STIP-2020

Role of Radio Kamalvani in framing STIP 2020: Reaching to Unreached

Duration of the project funded by DST-CEMCA: Aug 1, 2020 to Sep 30, 2020.

The Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy, 2020 (STIP 2020) is a landmark policy formulation flagged by the Government of India (GOI), its first since 2013. This significant event is ventured jointly by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the GOI, and the Department of Science and Technology (DST). Amidst COVID-19 with India facing a plethora of challenges going forward, the time is right for a policy that encourages collaboration, safeguards all interests, and promotes growth and development. The new policy, with its decentralized manner of information, will reorient STIP in terms of priorities, sectoral focus, the way research is done and technologies are developed and deployed for larger socio-economic welfare.

Focused group discussion at Radio Kamalvani

Radio Kamalvani is among the 25 Community Radio stations selected for the grassroots-level initiative “Thoughts for India” to collect voices for the formulation of the STIP 2020. Thoughts for India is a podcast series by DST, GOI, and CEMCA (Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia) in partnership with selected 25 Community Radios across the country in which awareness is raised about science policy, the current policy design process, and how our lives are intertwined with the progress we make as a nation in these fields. All the feedback, comments, and questions received from the interaction will be curated and included in the broader policy design.

Person filling STIP questionaire

Community Radio Kamalvani has broadcasted the content shared by DST twice at 11 am and 5 pm daily. Radio Kamalvani has reached out to the people at the last mile to know how they perceive the ways science has transformed their lives and in which sector they expect the new science policy to focus on through various research tools in addition to radio broadcasts. Besides surveying 360 people through questionnaires, 4 focused group discussions were conducted, and 182 audio feedback were collected from listeners.

Outcome: Overall, a bucket full of brilliant and innovative ideas were the outcome of this project.

Kamalvani is reaching to unreached with the view that every view counts and together we will make the change.