NGC and Ministry of Science and Technology say ‘Think Beyond’ with ‘Science Safari’

How many of us have had that rare glimpse of Reva, India’s first electric car on the roads? Also, did you ever wonder what DNA fingerprinting and stem-cell research is all about? Beginning September 26, NGC will keep that interest and inquisitiveness alive when it premieres the film, ‘Science Safari’. The channel has collaborated with the Ministry of Science and Technology for the same.

Nikhil Mirchandani, MD, NGC, South Asia, defines the partnership as a marriage of like-minded institutions. NGC, he says, has science in its DNA and with the Ministry’s support; it will gain in further reconsolidating its India-centric content.

‘Science Safari’, in keeping with that intent, will stimulate thinking and enquiry in known and unknown aspects of science and technology, keeping largely in mind the Indian perspective. Moving beyond its ‘Think Again’ positioning (which has been touted since early 2005), it now prods its discerning viewers to ‘Think Beyond’.

The target group has been defined as those in constant pursuit of new ideas. These would include school students and those pursuing university degrees in the field of medicine, engineering and technology. Also, the focus will be on decision-makers who are key drivers of scientific development in the country. Last but not the least, it will try and generate an interest factor among the uninitiated towards science.

Produced by All Time Productions, the 48-minute travelogue highlights the success stories of scientists and various scientific achievements, the major ingredient in which will be simplifying jargon for the layman. Rob McBride, the narrator, travels through India to explore and unravel Indian science. En route, he visits key scientific institutions and meets scientific experts and people who have benefited from scientific innovation. While renowned scientists will be showcased, various unknown inventors will talk about their unique experiences. It will cover themes like biotechnology, drugs, medicines, stem cells, agriculture, genetic engineering, education, bio-processing, manufacturing and non-conventional energy. From the chief scientist at Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope to an engineer who makes science toys for children, from a fisherman with GPS on his boat to the man behind LCA – India’s Light Combat Aircraft – the film is an insightful journey into the Indian science panorama.

The film has been backed by a five-month-long research headed by eminent personalities. A total of 600 story ideas were received, which were whittled down to 10-12 for the 48-minute film and 15 for the one-minute films. The criteria were to be geographically ranged, be interesting and cutting-edge and to fit in with the scientific theme.

Beginning with English and Hindi, it will be telecast four times during the first month and subsequently once every month in the following one year. The film will also be telecast on Doordarshan. The Ministry will handle the dubbing in other Indian regional languages. Also, the 15 vignettes will be rotated on high frequency to spark interest and intent around the film in particular and the genre in general.

Mirchandani re-emphasises the channel’s efforts in keeping viewers clued in and well-informed about the life and world around them. Post-April, NGC has been involved in a major overhaul of its programming and content by making it more Indian. The channel has forayed into sub-genres like terrorism. Of late, programmes like ‘Emerging India’, ‘Nat Geo Investigates: Terrorism’ and now ‘Science Safari’ have come from its arsenal, to make its discerning Indian viewer connect better with it. “Be it terrorism or ancient culture, NGC will lead in covering that,” Mirchandani asserts.

Joy Bhattacharya, senior V-P, programming, states that the Ministry has an abundant treasure trove of information while NGC can boast of a well-packaged and well-presented programming. The idea is to make science interesting and cool and break the boring air around it. We want to break the stereotypes in schoolchildren around coke bottles and textbooks. Science, he says, is beyond what they study at the IITs. We aim to give it a local appeal.”

He points out that living in the cities makes people insulated to the world and happenings around them. “It’s an amazing fact that the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), through its research on a pest, has been able to save a whopping sum of $2 billion by avoiding the damage.” He claims that the line-up truly captures the spirit of innovation and discovery associated with and largely prevalent in small towns and cities, and will make interesting eye-candy for viewers pan-India and worldwide.

The science, technology and earth sciences minister, Kapil Sibal, voiced his positivism about India’s leap and sphere of influence in the science and technology arena. Creativity and innovation, being key assets in this respect, need to be recognised and enhanced. The same should be brought to the notice of billions, making them more aware. Children should be made key spectators to this genre in a bid to spark the spirit of scientific enquiry in them, he felt.

Areas under purview in the 15 short films are brain research, low-cost heart-valve and blood bags, leather, nano tubes, salt-tolerant plants, tuberculosis, tele-education through EDUSAT, tele-medicine, DNA fingerprinting, stem cells, biodiversity, bio-informatics, digital signal processing, Hansa and India’s first electric car Reva.

The diversity of topics ranges from Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai, talking about unhygienic conditions in the manufacturing and processing of leather to the satellite EDUSAT’s role in disseminating education to children in the remotest parts to telemedicine vans’ role in disaster management. Viewers catch a glimpse of Hansa, India’s first all-composite light aircraft and Reva, India’s first electric car.

Both the Ministry and the channel will promote the film extensively. On-air promotion initiatives will include programme promos on NGC and The History Channel and telecast of a collation of the channel’s best science and technology programming. Informative scrollers, factoids and vignettes will be aired throughout the year. An extensive school-contact programme will engage schoolchildren while doling out various audio-visual merchandise including DVD sets, CD sets, T-shirts and bags during screening of the film. Also, talks are on to take the film to cinema halls and multiplexes. The website will run a contest based on the same.

© 2006 agencyfaqs!