A month after announcing that it would host the 109th edition of the Indian Science Congress, the Jalandhar-based Lovely Professional University (LPU) has backed out, The Hindu has reliably learnt. This makes it unlikely that the annual three-day event — traditionally inaugurated by the Prime Minister and with a history stretching back to pre-Independent India — can be held as usual in the first week of January, according to functionaries associated with the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA), the Kolkata-based organiser of the Congress.
This comes after the Department of Science and Technology (DST) — which funds the Science Congress and pays for much of ISCA’s budget — alleged that the decision to hold the event at LPU was one of several “unilateral” decisions taken by a “few members” of ISCA.
“Unforeseen challenges have arisen, making it unfeasable [sic] for Lovely Professional [University] to fulfill its hosting responsibilities,” said an email dated December 17, sent from LPU registrar Monica Gulati to ISCA general president Arvind Saxena.
