Founded by scientists from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Vijnana Bharati is a nonprofit organisation that works to popularise science, technology and ancient sciences in the country. Out of the 22 independent branches it has running across the country, the Kerala branch has been at the forefront with a series of achievements. We speak to the Secretary of the organisation, ARS Menon, about the work they have done so far and upcoming projects that science enthusiasts can look out for.
Staying self-sufficient
The programme has adopted ‘Swasraya Bharat’, a concept that aims to popularise India’s recent advancements in science and technology among students and the general public. The mission is to create a movement of mass motivation and involvement within the spectrum of science by reaching out to students, the enthusiastic youth, scientists, technocrats, academicians and the public at large with the aim to achieve sustainable growth and progress. The Swadeshi Science Movement has introduced this concept to the general public through the Swasraya Bharat exhibition which focuses on contemporary issues through a scientific lens. ARS Menon points out, “We have working and retired teachers and scientists on our board. The idea is to introduce our masses to the potential that a good scientific education can push them to indulge in the field out of self interest to contribute to the nation’s technological advancement.” This year, Swasraya Bharat will be organised and conducted in Kochi from November 23 to 26 with a number of programmes.
Sasthra: National Science and Technology Innovation Expo
This mega expo will showcase India’s remarkable achievements in various areas of science, technology, engineering and a host of other fields in which the country has made advancements during the past few years representing the evolution from ancient to the modern. It also aims to be a platform which enables interactions with the industry, research institutions, academicians and young researchers. Participants from CSIR, MOES, ICAR, DRDO, ISRO, DST, DAE, Universities, Cochin Shipyard, Corporate sectors, IT and other allied sectors will contribute with insight from their respective fields, highlighting the achievements of rural and traditional sectors. This year around, the main theme of the event will be a seminar on the topic of ‘Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events’. In the event of recent events and the threat of global warming, it will focus on climate change and extreme weather events in the state and beyond. Catastrophic events such as the tsunami in 2004, 2017’s Ockhi and the major floods of August 2018 will be explored in depth and allude to Kerala’s growing vulnerability to extreme natural calamities and the causes.
Student Science Congress
1. Student-scientist interaction: A mega student-scientist interaction programme will be conducted as part of the programme with the aim to provide opportunities for students to interact with eminent scientists and experts in various fields.
2. Essay competition: An essay competition will be organised for school students on the the theme of disaster management and it will be one of the highlights of the congress
3. Workshop on science: They will also project formulations and presentation through a workshop on the major subjects and they will also provide a session on how to prepare such projects.
4. Innovators and Startup Meet: With this programme, The objective is to involve the academia of Universities for furthering the innovative concepts and technical skills of the students participating in the meet. It aims to help students acquire proper skills and the know-how to design and launch domestic products that lead to start up programmes. It will also help in developing strong ties with the industry in matters of technology transfer towards self-reliance. The best of these innovative projects will be awarded.
