On the occasion of the 85th Foundation Day of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the organisation has expanded its science communication efforts with the launch of five new popular science magazines in major Indian languages. The magazines, brought out by the CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR), aim to make scientific knowledge more accessible to readers across different linguistic communities.
Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Science & Technology, formally launched the five publications in Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu. The initiative is intended to strengthen communication between the scientific community and the wider public while promoting greater interest in science, technology and innovation.
The newly launched magazines are বিজ্ঞান লহৰ (Bigyan Lahar) in Assamese, বিজ্ঞান বৃত্তান্ত (Bigyan Brittanto) in Bengali, विज्ञान क्षितिज (Vidnyan Kshitij) in Marathi, அறிவியல் அறிக்கையாளர் (Ariviyal Arikkaiyalar) in Tamil and విజ్ఞాన్ వెలుగు (Vigyan Velugu) in Telugu.
The new publications add to CSIR-NIScPR’s established portfolio of popular science magazines, which includes Science Reporter in English, Vigyan Pragati in Hindi and Science Ki Duniya in Urdu. Through the latest initiative, CSIR-NIScPR is seeking to broaden the reach of science communication and encourage readers to engage with scientific developments in their own languages.
The launch event was attended by Dr N. Kalaiselvi, Director General of CSIR and Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), and Dr Geetha Vani Rayasam, Director of CSIR-NIScPR. The initiative places particular emphasis on communicating scientific achievements, technological innovations and developments relevant to different regions of the country.
One of the notable aspects of the new publications is the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence-based translation technology. Selected material from CSIR-NIScPR’s existing magazines is translated with the assistance of AI and subsequently subjected to detailed human review. Editors and language experts undertake proofreading, fact-checking and editorial refinement to ensure that the translated material maintains scientific accuracy while remaining clear and readable for audiences.
The magazines will not rely solely on translated material. They will also feature original articles written in the respective Indian languages. This approach is expected to provide greater opportunities for science writers working in regional languages and encourage the creation of locally relevant scientific content. It will also help highlight scientific achievements and developments emerging from different parts of India.
The publication programme was coordinated by Shri Mukesh Ambadas Pund and Dr Meher Wan, with contributions from editors, associate editors, editorial teams, designers and other CSIR-NIScPR personnel. The editorial representatives associated with the five magazines include Dr Paramananda Barman and Dr Bornali Sharma for Bigyan Lahar; Dr Uttam Kumar Jana for Bigyan Brittanto; Shri Mukesh Ambadas Pund for Vidnyan Kshitij; Dr S. Bhuvanesh and Dr L. Sandhiya for Ariviyal Arikkaiyalar; and Dr N. K. Prasanna for Vigyan Velugu.
The launch underscores CSIR-NIScPR’s continuing efforts to take scientific information beyond conventional academic and English-language audiences. By combining multilingual publishing, AI-assisted translation and human editorial oversight, the initiative seeks to create a wider and more inclusive platform for science communication.
The development also coincides with CSIR’s 85th Foundation Day, marking 84 years of the organisation’s contribution to scientific research, technological advancement and national development. The five new magazines represent another step towards building a scientifically informed society in which reliable knowledge is available to citizens in diverse Indian languages.
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Author: Shivam
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