JVV – Origin and Objectives
Jana Vignana
Vedika was founded in 1988 (on February, 28th, the National Science Day) as a
result of the inspiration gathered from the Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha (BJVJ),
1987 with the following set of objectives:
To popularize science and to promote scientific temper among people
To eradicate obscurantist, superstitious and paranormal and mystical
practices from people by means of popularization of science
To facilitate the fruits understand the scientific basis behind several
of the problems faced by the people and to explore remedial solutions for the
same
To encourage quest for knowledge and to strive for national integrity,
self reliance, world peace, social progress and cultural vibrancy
To encourage research in divergent areas with people’s welfare as the
prime motto.
To design programmes suitable to realize the objectives.
JVV - Structure
Jana Vignana
Vedika, dearly known as JVV, is a non-profiteering, democratic and cadre-based
people’s science organization with its units functioning actively in all the 23
districts of the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is affiliated to the All India
People’s Science Network (AIPSN). It relies on the volunteerism of its members,
generous contributions from people and occasional public funding for certain
projects. It does not accept foreign funding.
JVV has a 4-tier structure, i.e.,
village/local unit, Mandal unit, district unit and state unit. Every unit holds
Conferences once every two years and elects the respective Committees. The
State Conference is held after the lower units are done in their hierarchical
order. Neither the President nor the General Secretary holds the post for more
than one term consecutively. Many top scientists, beaurocrats, academicians,
professionals, employees of public and private institutions, women, students,
agricultural workers and artisans including illiterates form the membership
(more than 40,000) of JVV. Interspacing the Conferences, each Committee, holds,
every year, a Plenum to take stock of the activities of the passing year and to
plan for the issues of the ensuing year.
Education,
Health and Science Communication are the major three operational domains of
Jana Vignana Vedika. It organizes a variety of programmes to create awareness
and to draw the public attention on various socio-scientific issues. It also
conducts training camps for teachers, students and science volunteers on the
trends of science and technology and the method of science. JVV celebrates and
observes major scientific milestones and anniversaries of national and
international significance. It publishes and circulates booklets and pamphlets.
It wages relentless but peaceful struggles against all kinds of superstitions
and obscurantism. It elicits public opinion against the rhetoric of paranormal,
quackery, unhealthy and spurious medical practices and other unfounded claims
of prevention and cure. It is educating the people about environmental upkeep,
ecological balance and sustainable agricultural and industrial development
while uncovering the real culprits behind the abuse of the environment.
Some of the activists of JVV regularly
contribute articles and science features in vernacular dailies and magazines
besides participation in electronic media and AIR. JVV has developed a series
of radio episodes on chemistry and other areas of science with a collaboration
of the DST’s Vigyan Prasar. Whenever astronomical events such as eclipses,
meteors, comets, occultations, etc. occur, JVV would be the first to go to people
at their habitats and make them understand the underlying principles of such
phenomena lest they should attach obscurantist attributes to them and continue
to be eternal slaves of paranormal and superstitious belief systems. Further,
during events of calamity, such as tsunami, storms and floods, accidents,
famine and other untoward situations, it gears up its human and humble
resources to go to the material and mental needs of the victims and the
aggrieved. Fake god men, unscientific medical prescriptions are on the waning
due to the protracted activities of JVV. It has been rated the topper in
celebrating the United Nations’ International Year of Physics, 2005. Its
activists regularly contribute articles in newspapers and other print media
while present demonstrations and air views through electronic media and
debates.
