of climate change. The India March for Science is held in several cities, including Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai and Ahmedabad. The focus of this year’s march was on promoting scientific temper among ordinary people, especially young people; advocating the importance of scientific research; preventing the propagation of pseudoscientific information; and spreading awareness about climate change.
“The propagation of unscientific beliefs and degradation of the environment are issues the scientific community is concerned about, and the march is raising these issues, and demanding that the government address this. The response of participants has been great,” Dr Soumitro Banerjee, a professor at the Indian Institute of Scientific Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata, and the gener.