To provide scientifically accurate COVID-19 content and resources, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and several research centres in a joint initiative has launched a website called COVID-gyan (https://covid-gyan.in).
The website was launched to create a multi-institutional, multilingual science communication platform that provides authentic content and resources related to COVID-19.
The initiative is the brainchild of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), IISc, and the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC). The website is a single source for all information generated from across the world to filter out misinformation.
Coordinating the initiative is Professor Rajesh Gopakumar, Centre Director of the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS) in Bengaluru. According to Gopakumar, the mandate of the CovidGyan initiative is to, “create, curate and communicate scientifically credible and authentic COVID-19 related content and resources.” The main target audience of the content is the general public as well as the scientifically curious who would like to keep abreast of developments, he adds.
#CovidGyan (https://t.co/xI83u2WbNl), a website dedicated to scientifically accurate COVID-19 content & resources, has been launched as a joint initiative of multiple institutions including IISc, various TIFR centres, @TataMemorial, @BLiSC_India, @IndiaBioscience, @VigyanPrasar pic.twitter.com/vYmdXsmsDx
— IISc Bangalore (@iiscbangalore) April 5, 2020
The professor further added that the rationale for some of the steps adopted by scientists to find a cure, vaccine, and policy measures may not be obvious to the general public and it is the responsibility of scientists to explain these issues compellingly. The #CovidGyan initiative provides a forum to bring together scientists and communicators across TIFR and other partnering institutions to make an impact
Professor K Subramaniam, Centre Director of the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) in Mumbai pointed out that the combined capacity of all those involved in the website will help bring authentic and reliable information to the public as well as those engaging in the struggle against the pandemic in a variety of roles.
The website’s resources will be made available in Indian languages, including Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu, so that the science, as well as the guidance for health and well-being, reaches the widest audience possible, according to the TIFR press statement. The website contains short informative videos, webinars in 12 languages, posters and infographics, FAQs, mythbusters, and articles, which are being translated into multiple Indian languages.