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OUTREACH PROGRAM OF GUJARAT SCIENCE CITY

Students were amazed to see the wonderrs of the SKy oBservation inside the inflatable planetorium . Lots of students were linned up to crawl downinside the planetorium.

Environment Awareness Fair at Indroda Nature Park, Gandhinagar during 19 - 20th February 2005

The Gujarat Science City participated in a two-days Environment Awareness Camp held at Indroda Nature Park, Gandhinagar during 19-20 February 2005. GEER Foundation organized the district level camp in collaboration with Water and Sanitation Management Organization (WASMO), Gandhinagar. The activities included exhibition by eco-clubs members and the other organizations and institutions, who are working for the cause of environment education and conservation.

The camp aimed at creating environmental awareness through students by setting up eco-clubs in schools. It was a part of its main programme for the National Green crops (NGC) programme, being sponsored by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF), Govt of India. In Gujarat, GEER Foundation is working as the nodal agency and is now coordinating 3750 eco-clubs in the state with an around 150 eco-clubs in each of the 25 districts of the State.

The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Shri M. L. Sharma inaugurated the camp on 19th February 2005. In his inaugural address, Shri Sharma highlighted the importance of environment awareness programme and asked for the student's role in spreading the awareness about environment education and its protection.

Earlier, Shri C. N. Pandey, Director, GEER Foundation welcomed the participants, dignitaries and the participating organizations. He informed that the foundation is conducting several nature camps in and around Indroda Nature Park and providing an ideal platform for nature education components.

The Gujarat Science City opened its stall by displaying all its programmes and activities on environment and nature education as well as training on bioresources and biodiversity. Shri S. D. Vora, Executive Director, Gujarat Science City visited the camp both the days and supervised the activities. He also interacted with the senior officers of the Department of Forests, Govt of Gujarat and enlightened about various innovative nature education programmes of the Science City.

Among the other organizations, the Centre for Environment Education (CEE), WASMO, Gandhinagar, Department of Forests, Govt of Gujarat, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Department of Post are also participated in this two day camp and setup their informative stalls.

Many interested school level eco-club members, forest officers and conservators and the local teachers visited Science City stall and shown their interest and desires for the activities on science city as well as nature camps. Several films on nature education and interactive activities were shown to the visitors on LCD screen. Dr. Narottam Sahoo along with the Technician Shri Dharmenda Mauria and student volunteers, Ms. Tarika Patel, Shri Hemant Soni coordinated the activities of the camp.

The Science City also put up the inflatable planetarium and arranged shows the students and the general visitors of the camps on sky observation. Shri Pradip Mavadhiya and Devarsh Patel Conducted the planetarium shows.

Both the days there were lots of student activities like poster painting, essay writing and skit presentations. The valedictory function was organized on 20th February evening. Shri Arjun Singh, IAS, Secretary, Department of Forests, Govt of Gujarat addressed the participants as Chief Guest and had a high regard for their concerns and activities on environment awareness. He distributed prizes and certificates to the meritorious students. During the function, the Gujarat Science City was awarded a memento as a token of appreciation on its programmes and activities.

It was a good experience by participating and interacting with the students and the resource persons working on eco-club projects. It also helped us to identify the active eco-clubs and their coordinators for further training activity at science city during the year 2005-2006.


Bhoomi Pujan on 11-Feb-05

Humble beginning: Bhoomi Pujan of Road, Parking and Utility construction work in Science City on 11.02.2005 in the hand of Shri Vagmin Buch, Additional Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Govt of Gujarat in presence of Shri S. D. Vora, Executive Director, Gujarat Science City.
 
 
Life and Health
 
Why not all smokers get cancer?

Not all heavy smokers get cancer. They give a false sense of security to many smokers. There are several reasons why this is so. The two most important reasons are: 1. Carcinogenesis is an extremely complex process, taking place through a series of steps, being mediated at each step by a variety of factors (enzymes and genes). 2. At the same time, the host defence mechanisms and protective agents in the diet are actively engaged in preventing the onset of cancer.

The final emergence of a full-blown tumour, i.e. lung cancer in the case of smokers, represents the ultimate triumph of the carcinogenic processes. If a heavy smoker does not get cancer, he has to be extremely thankful to his inherent body resistance and defence mechanisms, and to the protective agents he may be consuming, even without knowing.

Carcinogenesis is broadly divided in to three major stages - initiation, promotion and progression. In the first stage, the carcinogen transforms a normal cell (or a group of normal cells), into the malignant phenotype, i.e. confers on it the potentiality to become a malignant cell and later, a malignant tumour.

Initiation involves a mutation, i.e. a small, but significant change in the DNA of the cell, brought about by reaction of the carcinogen with the DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid present in the chromosomes inside the cell).

Most of the carcinogens, including the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons present in the cigarette smoke, cannot react directly with DNA. They have to be converted into more reactive forms, "the ultimate carcinogens", by a super family of enzymes, known as "Mixed function oxidases", in the liver.

Only the ultimate carcinogen can combine with the DNA in the normal cell, forming an "adduct", i.e. an addition compound, initially, and subsequently mutating it into the malignant phenotype, if the cell divides and replicates, before the DNA is repaired. It is at this stage, the body's defence mechanisms come into play.

The Hindu, Chennai
February 23, 2000
 
 

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