Through its formative years, the KSSP slowly evolved into a much larger organisational structure-now comprising of more than a few hundred activists, over ten thousand members, and many more friends and sympathisers, spread all over the State in over 500 units. The membership too is not confined to only the science based academics - with people from all walks joining in. The activity spectrum too has undergone a rapid transformation. There are science popularisation programmes in schools; every January the KSSP plans a science week organising thousands of lectures on important themes across the state, science quizzes, talent tests etc. What is important is that through all these activities an attempt has been made to generate a concern about science as a method and as a way of life among the people. Recognising the social orientation of science, the KSSP launched a major new programme of extensive mass contacts by using campaigns and jathas. It is through this process that the people have been involved in discussions of key issues and problems confronting them. These are issues related to the environment pollution, deforestation etc. Unscientific planning and management of development projects; campaigns against expensive curatively-oriented medicine and rapacious drug companies etc. This has also resulted in shift from relying exclusively on the printed medium to the use of discussion groups and informal chit-chats i.e. from propagation to dialogue. The KSSP represents a critical, innovative organisational efforts addressing itself not only to some of the most crucial questions of social transformation facing our country its unique contribution lies in its basic assumption which it has so successfully put into practice, that science is not a specialised elite activity - that the common citizen is capable of both comprehending the general principles of science, and under appropriate circumstances, practice the principles. It is the efforts to build a mass movement of the people through discussions on various issues of science and technology affecting their daily lives and the advocacy of science as a value system that have brought to focus the interface between science and society. It is in this task of 'conscientization' that the KSSP has done and continues to do a signal service to our nation. The Vikram Sarabhai Foundation and ICSSR are priveleged to confer this honour.
Dr.D.D.Narula
Member Secretary
18th October 1983
