Scientists shouldn’t forget ethics, says BARC director

As scientists work towards breakthroughs in areas of energy, agriculture and healthcare, they must not forget ethical issues surrounding them, RK Sinha, director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, said on Friday.
“There are pressures on our scientists and engineers to perform, publish or perish,” said Sinha, at the inauguration of the XI All India Meeting of Women in Science on ‘Science and Technology: Ethical Issues’.
“Accounting for the short-term and long-term consequences of different sciences and technologies, along with the highest standards of ethical conduct — which could often be in conflict with their individual career goals — is of utmost importance.”
Sinha stressed on the need to mentor young scientists on ethical issues coupled with mandatory formal gatherings to discuss various aspects.
Delving into the importance of ethical issues in science, professor P Balram, director, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, said it was taken seriously only after World War 2 where gas chambers with poisonous gas were used to kill humans as well as the bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
“Ethics of science is a post-World War 2 phenomenon. Apart from the atom bomb, several other things in scientific research are also facing ethical dilemmas,” said Balram referring to genetic medicine, eugenics and stem cells.
“On the other side, there are phenomena such as misconduct in science, fabrication of data, plagiarism, false claims, credit-sharing and authorship issues,” he added.
Stating that scientists must dispel unfounded beliefs, Balram added, “They have a duty to dispel any misconceptions of ethical issues such as reproduction and agriculture that directly affect or benefit the common man.”
Established in 1973, the Indian Women Scientists Association comprises 2,000 members, involved in various awareness programmes for school and college students, spotting talents as well as providing scholarship for needy students.
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PSEB Class-10 results: Mohali rises in ranking, slips in pass percentage
Even though Mohali district rose by two spots from last year's ranking in the PSEB Class 10 exams, its pass percentage dropped from 99.91% to 99%. Last year, Mohali was placed 17th among the 23 districts. This year, it improved its standing to 15th, with Gurdaspur district bagging the top spot. As many as 9,401 students from 109 Mohali schools appeared in the exams and 9,307 passed.
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32-year-old doctor ends life in Mohali’s Phase 2
A 32-year-old doctor allegedly ended his life by injecting himself with a paralytic drug used in anaesthesia at his rented accommodation in Phase 2 on Monday night. The doctor, who hailed from Rupnagar, was living alone in the rented house for the last three months and worked at a private hospital in Sector 34, Chandigarh. The autopsy will be conducted at the Phase-6 civil hospital on Wednesday.
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Sippy Sidhu murder: Kalyani’s judicial custody extended
A local court on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of Kalyani Singh, an accused in the murder of national-level shooter and lawyer Sukhmanpreet Singh, alias Sippy Sidhu. Lodged in Model Jail, Sector 51, since June 21, Kalyani, 36, was produced in court via video conferencing. On Monday, she had applied for bail before a local court. Her plea will be taken up for hearing on July 8.
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Haryana miffed over Chandigarh hiring medical officers from Punjab, other states
The UT administration's decision to appoint 33 medical officers (MOs) on deputation from Punjab, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh, and none from Haryana has not gone down well with the Haryana government. Highlighting its displeasure through a letter, the Haryana government has urged the UT administration to maintain the 60:40 ratio between Punjab and Haryana while filling up the vacant posts of MOs and dental surgeons. Till then, Haryana had not sent any panel of doctors.
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Panjab University senate okays fee hike for campus, affiliated colleges
In a major decision, the Panjab University senate on Tuesday approved the proposed fee hike in its teaching departments, regional centres and affiliated colleges for the 2022-23 session. A 5% increase in fee will be implemented for students of the ongoing batches. The fee hike, however, was met with opposition by some senators. The fee hikes over the past years have never gone down well with students.