PSF is completing three decades of its successful work as a Peoples’ Science Movement and one of the defining work of PSF has been in the area of science education and communication. This is realized through various activities like children’s science periodicals, popular science books, science lectures, popular public astronomy, nature walks, and so on.  PSF also formally works of improving science teaching in the class-rooms through teacher training programmes on science, maths, environment that are linked to informal science education activities which can inspire and educate children.

Objectives

Stimulate wonder and creativity, to promote a scientific temper, to create a thirst for knowledge and truth, and to foster better public understanding of science and its methods

Activities

The National Children’s Science Congress which is into the 23rd year. PSF has been implementing the NCSC since its inception and upto 2023. Over 25 batches of students have completed research projects in schools, under the guidance of teachers who are members or trained by PSF and submitted these for evaluation.  Pondicherry state teams have always been at the top in terms of the quality of the research project done by the students. As support for the NCSC declined, going on a completely voluntary basis the PSF now organizes an annual Puducherry Children’s Science Festivals, where over 180 children and 40 teachers participate. Read the report on this years Children’s Science Festival, 2025 and flip through its guidebooks.

PSF also conducts an exclusive programme for government schools called the “Faites de la science” programme (Make Science Competitions), in collaboration with the University of Paris, South11, France which is in the 10th Edition as of now. These are science projects done by students under the guidance of science teachers and these are shared with the science faculty in the university of Paris, which evaluates and awards them. In earlier years PSF also undertook, with collaboration of UPS, France, a programme called the Math Kangaroo contests which is known to be a training ground for the Math Olympiad. Its exciting to read a number of the science projects submitted.

PSF also started the first Tamil Children’s Science Monthly called Thulir in 1987 jointly with the Tamil Nadu Science Forum which is nearing three decades of its publication. Its monthly circulation is about 40,000 copies. A companion Jantar Mantar periodical which is more a support for science teachers is published in English with a circulation of about 2000.

Another popular activity which PSF is known for is the Thulir Children’s Science Quiz. Thousands of children participate in this activity- and this promotes considerable interest in science studies.

PSF is well-known in the public for its Popular Astronomy activities. This year itself, about 90,000 persons witnessed the zero-shadow day in April 21, under PSF guidance. On September 7th a lunar eclipse watch programme was organized on the beach promenade.  PSF s nature walks and science day events. Another recent addition is PSF’s observance of the National Scientific Temper Day on August 21st, the day of Dr Dabholkar’s assassination, to promote scientific temper and scientific values through seminars and other activities.

A recent addition to PSF’s list of educational activities is the Pondicherry Children’s Film Festival, which has been organized both in 2024 and 2025 with over 150 children attending and over 20 films screened. Many films are on science. All films are filled with wonder and creativity. Browse through the programme if you are interested in knowing more.

PSF, apart from working in Puducherry and Tamilnadu, had been extending technical support to other PSM organizations as well as a Southern Regional Coordination agency in a number of scientific programmes like teacher training programmes, Eyes on ISON campaign, a very successful astronomy programmes which is envisaged to an ongoing astronomy programme. One important nugget from our history is 5 set “Science Communication” Slide Shows which was used extensively all over India when the AIPSN was being set up. The other was its role in organizing the first South Zone Kalajathas as part of the all India kalajathas of 1987, whichbecame the launching point of many PSM groups all over India.

In 1994, PSF got the National Award for Science Popularisation efforts from the Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, one of the first organizations in India to win this coveted award.