Experiments in building inquiry: Scientific temper and grassroots science education in rural India
Experiments in building inquiry: Scientific temper and grassroots science education in rural India
Archives at NCBS: Research Fellowship Program Talk
Monday, July 6, 2026
11:00 AM
Nucleus Meeting Room, ELC, NCBS
Hybrid:
Meeting ID: 934 3354 7465
Passcode: cGN0zB
Abstract:
Scientific temper remains one of the most invoked concepts in India’s education and policy discourses, and continues to be debated by rationalists, reformers, educators, policymakers and critics alike. But what does it mean to practise scientific temper in everyday life, rather than only advocate, teach, or legislate for it? This talk examines the Hoshangabad Science Teaching Programme and Kishore Bharati collective as sustained, community-centric experiments in weaving inquiry into school education and community life. Drawing on archival research and critical readings of scientific temper, it reflects on how scientific temper can be understood not just as a disposition to be cultivated in citizens, but also as a way of thinking about building science-society relationships more critically.
Bio:
Siddharth Kankaria is an Independent Consultant in Science, Society, and Justice. He works at the intersection of research, practice, and teaching across themes of science engagement, education, and equitable access to knowledge. He holds a B.S. in Biology from IISc Bangalore and an M.Sc. in Science Communication & Public Engagement from the University of Edinburgh. He serves on the Scientific Committee of the Public Communication of Science and Technology Network, and supports individuals, institutions, and communities through strategy, sensemaking, and capacity-building. This talk is based on his work as a research fellow at the Archives at NCBS between September - December 2025 (https://archives.ncbs.res.in/scholars).