INYAS


The Indian National Young Academy of Sciences is the national academy of young scientists from India, aiming to give a voice to young scientists across the country. Founded in 2015 in line with Die Junge Akademie of Germany, INYAS is the apex body of young scientists from India representing all branches of science, technology and medicine. INYAS is housed within its parent body, Indian National Science Academy and is affiliated with Global Young Academy as the national young academy of India INYAS is also a signatory of the declaration on the Core Values of Young Academies, adopted at World Science Forum, Budapest on 20 November 2019
In February 2020, Dr. Chandra Shekhar Sharma from IIT Hyderabad was elected as the chair of INYAS, replacing Dr. Mahesh Kumar from IIT Jodhpur.
Membership strength is capped at 100, and the membership tenure is 5 years.

Organization and membership

The Indian National Young Academy of Sciences aims to be the "Voice for Young Scientists" and encourages national, intergenerational, and interdisciplinary collaboration and dialogue. Core committees of INYAS consist of Biology and Medicine, Engineering Sciences, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Earth Sciences, which constitutes its governing body. The number of members is capped at 100, and each scientist is limited to a five-year term of membership. Memberships are offered based on scientific excellence, after a process of nominations from senior scientists, national societies, and self-nominations, together with peer review by members. The INYAS reached its full capacity of 100 members in 2019. In addition, there are 6 alumni. As of 2019, 16 states are represented at the INYAS.
The office of the INYAS is hosted at the Indian National Science Academy in New Delhi, India.

History

The Indian National Young Academy of Sciences was founded in 2016 in New Delhi, India, after a preliminary organizational meeting in 2015 sponsored by the INSA. Initial members of INYAS were chosen by INSA from the recipients of INSA medal for the Young Scientists. Since 2017, INYAS started its own peer-reviewed selection procedure for its members. INYAS has its administrative office situated within INSA, New Delhi.
The INYAS cooperates closely with most major scientific organizations in the country and around the world such as Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, National Academy of Sciences, India, Allahabad, UNESCO, the UN Secretary General's Scientific Advisory Board, ISC, IAP, the Global Research Council, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre and The World Academy of Sciences. The INYAS also developed several national and international collaborative research projects and campaigns in recent years. INYAS participates and typically host a session in the anniversary general meetings of all three science academies in the country.
List of Chairs:
List of the current Core Committee members:
Primary aims of INYAS are helping the young scientists in the country and volunteering in science popularization. The academy aims to bring together young scientists in the country to solve national and global problems and policy issues that require interdisciplinary expertise, promote a scientific culture in which excellence in research is more highly valued than seniority, and improve the foundations of science worldwide by providing encouragement and recognition to young researchers in universities and institutions with underdeveloped science funding.
One particular focus of the INYAS is facilitating science outreach activities, especially in remote areas of India. The so-called "Remote Area Lectures" and INYAS-Science Camps are well known in the country as initiatives to popularize the science, fight against pseudoscience and motivate the young school children to choose a career in STEM fields. INYAS usually have one Annual General Body Meeting held during February in INSA, New Delhi. Since 2020 INYAS is proposed to have an additional mid-year meeting to be held elsewhere in the country. INYAS also organizes National Frontiers in Science - an invitation-only annual conclave of the young scientists in the country. NatFoS 2018 was held at Hyderabad, NatFoS 2019 was held at Samod Bagh near Jaipur and NatFoS 2020 is scheduled to be held at Parwanoo, Himachal Pradesh.

Notable members