The big question???

Today,we had an interactive session with Mr Shirish who had come from IISc. He told some very interesting things related to technology and innovation. But what was surprising that hardly anyone was asking any questions when asked to ask him in the end. I went to some of my batchmates and asked him in general why people don't ask questions. He said to me that they just get the scare of being made fun of. But today when I asked questions in class, they said that my questions were good and thanked me. They said that they feel shy or awkward in asking questions whereas I believe that one must ask, only then can we learn something new. The fear of being made fun of or being looked at awkwardly by everyone or even the answerer not liking the question prohibits people from interacting. But as a wise man like to say, in science, you must never stop asking questions else you will stop learning.But at the same time, people not feeling comfortable with the fear of what others will say lurking in their minds the whole time is a relevant reason. So what is the solution to this? What should we do to encourage the curiosity within the students? Should we ask the questions without any fear, no matter what the question is or should we think before we speak? Please share your views on this my friends.