HT Correspondent
JORHAT, April 23: The Yusuf Hamied Chemistry residential camp for class IX school students began at the CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST) campus in Jorhat on Tuesday.
The residential camp has been organised by the CSIR-NEIST along with the Royal Chemistry India Foundation (RCIF) to develop a scientific temperament among school students.
Altogether 76 students from government or government aided schools in and around Jorhat are participating in the three-day camp under the Dr Yusuf Hamied’s Inspirational Science Programme.
The Camp will enable the students to participate in the fun of chemistry and motivate them to develop awareness of and a long-term interest in the subject through an action-packed programme, which includes hands-on practical activities in the institute’s laboratories, exciting chemical demonstrations and a chance to meet like-minded students. The students are staying in hostels of national research laboratory, and more importantly, the camp activities are being delivered in the local language in addition to English.
Monday’s programme began with a welcome speech by Jatin Kalita, senior principal scientist of CSIR-NEIST and coordinator of the programme, where he elaborated about the various ongoing research works of the institute and emphasised on taking science as a career for making India self reliant and a developed nation.
Melissa Mendonza, programme executive of the Bengaluru based Royal Society of Chemistry briefed about the programme and emphasised that this is an unique and a once in a lifetime opportunity for the students to participate in a chemistry camp at the prestigious institute.
Virendra M Tiwari, director of CSIR-NEIST in his inaugural address emphasised that learning science in vernacular language was always better and informed that majority of the Nobel Prize winners in the world studied in their own mother languages. He also highlighted that this particular programme would certainly help the students in demystifying science to develop both awareness and interest in science subjects.
“There is a need to develop a scientific temperament in children and develop moralistic practices to inculcate scientific temperament in order to create the scientists of tomorrow,” the director said.
Mantu Bhuyan, senior principal scientist also addressed the students and emphasised on the importance of reading books. He explained the Indian heritage of reading books and maintaining libraries like the one at the ancient Nalanda University. He suggested that the participating students should make a habit of reading books, which will certainly help the students in becoming successful in life. The inaugural programme concluded with a vote of thanks from Dipankar Neog, senior principal scientist of CSIR-NEIST.
