India’s biggest ever Science & Technology and Industrial Expo, showcasing cutting edge research, new technologies and innovations from the country’s finest R&D and academic institutions, will open at IIT Delhi tomorrow (December 4).
Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, will inaugurate the mega Expo in the presence of Shri Y S Chowdary, Hon'ble Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST) and other senior officials from the ministry and participating research institutions.
The exhibition is part of the five-day India International Science Festival (IISF) 2015 — a joint event of the Ministry of Science and Technology (DST, DBT and DSIR/CSIR) and the Ministry of Earth Sciences — which opens onDecember 5. It is being organised in collaboration with Vijnana Bharati, the largest science movement in the country, with the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) as the nodal agency.
More than 240 stalls have been set up inside a spacious venue spanning over 100,000 sq ft. An array of top national and state-level organizations are participating in the event, including the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).
IISF 2015 aims to provide the much-needed platform for research and industrial sectors to demonstrate their work and achievements and enable companies and organisations offering associated products and services to interact directly with the public.
It will emphasise the interdependence of science-technology-innovation and society, facilitate industrial and academic collaborations, motivate students and bring together scientists, artists and innovators for interactive discussions.
Another highlight of tomorrow’s proceedings is the Scientists-Students Interaction (SSI) to be held at Dogra Hall (IIT Delhi). Scientists will communicate with young students the recent developments in Light, Space Sciences and Soil Sciences. The IISF has chosen these areas in view of the UN declaring the current year as International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (IYL 2015). The ongoing year is also being observed as the International Year of Sciences.
Dr. G. Madhavan Nair, former Chairman, ISRO, and Prof. V P N Namboori, Emeritus Professor, CUSAT, Kochi (Kerala) are among the scientists slated to address the students during the interaction. Similar sessions will also be held onDecember 5 and 8.
Around 4,000 delegates from India and abroad are expected to take part in IISF 2015 which will aim to highlight the achievements of Indian scientists and institutions; explore ways to translate academic research to industrial applications benefiting the common man and encourage scientific temperament among youngsters, especially schoolchildren.