Last year, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched Chandrayaan-3, the country’s most recent lunar exploration mission. Over a span of a few months, people around India tracked its progress and, later, its scientific findings. The lander’s soft-landing was telecast on several channels, making it one of the largest demonstrations of a live scientific experiment in India.
Overall, coverage of Chandrayaan-3 was an exemplar of the public communication of advanced science, and likely contributed to the widespread understanding and discourse around the endeavour.
India had a similar focus on scientific information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as governments implemented disaster management laws, the States’ as well as experts’ communication of scientific and healthcare-related information became significant. A good example is the manual on homemade masks issued by the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, which accelerated the use and adoption of reusable and affordable masks. Similarly, the ‘Indian Scientists’ Response to COVID-19’ initiative shared evidence-based perspectives from experts on social media.
