CM To Inaugurate National Children’s Science Congress On Dec 27

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will inaugurate the National Children’s Science Congress (NCSC) which will kick-off at the SOA (Deemed to be University) here on December 27.

Over 800 children from across the country and 15 other countries will attend the five-day event.

Along with the Chief Minister, who will address the children including those from five Gulf and ten ASEAN countries, School & Mass Education and Science & Technology minister Badri Narayan Patra and chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi will also grace the event.

The 26^th edition of the NCSC hosted for the first time by SOA is organized every year with the objective of providing a forum to children to encourage their creativity and ability to innovate.

The children, in the age group of 10 to 17 years, drawn both from the formal school system as well as from those who are out of school or differently able, will attend the event catalysed and supported by the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) which is mandated to communicate science and technology to the masses, stimulate scientific and technological temper and coordinate such efforts across the country.

The focal theme for this year’s NCSC will be “Science, Technology and Innovation for a Clean, Green and Healthy Nation.”

Launched in 1993, this is the second time that the NCSC, catalysed by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, is being held in Odisha.

Besides the participating children, around 400 teachers, guides, facilitators and parents will also be attending the event along with scores of scientists, evaluators and researchers.

The inauguration will be held at SOA auditorium in Campus 2 while the technical sessions besides exhibitions and discussions will be held in the adjacent facilities in the campus.

The children will present their research findings, carried out relating to the focal theme and identified sub-themes, during the technical sessions, the idea being to prompt them to ponder over societal problems, find their causes and subsequently try and solve the same.

The event will also feature colourful cultural programmes as children from different states and countries will perform every evening.

The valedictory session of the event will be graced by Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal on December 31