Regional Science Magazines- A Pivotal part in our journey towards Vikasit Bharat

Manish Mohan Gore and Biju Dharmapalan

bijudharmapalan@gmail.com

In an era when digital platforms, podcasts, and social media dominate science communication, science magazines consistently underscore the enduring influence of the printed word. Science magazines encourage a kind of learning that AI often cannot. AI typically answers the question we ask. A magazine, however, introduces readers to questions they never thought of asking. A reader who opens an issue to read about artificial intelligence may unexpectedly discover an article on biodiversity, quantum computing, archaeology, or neuroscience.

In India, the importance of science magazines extends beyond credibility to inclusivity. A large proportion of Indians are more comfortable learning in their mother tongue than in English. Scientific knowledge can become truly democratic only when it is available in languages people think and dream in.

Vigyan Pragati, one of India's oldest enduring science journals, has dedicated over seventy years to fostering scientific curiosity among millions of Hindi readers, demonstrating that the quality of science is determined not by the language of its expression, but by the clarity of its communication. Founded in 1952 by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), barely five years after India's Independence, Vigyan Pragati emerged during a period when the newly independent nation was placing science and technology at the heart of its development agenda. The country was building laboratories, establishing research institutions and investing in scientific talent. Yet the architects of modern India also recognised that scientific progress would remain incomplete unless ordinary citizens understood and embraced science.

Over the next seventy-five years, Vigyan Pragati travelled far beyond research institutions. Copies found their way into school libraries, government offices, railway compartments, village reading rooms and countless homes across northern and central India. For generations of students, teachers and curious readers, it became the first introduction to the fascinating world of science, be it in space science, medicine, agriculture, the environment, biotechnology, or emerging technologies. It has also nurtured generations of science writers

What distinguished the magazine was its refusal to treat science as an elite subject. Rather than utilising technical language, it elucidated everyday phenomena in accessible and interesting Hindi. Articles linked scientific ideas to relatable experiences—such as a farmer's field, fluctuating weather, culinary ingredients, domestic behaviours, rivers, woodlands, and the nocturnal sky. Readers realised that science permeated all facets of everyday life, not merely confined to laboratories In addition, the magazine carried articles about many topics, as well as poetry, science fiction, quizzes, crossword puzzles, activities for kids, and interesting pictures. Instead of memorisation, these imaginative styles made learning fun and prompted young readers to ask questions.

Its most significant impact may be in fostering a scientific mindset in young minds. Vigyan Pragati had been subtly encouraging inquisitiveness, logic, and evidence-based knowledge for a long time before the phrase became crucial to educational policy. Many scientists, teachers, science communicators and researchers have acknowledged that their early interest in science was sparked by reading the magazine during their school years.

In recent years, discussions surrounding the National Education Policy have once again highlighted the importance of multilingual education. Publications such as Vigyan Pragati demonstrate that knowledge does not lose its scientific rigour when translated into Indian languages. On the contrary, it becomes more democratic, more accessible and more meaningful.

Achieving seventy-five years of survival in the publishing industry is a significant accomplishment. Many periodicals started by eminent publishing groups have ceased publication due to financial strain, driven by evolving reader tastes and the rapid proliferation of digital media. Vigyan Pragati has consistently progressed while adhering to its foundational objective. Its enduring nature is founded on a straightforward philosophy: to elucidate science without intimidating readers, to link knowledge to quotidian experiences, and never to underestimate human curiosity.

Commemorating the magazine's 75-year trajectory serves as a reminder that India's scientific advancement relies not only on premier laboratories and groundbreaking discoveries, but also on the capacity to convey science to everyone in accessible language. A nation becomes scientifically advanced not simply because it produces more research papers, but because its people learn to question, reason and appreciate evidence