Patna: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Patna hosted the Indian Research Tour 2025 on Friday, a key initiative by Springer Nature in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). The tour forms part of the Research Integrity in Science and Education (RISE) programme, which seeks to reinforce a strong research culture, encourage open-access publishing, and uphold scholarly integrity nationwide.
Now in its third edition, Indian Research Tour 3.0 was launched in New Delhi on 6 October and will continue until 13 November, covering 29 institutions across 15 cities in seven states. The initiative provides a forum for faculty, researchers, and policymakers to explore the future of ethical and transparent research practices in India.
The event at IIT Patna, held in the Senate Hall, drew distinguished academics, researchers, and members of the higher education community. In his address, IIT Patna Director Prof. T.N. Singh underscored the need for research to generate meaningful social impact, stressing that it should be pursued with passion rather than treated as a passing trend.
Notable attendees included Venkatesh Sarvasiddhi, Managing Director of Springer Nature India, Shri Dipankar Mahanta of ICSSR, and leading regional scholars such as Dr. Anup Keshri, Dr. Dinesh Kotnees, Dr. Aditya Raj, and Dr. Papia Raj.
A highlight of the programme was a panel discussion on “Open Access Publishing Landscape in India,” moderated by Mr. Sarvasiddhi and featuring panelists Ms. Neha Trivedi, Dr. Prashant Kumar Srivastava, and Dr. Joydeep Chandra. The discussion explored strategies to make research more accessible, collaborative, and ethically grounded.
