PM to unveil fourth science policy at Kolkata congress

President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the five-day event at a function at the Salt Lake Stadium here in the presence of the prime minister, Weest Bengal Governor M K Narayanan and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Incidentally, it will be the first occasion since late September when Banerjee's Trinamool Congress severed ties with the UPA that Singh and the mercurial chief minister would be on the same dais.

It was in Kolkata 100 years ago that the Indian Science Congress, a brainchild of eminent educationist Sir Asutosh Mukherjee, was first convened at the Asiatic Society in 1914. It has since emerged as the parliament of Indian science.

The five-day event is expected to be attended by 15,000 participants, including 17 fellows of national science academies, six Nobel Laureates and scientists from across 20 countries.

Former President A P J Abdul Kalam will inaugurate the Children's Science Congress coinciding with the main event, Narayanan, also chairman of the host committee of the Indian Science Congress, told a news conference here today.

Secretary with the Department of Science and Technology T Ramasami said that the prime minister would announce the country's fourth Science and Technology policy which had been formulated after a series of discussion with various stakeholders and noted it was not a mere government affair only.