INTERVIEW WITH DR AMIT CHAKRABORTHY POPULAR SCIENCE MEDIA SPECIALIST FROM KOLKATA AND NATIONAL AWARD WINNER FOR POPULARISATION OF SCIENCE THROUGH MEDIA


1. What were your contributions that became the basis of this award ?
2. What is your background? How much science? How much arts? how much social science?
3. We heard that your programmes on Calcutta FM radio service surpassed even the private entertainment opearators? Can you elaborate with facts and figures?
4. How can you become a celebrity with only doing science popularisation that too in calcutta. Kindly share your secrets with us?
5. We understand that you have been organising science training courses for the past 14 years. What are these courses? who are the participants?
6. You had worked in radio and TV. Now you are in private TV. Which job you like most?
7. Radio once was regarded as a personal medium. Today it has also become global. Can you comment on it?
8. How to motivate people to listen to radio? how to motivate them to listen to radio and that too science programmes?


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comcom: Congratulations Dr Chakraborthy for receiving this years science popularisation award through media. What were your contributions that became the basis of this award ?

Amit Chakraborthy: I worked as the science programme producer in All India Radio, Calcutta during 1977-1989. I, along with a group of young science communicators started broadcasting regular science programmes in an organised manner. Initially the science teachers/scholars were reluctant in talking about science for the common people. I started with 7 talkers which grew to few thousands within 10 years. We experimented with various formats and we involved thousands of listeners. Most of our science programmes were based on day to day queries of the listeners. We used to organize special gatherings every fortnight with the help Radio Science Clubs where people from all walks of life got chances to interact with scientists. The programmes were utility oriented, against superstition and fundamentalism. Science documentaries and programmes in popular folk formats were regularly aired. As a matter of fact, All India Radio took the leading position in spreading scientific literacy in Bengal during 1970's & 1980's. During 1990-1994, I served radio satations in Assam, Bihar & Orissa. As Head of Programmes, it was convenient for me to initiate organised science broadcasts in those states. I returned to Calcutta as The Station Director and I utilised the newly introduced FM for dissemination of scientific information.

Though I have been regularly presenting and producing science programmes on Doordarshan and publishing books on popular science including science fiction, I feel, our Government has awarded me in recognition of my contribution in popularising science through radio.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comcom:What is your background? How much science? How much arts? how much social science? 

Amit Chakraborthy: I graduated from St. Xavier's College Calcutta with Honours in Physics, the combination subjects being Maths and Statistics. Before completing graduate studies, I decided to switch over to Psychology for various reasons. I did an orientation course in psychology and did post graduation in Applied Psychology from Calcutta University. I joined Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta as a research fellow but later chose science popularisation as my profession. My background in natural and behavioural sciences has helped me to communicate science as a whole.  



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ComCom: We heard that your programmes on Calcutta FM radio service surpassed even the private entertainment opearators?
Can you elaborate with facts and figures?

Amit Chakraborthy: I introduced on FM live interactive programmes on almost all issues related to contemporary life. Many of the programmes were utility based, I even introduced a regular psychological counselling service. These became run away success. Prive FMs were offering entertainment in the form of songs and music, I mixed that with the information, people were looking for. I gave an impression to people that they were not only participating in programmes, but they were actually deciding what programmes to go on air. Our boys with mobile phones were meeting common people on the street and all of them were actually participating. People were getting first hand information from the source where the information was originating from. To give an example, Prof Amartya Sen, after receiving the Nobel Prize, could chat with common listeners from his hotel room for about An hour. For the first time, FM brought tremendous excitement..



 

 




ComCom: How can you become a celebrity with only doing science popularisation that too in calcutta. Kindly share your secrets with us?

Amit Chakraborthy: I don't think any body in our country can become a celebrity through science popularization activities alone. There is not much glamour attached to such activities. Most of the press have virtually declined to carry this news of the National Award for Science Popularization because they don't find any interest and excitement in it. It is unfortunate that science has not become part of contemporary culture and a scientist or a science communicator never gets the recognition at par with other performers.



 

 










ComCom: We understand that you have been organising science training courses for the past 14 years. What are these courses? who are the participants?

Amit Chakraborthy: I have so far organised 14 training courses on Science Journalism and Media Practice in Calcutta (Jadavpur University campus). This is a 12-16 weeks course for science writers and journalists. About 400 persons have so far attended these courses. Most of them are at least partly engaged in science communication now. The course is by an large supported by NCSTC, but it is in a position to continue without any financial support. I have brought out a book entitled 'Science & the Media' based on the lecture notes and this is the only book on science journalism available in India. .



 

 










ComCom: You had worked in radio and TV. Now you are in private TV. Which job you like most?

Amit Chakraborthy: Television offers better medium for science popularization because of visual support. But unfortunately the cost factor prevents Indian Television from doing good programmes on science, nature and health. We are showing best science programmes produced by BBC, dubbed in regional languages on our television network. Be that as it may, I still feel more comfortable with radio in disseminating scientific information.



 

 











ComCom: Radio once was regarded as a personal medium. Today it has also become global. Can you comment on it?

Amit Chakraborthy: Though radio is becoming global, it has to retain its personal character in order to be successful.



 

 















ComCom: How to motivate people to listen to radio? how to motivate them to listen to radio and that too science programmes?

Amit Chakraborthy: If people feel that radio listening is beneficial, it is entertaining and he has all the scope for participating and the course of the programme, he will definitely get hooked to radio. Radio and telephone are compatible, and that radio offers the best interactive medium.

I am basically a writer for children. I have so far written more than 15 books on popular science so far. I am now trying to address children below 8 years of age, because I feel, if we are to inculcate scientific attitude in people, we have to primarily address this kind of children.