The Children’s Science Congress (CSC) encouraged the students gathered at the congress to exhibit and exchange innovative ideas in science, with awards for some of the innovative ideas, quiz competitions and science video making. The students took back a life time experience of interacting with some of the best scientists and an exposure to the fun of participating in scientific activities.
Dr Manoj Patairiya, NCSTC, Department of Science & Technology said that the objective of the Children Science Congress is to develop scientific temperament among children and improve their ability to observe and learn as well as to improve analytical acumen.
Science awareness and communication is very important and can be used in daily lives, Dr Patairiya said at the valedictory programme which was also attended by Joint Secretary Smt Anju Bhalla. “Science is knowledge and technology is application of knowledge, both being important,” he added.
Children’s Science Congress also called the Rashtriya Kishore Vignana Samelana (RKVS) is supported by DST. Every year about 7-8 lakhs school children in the age group of 10-17 years participate at various levels from the districts, states & union territories. Around 2 to 3 best project are selected from each state for being exhibited at the Indian Science Congress. The Programme provides a platform for budding scientists to showcase their ideas.
In the 107th Indian Science Congress, 106 projects were selected for the exhibition and around 226 students who were involved in the selected projects were invited to participate in the Science Congress. More than 10,000 school children have visited the exhibition in last few days.
Children also got an opportunity to interact with Bharat Ratna Dr CNR Rao and Nobel Laureate Dr. Ada Yonath during the inaugural session of CSC.
Dr Rajendra Prasad, Vice Chancellor, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, appreciated the children’s projects and said that many of them concentrated on waste conversion, energy, environment, rural development and ideas that can help rural women in house hold work. He stated that the children had thought out of the box and had come up with wonderful ideas. He appreciated the support from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) for CSC and stressed that the number of children exposed to the opportunity should be expanded.
