60 Years of Bigyan Jeuti 

The diamond jubilee celebration of Bigyan Jeuti, the flagship science magazine of the Assam Science Society, was recently held at Sribhumi (Karimganj), Assam.

About Assam Science Society

• Assam Science Society was established in 1953 as the Gauhati Science Society and was renamed in 1956 to expand its activities across Assam.
• It is a voluntary scientific organisation dedicated to promoting scientific temper, science education, and research awareness among people.
• The Society has around 100 branches across Assam and neighbouring areas including one branch at Tikrikila in Garo hills, Meghalaya, making it one of India’s largest science-based voluntary organisations.
• It has more than 5,000 life members and plays a significant role in popularising science in regional languages.

About Bigyan Jeuti

• Bigyan Jeuti is a bi-monthly Assamese science magazine first published in September 1961.
• It is among the longest-running science magazines in India and has completed over six decades of uninterrupted publication.
• The magazine aims to bring science and technology closer to common people through simple language and practical examples.

Key Publications and Contributions

• The Society publishes:
  • Bigyan Jeuti (Assamese science magazine).
  • Journal of Assam Science Society (JASS), an English-language research journal.
  • Science dictionaries, glossaries, encyclopedias, biodiversity reports, and science books.
• More than 150 science-related books have been published, mostly in Assamese, to support students and the general public.

Significance

• The Society promotes the constitutional duty of developing scientific temper, mentioned under Article 51A(h) of the Constitution.
• It supports the goals of the National Education Policy 2020, particularly scientific literacy and integration of Indian Knowledge Systems.
• It acts as a bridge between scientific research and society through seminars, workshops, exhibitions, and awareness campaigns.

Exam Hook (Prelims)

Q. Which of the following is a Fundamental Duty under Article 51A of the Constitution of India?

(a) To protect and improve the natural environment
(b) To develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform
(c) To promote educational opportunities for all citizens
(d) To ensure free and compulsory education

Answer: (b)

One-Line Wrap

For over six decades, Bigyan Jeuti and the Assam Science Society have played a pioneering role in nurturing scientific temper and bringing science closer to the people of Assam.

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