 And some way, the Indian Science Communication Congress is helping us, not only net but in the people who matter in science communication, but the people who matter in science in communication, so that we can bring the both the disciplines together, that is science meets communication. So, that is why you are here for the common cause, as all of us are really concerned as was expressed here by the preceding experts. We are concerned for the status of science communication. We are concerned with the least coverage of science in mass media. We are concerned for the so-called success beliefs, which are prevalent, is still prevalent in various parts of the country. And we are concerned with the low scientific literacy rate, though literacy is professional. It is an opportunity to invite and involve the people from various cross sections of the knowledge disciplines. We just go many areas, because as our Chief Guest, Auneville Shree Tarun Bhoiji, Chief Minister of Assam, he has told that in totality, I think we need to synchronize the efforts, we need to synchronize the disciplines, only then we can bring science closer to the society for the well-being of the common man, that is the end user, the end beneficiary of the scientific developments. Whatever scientists are doing in their laboratories. As a matter of fact, we at NCSTC, the National Council for Science and Technical Communication, we are working towards bridging the gap between science and society through various programs, be it training for developing training men power in the country through various science communication courses, doctoral courses, long term courses, medium term courses, through various universities and institutions, or from field programs, or involving children like Children's Science Congress. I am happy to remind you that Bohati has hosted twice World National Children's Science Congress, first time in 1995 and second time in 2004, after the gap of 9 years. So, I think Gohat Assam and Northeast has become nowadays a vibrant area as far as science communication is concerned and when I came here, something like two decades ago, the state of Africa was entirely different and now I am witnessing the progressive changes that are operating over the period very satisfactorily and I think through the local bodies like KKMJ, universities, Catholic College, Gohat University, State Council of Science and Technology, ASTEP. NGOs, I am quite confident that we will be able to bring about such changes which are required to bring the smiles on the face of the people of Northeast and so as the other parts of the country. Well, we have been discussing how to communicate science to the common man and for that purpose, we have been using mass media. We have been blaming mass media also for not giving adequate coverage for science and technology. But we need to have some retrospections, whether we are doing much justice with the science communication stuff. We blame that media is giving more coverage for the political news, for the crime reporting, sports, business, glamour and even Dharmachal and also flourishing nowadays. Can we stop that? We are living in a democratic setup. They also have the similar life as we have. We cannot stop that. Rather, we cannot continue living that also at the same time. But what best we can do in the situation? We can make our contributions more competitive because we are living in a business-driven world as Dr. B. P. Sanjay has rightly mentioned and we have to compete with them. We have to develop the capacity among us, among us the science communicators, science writers, science journalists and those who are concerned for science communication and for the state of science community in the country. It is a challenge for us. Let us take the challenge. Let us make our product more competitive so that we can compete with these six disciplines that is political news, criminal crime reporting, Dharmachal, sports, business and glamour. I think there are takers of science and technology also. It is evident from the way these TV channels like Discovery Channel. It is very popular. People are fed up with what has been provided through various channels and various media roles for a long time. Now, if you visit some homes, you will find that children are watching Discovery Channel. They are watching Animal Planet Channel. They are watching National Geographic. So, see here is the quality. So, if we are able to bring about that kind of quality, I think we would be able to compete with various other disciplines which are funded in the mass media and you will find enough coverage of science and technology also in the mass media. So, this is the time. Let us forge ahead various channels of communication, make our communication more competitive, make our communication more comprehensive to the government. I think these are the challenges of the hour we must accept and we must collectively try to address that. And this is the forum that we have been able to create something like nine years before and next year we are entering into the tenth year of this Indian Science Communication Congress. And the idea emerged because sometime when we had a science writer's workshop or we had a seminar or we have some other activity, but it was very difficult to bring the scientists and the communicators and the media community together because as a matter of fact there is a growing concern over the conflicts between science and the world over. This is not the case in India, but across the world this is what is happening in terms of science communication and that is hindering the science communication efforts all across the world. So, scientists generally they are not media savvy and the media persons at the same time unfortunately they are not science savvy although there are exceptions. Some scientists are very good communicators. At the same time some media persons are very good science learners and science writers, but we cannot expect from all the scientists to communicate with the public because they find it difficult when it comes to public communication of science and technology. Of course, we can write very good science research papers, they can deliver very good technical lectures, but when it comes to communicating with the people they find it really very difficult and they generally do not give it more priority because their priority is doing research in the laboratory writing research paper and that will add to their domain knowledge. Similarly, if you ask a journalist why you are not covering the science historians the journalists have their own priority, the media groups they have their own priority science comes very at later stage for science coverage and even if a science journalist if you are if you compel them they will feel this is not their cup of tea writing scientist that it is not their cup of tea, it is to be done by the scientists at the same time scientists also feel this is not their cup of tea it should be science should be written or communicated by the journalist then from where the people will come from that is why we have devised this platform so that we can sit together we can express our views and we can build some bridges so that there can be some consensus ok. It is a collective responsibility of the scientists of the media persons of the journalist to educate the people to make the people aware to make best use of the scientific knowledge that we are creating in the laboratory. When it comes to make best use of the knowledge there comes the role of the scientific temperament that was introduced first by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru our first time minister. It is a doctrine how to resolve problems how to reach conclusions it is a whole methodology that we call as method of science scientific methodology it includes curiosity collection of information then analysis experimentation and then reaching to the conclusion. But every time we do not we do not allow ourselves to follow this process and we tend to jump to conclusions and that is a great mistake we are continuing in our society while taking even a small or big decisions because our decisions which we are taking today are going to impact our tomorrow and the future of our children and the grandchildren subsequently. So, more important is to take the right kind of decision at right point of time for taking right kind of decision at right point of time I believe two elements are crucial one the information and here more precisely the scientific information the scientific knowledge and the other is the scientific temperament the attitude the inability to take a decision that is more rational that is more logical without any fear without any bias and without any prejudice. So, knowledge is one knowledge is important but more important is to make best use of that knowledge scientific temperament enables us to make best use of that knowledge that we are required over the period. So, a blend of scientific knowledge and scientific temperament holds the key for overall development and I think this Indian Science Communication Congress offers a platform we will be debating, deliberating, expressing, learning, contributing I think a lot of can happen between these three four days I think especially I must urge ever young students because they are the they are the they will take the message across from here and I request them they must learn they must debate they must question ask questions to the experts whenever there is a presentation you ask question and seek the answers you have cross question but do not enter into conflicts while asking question if you ask question once it is question if you again ask the same thing with some twist it is a supplementary question if you continue again it is a cross question if you further continue you are entering into debate if you further continue you are entering into conflict if you further continue you are entering into fights so do not go for that there are certain procedures for asking questions follow these procedures and enjoy this ninth Indian Science Communication Congress that has been put together by the NCSCC and K. K. Hendrick Open University and we have we are confident that it is going to address many problems it is going to bring out some recommendation which will form part of the policy matters so that we can develop we can decide and we can have some new policies for strengthening science communication program of the country once again I think one and all thank you very much