IIT Madras 'Shaastra' magazine launched to bring Indian perspective to global science

Indian Institute of Technology Madras on Wednesday launched a Tech Magazine named 'Shaastra', which claims to be the first-of-its-kind to be published by an Indian Educational Institution. The ‘IIT Madras Shaastra,’ a Science, Technology, and Innovation magazine will address a mass audience and articulate not just Indian but global trends, the IIT said in a press release. Shaastra will bring an Indian perspective to global science and technology and an international perspective to Indian science, it reads. 

Supported by the 50,000 alumni of IIT Madras, Shaastra is intended to serve as a platform to showcase sterling achievements in science, technology, and innovation in India and abroad, with the goal of enabling informed conversations between industry, academia, and policymakers. IIT Madras will play a crucial role to foster an objective viewpoint in the magazine and help take scientific developments to a wider community.

"Shaastra is developed by a professional team and aims to bring an Indian solution-driven perspective to developments in S&T as well as their impact on society. The magazine will be presented in both print and digital formats and fills a long-felt void for a validated source for in-depth reporting and analysis of current research, written in a form that is accessible and engaging to a general reader. Shaastra will feature a wide range of topics in S&T and developments in innovation happening in India as well as around the world. The readers will learn about the latest developments in S&T and their potential impact on Indian society and industry," reads the press release.

IIT Madras Shastra Magazine

The magazine’s print edition will come out every two months. E-magazine can also be accessed online at shaastramag.org. Subscriptions will be open to potential readers in India and abroad.

Elaborating on this unique media product from IIT Madras that is aimed at a global audience, Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT Madras, said, “Many institutes run journals, which contain academic peer-reviewed papers. But this is a different endeavour. Shaastra is a Science, Technology and Innovation magazine, something that was missing from India – and the entire world is our canvas. It will present an India-centric view.”

Congratulating the Shaastra team, Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi said, “There is a gap in the (S&T magazine offering) space and we thought we will fill this gap. It will be of great interest not only to students, faculty, academia and researchers but also practitioners, engineers at large, alumni and companies. This is a way of reaching out to the community. This is, therefore, an exciting new venture for us. We are fortunate to have put together a really solid editorial team to execute this.”

The first magazine, expected shortly, will focus on Indian scientists’ efforts to decode the COVID-19 virus using cutting-edge science and advanced technology, and to use that knowledge to formulate future vaccines against similar pandemics.

The reader will become better informed and the magazine will create excitement for a solution-driven perspective of the latest developments in S&T and innovation.

• The Readership target for Shaastra will include:
• Senior and middle managers in technology companies
• Researchers in government institutions and universities around the world
• Science and technology students
• Investors in technology
• Technocrats, bureaucrats and political leadership
• IIT Madras alumni
• General public with interest in S&T

Elaborating on the objective behind coming out with this S&T Magazine, Prof. Srikanth Vedantam, Faculty, Department of Engineering Design, IIT Madras, and Chair of Editorial Board, Shaastra, said, “The magazine will present the latest developments in S&T and their impact on Indian society. It is intended to serve as a platform to showcase the best science, technology, and innovation, with the goal of enabling informed conversations between industry, academia, and policymakers.”

Outlining the interest of alumni in this project, Prof. Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations), IIT Madras, said, “IIT Madras is proud to have a very strong alumni base that has been wanting to understand the best of research not only from their alma mater but from the country at large. We are happy to announce an offering that fulfills their demand.”