IIT Guwahati is hosting the 44th Astronomical Society of India (ASI) Annual Meeting, bringing together over 600 global astronomers. The five-day conference marks the event’s return to the Northeast region after a gap of three decades.
Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 16 (ANI): The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati kicked off the 44th Astronomical Society of India (ASI) Annual Meeting with a formal inauguration event on Saturday. According to a press release by the institute, the five-day conference has brought together over 600 astronomers, researchers, students, and science communicators from across the globe. This event marks a special milestone for IIT Guwahati and the Northeast scientific community, as the ASI Annual Meeting has returned to the region after 30 years. The conference was last hosted in the Northeast by Gauhati University in 1996.
The inaugural ceremony of the event was graced by the esteemed presence of Prof Devendra Ojha, President, Astronomical Society of India, and Prof Devendra Jalihal, Director, IIT Guwahati. The release also mentioned that other dignitaries present during the event included, Prof Sukumar Nandi, Dean of Administration; Prof Santabrata Das, Chair, Local Organizing Committee, IIT Guwahati, along with Prof Sarita Vig, Secretary, Astronomical Society of India; Prof Anandamayee Tej, Chair, Scientific Organizing Committee; Prof Yashwant Gupta, Director, National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), Pune; Prof Annapurni Subramaniam, Director, Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru; Prof Dipankar Banerjee, Vice-Chancellor, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), and Prof Manish K. Naja, Director, Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, among others.
Inspiring Young Minds in the Northeast
Welcoming the participants, Devendra Jalihal, Director, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, said, “We are delighted to host the 44th Annual Meeting of Astronomical Society of India at IIT Guwahati and bring together researchers, students, and members of the scientific community on our campus. Such gatherings play an important role in inspiring young minds, especially in the Northeast, to connect with the wonders of STEM and innovation. I am confident that this initiative will foster new ideas, collaborations, and greater engagement with science among students and researchers across the region.”
About the Astronomical Society of India
As per the release, established in 1972, the Astronomical Society of India is the professional association of astronomers in the country. With more than a thousand members dedicated to advancing astronomy and related sciences in India, this annual meeting serves as the Society’s flagship platform for scientific exchange, collaboration, and outreach.
Future of Astronomy in India is Bright: ASI President
Speaking during his ASI Presidential Address, Devendra Ojha said, “The Astronomical Society of India has a rich legacy spanning more than five decades since its establishment in 1972 and has evolved into a diverse and vibrant scientific community. I am particularly excited about this year’s conference as ASI returns to the Northeast after three decades. With new facilities such as large telescopes and next-generation observational infrastructure on the horizon, the future of astronomy in India is bright and offers immense opportunities for the astronomical community. Through this conference, we aim to create new avenues for young researchers to engage in meaningful scientific discoveries and foster collaborative research efforts.”
Conference Highlights and Scientific Sessions
The five-day conference will feature more than 140 scientific talks and 355 poster presentations covering a diverse range of themes, including Sun and Solar System, exoplanets and astrobiology, stars and galaxies, cosmology, astrochemistry, astronomy technologies, data science, astronomy education, heritage, gender equity in science, the release states.
Pre-Event Activities and Workshops
A key highlight of the pre-event activities held on 15th May 2026 was a public lecture on the topic, “A Decade of AstroSat – India’s First Space Observatory”, delivered by Prof. Annapurni Subramanyam, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, and recipient of the Vigyan Shri Award 2024. Additionally, three workshops on thematic areas, including “Compact Objects in the AstroSat Era”, “Radio Astronomy from Space”, and “Rubin LSST: Exploring the Transient Sky”, were also conducted on the opening day of the conference.
ASI Award Presentations
The inaugural event also included ASI award presentations recognising excellence in astronomy and astrophysics. This year, the ASI Zubin Kembhavi Award was presented to the team behind the GROWTH-India Telescope in Hanle, Ladakh. Other major honours included the Laxminarayana and Nagalaxmi Modali Award to Girish Kulkarni of TIFR and the Justice Oak Award for Outstanding Thesis in Astronomy to Prateek Mayank.
Public Outreach and Education Initiatives
Alongside the scientific activities being conducted at IIT Guwahati, the Public Outreach and Education Committee (POEC) of ASI is conducting astronomy-themed outreach activities across Guwahati and other parts of the Northeast. As part of this initiative, astronomers visiting Guwahati will engage with students at nearly 20 schools and colleges. In addition to this, exhibitions of astrophotography are being showcased at both the Guwahati Planetarium and Guwahati Science City to inspire the researchers of tomorrow.
According to the release, the 44th ASI Annual Meeting at IIT Guwahati is expected to strengthen astronomy research and collaborative scientific engagement in the Northeast while inspiring students and the public to engage more deeply with astronomy and space science. (ANI)
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