OSMJ (2018) 1-5 © STM Journals 2018. All Rights Reserved Page 1 OmniScience: A Multi-disciplinary Journal ISSN: 2231-0398 (Online), ISSN: 2347-9949 (Print) Volume 8, Issue 3 www.stmjournals.com My Forays into History and Philosophy of Science and Other Areas Hardev Singh Virk* Professor of Eminence, Punjabi University, Patiala, Panjab, India Abstract This paper is a historical review of author's forays into History and Philosophy of Science, and other areas of his research interests, for example, teaching of Science and its popularization in vernacular medium. Presently, author is concerned about pollution of underground waters in Punjab and a dialogue between Science and religion. Keywords: History of Science, Philosophy of Science, Ecology, Science education *Author for Correspondence E-mail: hardevsingh.virk@gmail.com My entry into history and philosophy of science was not a pre-planned programme. In High School, I was feeling to be cut out for English literature but my teachers persuaded that I should opt for science when I topped in Government High School Malerkotla in 1957. I still remember the fiery speech of Head Master Khlasa Singh of Khalsa High School, Lassoi, to inspire the students to study science and mathematics, and ignore history which is the easiest subject on earth. When I joined Punjabi University, Patiala in 1965, I was fascinated to study of Cosmology to interpret Guru Nanak's thought about creation of the Universe. Hakam Singh, librarian of university library, impressed upon me to study history of science also. It stood in good stead in my teaching career as introduction of subject with its historic origin proved to be always motivating and inspiring for students. During 1975, Indian National Science Academy (INSA) organised a Summer School in History of Science in New Delhi with a purpose to start courses at B.Sc. (Honours) level in Indian universities. I was a participant and Prof. DS Kothari, ex-Chairman UGC (University Grants Commission), was chairman of the session in which I presented my Paper. After this School, I was nominated as a Member of UGC Panel on History of Science, even when I was a young Lecturer in Punjabi University, Patiala. A project was also sanctioned in 1977 by UGC but the fellow who joined as research scholar left me in the lurch. During 1980, UNESCO organised an International Programme to celebrate 1,000th birth anniversary of the most influential of Islam’s philosopher-scientist Abu Ali al- Husain Ibn Abdallah Ibn Sina, known in Europe as Avicenna. INSA asked me to organise a National Seminar in GNDU Amritsar. I had never read about this Islamic genius. Prof. Gurbax Singh, a historian friend of mine came to my help and I collected all relevant literature on Avicenna. I prepared the key-note address as well my paper “Ibn Sina's approach to Physics” which was published in Indian journal History of Science in 1986 [1]. This seminar gave me impetus to start courses in History and Philosophy of Science at M.Phil. level in GNDU during 1985. Prof. Dhruv Raina, now in JNU, was invited to teach this course. We were not successful with running a teaching programme in History of Science as planned and it had to be discontinued after 5 years. There was no encouragement from the university, and there was hardly any competent teacher to examine our M.Phil. students. However, my foray into this area continued in the form of obituary notes and digging up old records of scientific contributions of Punjabi scientists. I travelled to FRI (Forest Research Institute), Dehradun and collected information about the work of Puran Singh, who was founder of Chemistry of Forest Products in India. Puran Singh served in FRI as Imperial Chemist for ten years (1908–18) and published 53 notes and