Bhubaneswar: Scientific institutions will need to engage and disseminate significant developments to the public at large so that science is effectively linked to society, said Principal Secretary, Science and Technology Department, Nikunja Dhal on Saturday.
Inaugurating the two-day exposition and open day at the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) here, Dhal called for more interaction and collaboration among scientific institutions in Bhubaneswar and stressed on efforts to make the state capital a knowledge hub for eastern India.
More than 800 school children participated in the science outreach programme being jointly organised by ILS and Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), where experts spoke on scientific achievements in the field of biology, medicine, physical and chemical sciences.
Students interacted with experts, visited laboratories and were given hands-on training on various advanced techniques.
Speaking on the occasion, Director, National Institute of Science, Education and Research (NISER), Prof. Sudhakar Panda emphasised the need for more basic research and encouraged students to develop the habit of asking fundamental questions and developing solutions.
In his address, Director, ILS, Dr. Ajay Parida highlighted the spectacular progress in the field of agriculture, human health, information and communication technology since independence.
Dr. Parida also mentioned the emerging problems affecting human life that requires quality scientific minds in the future.
Director, RMRC, Dr. Sanghamitra Pati mentioned that research in biomedical sciences is quite exciting and more scientific minds are needed, given the challenges in health and disease management.
About 15 institutions from Bhubaneswar had set up an exhibition at ILS and RMRC, showcasing their activities and progress.
The event was organised as a prelude to the India International Science Festival being held at Lucknow in October.
