Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and witness the entire inaugural session of the 108th Indian Science Congress through video conferencing on Tuesday.

The inaugural ceremony will start at 9.30 am. The event is being hosted by Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) at its Amravati Road Campus, said a press release on Monday.

Among the top dignitaries who will grace the inaugural session are the Governor of Maharashtra and Chancellor of Maharashtra Public Universities, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Union Minister and Chairman of the Advisory Committee of RTMNU Centenary Celebrations, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology & Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis.
Vice Chancellor of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Subhash R. Chaudhari, and General President of Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA), Kolkata, Dr. Vijay Laxmi Saxena will be prominently present.

The theme of the event this year is "Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women's Empowerment." The Public Talks and exhibitions are open to the general public.

The technical sessions of the 108th Indian Science Congress have been divided into 14 sections under which parallel sessions will be conducted at different venues in the university's Mahatma Jotiba Phule Educational Campus.

Apart from these 14 sections, there will be a Women's Science Congress, a Farmers' Science Congress, a Children's Science Congress, a Tribal Meet, a section on Science and Society and a Science Communicators' Congress.
The Plenary Sessions will feature Nobel Laureates, leading Indian and foreign researchers, experts and technocrats from a wide variety of fields, including space, defense, IT and medical research.

A special attraction of the event is a mega expo "Pride of India". The prominent developments, major achievements and significant contributions largely of Indian Science and Technology to society will be showcased in the exhibition, which brings together and displays hundreds of new ideas, innovations, and products covering the entire canvas of the scientific world. Pride of India displays the strengths and achievements of Government, Corporate, PSUs, Academic and R&D Institutes, Innovators & Entrepreneurs from all across the country.

In the run-up to the event, the Vigyan Jyot programme, a tradition of the Indian Science Congress was held today. More than 400 school and college students gathered at Zero Milestone and, wearing special caps and T-shirts, proceeded in a rally to the university campus. They took a pledge to adopt scientific thinking in their lives. ISCA General President, Dr. (Mrs.) Vijay Laxmi Saxena urged them not to study science as merely a subject, but make it a part of life in anything that they do.

Vigyan Jyot - Flame of Knowledge - was conceived along the lines of the Olympic flame. It is a movement dedicated to nurturing scientific temper in society, especially the youth. The flame was installed at the university campus and will continue to be alight until the end of the 108th Indian Science Congress.

(with inputs from ANI)