Seminar on Mathematics and Science Communication for Media Persons

Updated on: Monday, November 26, 2012

India has been home to mathematicians since ancient times, but the country currently ranks very low in mathematics education, experts at a seminar here lamented.

The speakers also felt that media should bridge the gap between the mathematicians and people. Some of the world's renowned mathematicians were born in India, including Aryabhata, Bhaskara, Bhaskara II and Madhava.

Modern times have seen mathematicians such as Srinivas Ramanujan, Chandrashekhar Subramanian and Harish Chandra emerging from the country.

This was highlighted at a seminar on 'Mathematics and Science Communication for Media Persons', organised by Vigyan Prasar and National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) on November 23 here.

It was a part of the activities being organised during 2012 which has been declared the National Year of Mathematics to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Ramanujan.

Speaking on the occasion, Science writer and journalist S Ananthanarayanan stressed the contemporary relevance of mathematics in everyday life. He said there was a need for appreciation of mathematics and science by the general public.

People, he said, did not know about professional mathematicians and the work they do. Media can act as a bridge between experts and the public by facilitating an interaction.

Otherwise, he said, both will continue to live in two different worlds and people will not be able to understand and appreciate the work being done by mathematicians and scientists.

Dr Nandkumar Jadhav, founder member of organisation Navnirmiti, said it has been holding Math Fairs at municipal schools in Mumbai to mark National Mathematics Year 2012.

He said more than 2,500 students have participated in these fairs. The focus of the Fair was "mathema-tisation" of the students' thought process, he said. It also tries to create awareness about India's contribution to the development of mathematics.

Reflecting on the sad state of mathematics education, he said that the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) rankings of 2010 showed that India ranked second last in the world.

Sanjay Kanse, a school teacher, also spoke about the crisis in mathematics education. Nimish Kapoor, scientist, Vigyan Prasar, said that science writers and journalist should use simple language and avoid jargons when writing for lay audience.

Seminar on Mathematics and Science Communication for Media Persons

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