ASI Annual Meet Organised In IIT Guwahati After 30 Years; 600 Astronomers Participated.

Guwahati; May 2026: More than 600 astronomers, researchers, students and science communicators from India and abroad have converged at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati for the 44th Annual Meeting of the Astronomical Society of India (ASI), marking the return of the country’s biggest astronomy gathering to the Northeast after nearly three decades.

The five-day conference was formally inaugurated yesterday (15th May 2026, Friday) in the presence of ASI President Proffessor Devendra Ojha and IIT Guwahati director Proffessor Devendra Jalihal.

The last ASI annual meeting in the Northeast was hosted by Gauhati University in 1996. While addressing the inaugural session, Jalihal said hosting the conference in the region would encourage greater scientific curiosity and innovation among students and young researchers. “Such gatherings play an important role in inspiring young minds, especially in the Northeast, to connect with the wonders of STEM and innovation”, he said.

Founded in 1972, the Astronomical Society of India is the country’s premier professional body of astronomers and astrophysicists. Organisers said the annual meeting provides a major platform for scientific exchange, collaborations and outreach activities.

In his presidential address, Devendra Ojha has highlighted the rapid expansion of astronomy research infrastructure in India and said upcoming large telescopes and next-generation observational facilities would create new opportunities for Indian scientists.

The conference will feature more than 140 scientific talks and 355 poster presentations covering subjects such as solar science, exoplanets, cosmology, astrochemistry, astronomy technologies, data science, astronomy education and gender equity in science.

Ahead of the conference, noted astrophysicist Proffessor Annapurni Subramaniam, director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics and recipient of the Vigyan Shri Award 2024, delivered a public lecture titled “A Decade of AstroSat – India’s First Space Observatory”.

Several specialised workshops are also being held on themes including compact objects in the AstroSat era, radio astronomy from space and Rubin LSST’s exploration of the transient sky.

The conference also witnessed the presentation of major ASI awards for contributions to astronomy and astrophysics. The ASI Zubin Kembhavi Award was presented to the team behind the GROWTH-India Telescope in Hanle, Ladakh, while the Laxminarayana and Nagalaxmi Modali Award was conferred on Dr. Girish Kulkarni of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.

As part of the outreach programme, astronomers attending the conference will interact with students in nearly 20 schools and colleges across Guwahati and other parts of the Northeast. Astronomy exhibitions and astrophotography showcases are also being organised at the Guwahati Planetarium and Guwahati Science City. Organisers said the conference is expected to strengthen astronomy research and scientific collaborations in the Northeast while also promoting wider public engagement with space science.

Team Maverick.