Heard of CERN, what about India’s VECC and IUAC?

More Indians have heard about CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) compared to VECC (Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre) or IUAC (Inter-University Accelerator Centre). Ironically, CERN is in far-away Geneva but VECC and IUAC are in our own cities, Kolkata and Delhi, respectively.

VECC and IUAC scientists do top-class work in experimental nuclear and particle physics as well. Yet more Indians are familiar with the nature of experiments, talks, media articles and news from CERN. This is a simple test which shows how much more CERN engages with the general public compared to our own particle accelerators in India.

This record clearly indicates the lack of science public outreach and engagement from our country’s particle accelerator and nuclear reactor facilities. Most of these facilities do not entertain general public or visitors from our own citizens citing the excuse of high security areas, restricted entry and prior permissions. For foreign visitors to Indian space and nuclear research facilities, the process of entry and clearance is even more complex because of exaggerated fear of espionage and spying.

However, it is important to note that CERN welcomes thousands of national and international visitors every year to their facility. They engage with the general public through tours, exhibits, talks and visitor programmes. Obviously there are certain areas in any research facility which are not accessible to the general public but that does not make it difficult for ordinary people to access their campus or experience the spirit of science and research being done there.

Stanford Linear Accelerator Centre (SLAC) in the US is an example of another top national accelerator facility which conducts public tours, talks and public outreach events on a regular basis. Many American school and college students get inspired to take up a science career from such tours and programmes.

It is a pity that such a scientifically advanced country like ours is not that open when it comes to engaging our own citizens with top-end research labs and facilities. This is an indirect reason as to why some native citizens feel threatened and confused when new nuclear reactors and research facilities are being suddenly set up in rural and urban areas. They do not feel included in the whole process of science and research conducted at labs in their own vicinity and native lands.

The consistent protests against setting up of new nuclear reactors, observatories, labs and so on from native villagers is a telling sign of the huge disconnect between the research organisation, its activities and the ordinary citizen.

While CERN and SLAC have set up dedicated science public outreach teams which welcome ordinary citizens to their exhibits and tours almost on a day-to-day basis, Indian particle accelerator and nuclear reactor facilities tend to show their importance by restricting access to the common man and making such public events as rare and exclusive as possible! Such an elitist attitude can only alienate native citizens and taxpayers from the spirit of science and development in India!

A positive direction to reduce future protests and conflicts is to educate, engage and welcome native people to high-tech labs through regular public outreach programmes and make them familiar with the kind of activities being done.

In addition to the process of inspiring and motivating people into science, it can also ease out tension between the common man and mysterious science in more ways than one! After all, both the science of atoms as well as space is beyond petty human boundaries!