India, Oct. 4 -- Science is not confined to laboratories and scientists in white coats, and ordinary citizens can play a crucial role in generating data that supports scientific research and policymaking, said Anurag Mishra, IFS, DFO, Athgarh Division and an editor with eBird and iNaturalist.

Speaking at a session on 'Citizen Science' during the third edition of the Earth Again Conference 2026 (Punashcha Prithibi) on Sunday, Mishra said citizen-generated information can help scientists overcome one of the biggest challenges they face - the lack of adequate data.

"When we think about science, we often imagine scientists in white coats working in laboratories. But science is much more than that," Mishra said.

He explained that advances i...