Stage set for Children's Science Congress

Gangtok, Dec 26 (UNI) The stage is all set for the five-day-long 14th Children National Science Congress beginning at the Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology Majitar near here tomorrow.

President A P J Abdul Kalam is scheduled to inaugurate the science Congress at 1115 hrs.

Colourful posters and flags welcoming the President had been put all around the SMIT campus and some strategic points. Elaborate security arrangement had also been made.

Hosted by Sikkim State Council of Science and Technology with active support from the state government, Rashtriya Vigyan Evam Pradhyogiki Parishad and the Union Science and Technology Department, the five-day congress with the theme ''Biodiversity-Nurture Nature For Our Future'' will conclude on December 31.

Advisor to National Council of Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) Anuj Sinha told newsmen that around 600 child scientists from 548 districts of the country would exhibit their innovative projects to solve the problems they encountered in their close neighbourhood areas.

While Uttar Pradesh has the largest contingent of 42 child scientists, Sikkim, the host, with four representatives, has the smallest contingent.

The unique feature of the congress was that the child scientists would talk in their vernacular language and not in English or Hindi, Mr Sinha said.

He said they were working out a scheme to introduce competition in the children's science congress at national level in the coming years.

Mr Sinha said a decision had been taken to invite ten observers from ASEAN counries to the next years congress.

He said the biggest achievement of the Children's science Congress was the rise in the participation of girl child scientists over the last few years.

From a modest 25 per cent in the nineties, the participation of girl child scientists had risen to 65 per cent now, he said.

Mr Sinha said arrangements had been made to evaluate projects by experts and assistance would be provided to the best project of the state for implementations.

During the five day event several activities like workshop, exhibition, poster display, meeting with eminent scientists and cultural programmes by the child scientists would be organised.

Around 1200 delegates from all over the country and thousands of students are expected to visit the Science Congress, he added.

UNI BD SJC AKJ HS1826