UCOST to host WSDM 2025, various steps being taken to develop S&T culture in State: Pant
PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
The Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST) will host the World Summit on Disaster Management (WSDM) 2025 in Dehradun during November this year. UCOST director general Durgesh Pant informed that two pre-summit events have been held so far, one in Delhi and one in Mumbai. The third pre-summit event is slated to be held in Bengaluru, which will be followed by the fourth pre-summit event in the North East. Apart from this, UCOST is working on various aspects to encourage a culture of science and technology in the State, he said.
Talking to The Pioneer, Pant said, “The WSDM 2025 will be held in November and is expected to be attended by representatives from about 70 to 80 countries. We have elicited a very positive response in the pre-summit events held so far.”
Regarding the other activities of the council, he said that the Science City coming up in Dehradun will be for people of all ages. It will catapult in the State in the sphere of science and technology tourism with lakhs of visitors expected. “We have also developed innovation centres in the districts where children get to live science and technology through various means and equipment. In order to facilitate skill development, science and technology will have to reach the villages. We now have 13 mobile labs for the districts and these are enabling the children in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Encouraging STEM is to empower the next generation to become problem solvers. The council has also started patent information centres where efforts are undertaken to raise awareness on design and patent,” he said.
According to Pant, by encouraging a culture of science and technology, especially among children in the rural and mountainous areas of the State, youths in the future will be more likely to be problem solvers. With this too in mind, the UCOST is also working on developing a science corridor in the border districts of the State. The State government is fully supporting the council in its various endeavours, he added.
