Curtain raiser programme on India International Science Festival held

^{The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) organised a curtain raiser to mark the lead-up to the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2025, which is to be held in Panjab University, Chandigarh, here on Thursday. The event is aimed to amplify awareness about IISF-2025 and highlight how cutting-edge research and development in ocean sciences can be translated into impactful services for society, especially in the context of climate change and India’s expanding blue economy.}

^{IISF-2025 theme – “Vigyan Se Samriddhi: Aatmanirbhar Bharat”, resonates deeply with INCOIS’s mission to leverage science and technology for a self-reliant, prosperous, and sustainable India, said INCOIS Director T. M. Balakrishnan Nair. He underscored the importance of the institute’s R&D initiatives – ranging from ocean weather prediction and climate projections to disaster preparedness – in shaping the nation’s sustainable development agenda.}

^{Chair of the Joint Tsunami Commission, International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, and Emeritus Professor at Hokkaido University, Japan, Prof. Yuichiro Tanioka lauded India’s resurgence as a global leader in science and technology, noting the rapid establishment of the Indian Tsunami Warning Centre as a prime example of science being effectively translated into societal service.}

^{Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology Director and chief organiser of IISF-2025, Surayachandra Rao, shared an overview of the major activities planned for the festival. Advisor at the Ministry of Earth Sciences and chief coordinator of IISF-2025 Jagvir Singh and Vignan Bharati governing council member Naresh Chafekar also spoke. The programme was organised as a special session in the ongoing International Tsunami Symposium 2025, said a press release.}