Regional Science Congress Starts on Children's Day
at
Gujarat Science City

Gujarat Science City, working under the aegis of Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat, is organizing various activities on science and education to kindle the interest and excitement among the school children to mark the celebration of Children's Day on 14th November 2007.

Children's in India is celebrated on 14th November 2007 every year (Birthday of Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru) as Children's Day. The activities highlight what children can do to improve their environment and society. Sharing of ideas through debates and discussions, initiating action projects, and taking pledges of ‘Children for better environment' are some of them.

State Level Painting Competition:

On this occasion, there is also a State Level Painting Competition on Energy Education and Conservation has been organized at Science City, being organized by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency of Ministry of Power, Govt of India. About 50 selected students will sit for the competition on the above topic for two hours to express their concern and creativity on white canvas.   

Fifty elementary school children from Std. IV and V from 25 districts of the Gujarat has all set to appear a State Level Painting Competition on Energy Education and Conservation to be held at Science City on 14th November 2007 on the eve of Children's Day.  

The programme has been organized by the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited. The selected students will sit for the competition on the above topic for two hours to express their concern and creativity on white canvas.  The meritorious students will receive Rs.10,000/- as first prize, Rs. 8,000/- as second prize and Rs.5,000/- in cash as third prize along with merit certificates. In addition, there are ten consolation prizes each carries Rs.1,000/- cash.  

After the competition, the first three students will be recommended to participate at the national level competition to be held at New Delhi on 12th December 2007.  At National level, the child participant will receive Rs.1.00 lakh as prize money. 

In Gujarat, about 18,363 children from 607 schools submitted their creative painting on the theme energy conservation. Out of this about 1214 entries selected and from these only 50 meritorious entries have been called for the state level ompetition. 

Regional Science Congress:

Gujarat Science City, in association with Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, Pune Region has designed a four-day's Regional Science Congress (RSC) on the theme ‘Our Planet Earth' for the students of the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas from Gujarat, Maharasthra, Goa, Daman, Diu and Silivassa region which will be started from tomorrow. About 150 meritorious students and teachers from the western region are selected and invited to participate in the science congress.  

The RSC aims to be a forum for young talented students to arise and pursue their natural curiosity and to quench their thirst for creativity by watching and doing experiments, interacting with eminent scientists, practicing problem solving attitude and developing experimental and investigative skills to become scientists of the future. About 500 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas serve across the country with the noble objective of imparting quality modern education to the talented children predominantly from rural areas. 

The four-days programme will be inaugurated tomorrow by Dr. J. R. Trivedi, Scientist ‘SF' and science educator, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad at 10.30 hrs. The four days activities have been designed on the theme ‘Our Planet Earth' to create excitement and enlightenment about science and provide opportunities for the young children to explore challenging areas of study and learn about new discoveries and recognize that a career in science is rewarding.

The resource persons includes Dr. J. R. Trivedi, Physical Research Laboratory, Dr. T. P. Singh, Director, BISAG, Shri C. N. Pandey, Director, GEER Foundation, Shri Ashok Mehta, Executive Director, GCSC, Dr. Parul Kotadwala, Chairman, Adolescence Health Committee, Shri B. R. Patel. State Project Director, UNDP, Gujarat, Dr. P. S. Thakkar, Sr. Scientist, SAC-ISRO, Dr. Kamaljit Ray, Director Forecasting, IMD, Ahmedabad, Shri M. Paul Satyakumar, Asst. Commissioner, JNV, Pune and many more scientists and academician who will take various interactive sessions on the various aspects of planet earth sciences and activities during the congress.  

Further, the participants will also visit the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Satellite Communication & GeoInformatics (BISAG), Indroda Nature Park, Vikram Sarabhai Space Exhibition as part of activity.

The four days programme will be culminated on 17th Nov 2007. The valedictory function will be graced by Dr. B. K. Rastogi, Director General, Institute of Seismological Research, and Gandhinagar, who will also address the students on the science of our Planet Earth and hand over the certificates to the participants.

The human race needs its planet. We depend upon it completely, because we evolved from it, remain forever part of it, and can exist only by courtesy of the self-sustaining Earth System. The Earth is unique not only in our Solar System but, as far as we know, in the accessible universe. It is not just the only planet we have - it is the only living planet we know, or may ever know.

The Earth provides so many riches, about which we have so much more to learn - as new research techniques are brought to bear. The more we learn, the more we understand that we must nurture the Earth as we would our children, for their sake. For this, the United Nations has proclaimed the year 2008 to be celebrated as the International Year of Planet Earth.

The aim of the International Year of Planet Earth is to demonstrate new and exciting ways in which Earth sciences can help future generations meet the challenges involved in ensuring a safer and more prosperous world.

Learning to explore is learning to think. . Let the young mind blossom… full of thought… the thought of prosperity!

Let's hope the programmes and activities will nurture the young minds for exploration of nature and science.

We take this opportunity to invite all to be a part of this celebration and to encourage the budding scientists of our state and nation.