As India grapples with the ill effects of pollution caused by the use of fire crackers on Diwali, and with the Supreme Court banning the sale of crackers in the National Capital Region (NCR), a challenge has been thrown to Indian scientists. India's environment and Science Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, speaking to NDTV, has asked Indian scientists to develop a whole new class of fire crackers with near zero pollution. Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing India International Science Festival, Dr Harsh Vardhan has challenged the scientific community to develop zero pollution fire crackers.