This scheme aims to encourage all round activities in the popularization of science for the community and particularly for the children and students. The activities include State/District Level Science Exhibition, Observation of National Programmes like Science Day, Science Symposia, Science quiz/Essay/Seminars/Workshops, State-wide organization of National Children’s Science Congress, Student Science Excursion to Guwahati from different School of the Districts, State Science Awards for Science Popularization to the students who secure highest marks in the Science and Mathematics subject publication of Scientific Books/Journals etc. These are continuous activities and have been very effective in raising the level of Science Popularization among the people. 1. 105TH INDIAN SCIENCE CONGRESS Hon’ble Prime Minister, Narendra Modi inaugurated the five-day Indian Science Congress at Manipur University, Imphal on 16 March, 2018. The focal theme for 105th Indian Science Congress is “Reaching the Unreached through Science and Technology”. The State government participated along with 16 (sixteen) Portray Department in the State Pavilion at 105th Indian Science Congress at Manipur University coordinating by the Department of Science & Technology as Nodal Department of this Science Congress. It was an excellent opportunity to the State of Manipur and its various Department to demonstrate their achievements and initiative particularly the vision of Hon’ble Chief Minister, Manipur, to developed the N.E. State and it societal benefits using technology and Innovation. Over 5,000 invitees are taking part, including 2,000 research scholars and scientists from all over the country. The highlights of the program include Children’s Science Congress, Women’s Science Congress, Science Communicator’s Meet and Science Exhibition. Photograph of Officers from Department of Science & Technology during the 105th Indian Science Congress held at Manipur University, Imphal. Photograph of Department of Science & Technology’s pavilion during the 105th Indian Science Congress held at Manipur University, Imphal. 2. STATE AWARD The Department has been sponsoring “State Award for Science Popularization” as a regular programme since 1992 to encourage young students of the State who have excelled in Science and Mathematics subject. It is awarded to students who secured the highest marks in Science and Mathematics subject conducted by BOSEM in HSLC Examination in 4 (four) categories, viz. General, OBC & ST and SC. Award being distributed to Students by Officer from Directorate of Science & Technology at the annual prize distribution function co-organised by BOSEM in presences of Hon’ble CM, Manipur & Hon’ble Education Minister, Manipur. 3. OBSERVATION OF NATIONAL SCIENCE DAY National Science Day is also being celebrated all over India with great enthusiasm on 28th February every year to commemorate the invention of the Raman Effect by the great Indian Physicist, C.V. Raman on the same day of 1928. For this discovery, Sir C.V. Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930. The Department organises observation of National Science Day every year in the State. The main objectives of the observance of the National Science Day are to widely spread message about the significance of science applications in the daily life of the people, efforts and achievements in the field of science for human welfare, to discuss all the issues and implement new technology for the development of science and also to encourage and give scientific temperament to the young students as well as popularised the Science & Technology amongst the people. Speech by Y. Joy Kumar Singh, Hon’ble Dy. CM, Manipur, Minister (S&T) on the occasion of observance of “National Science Day & International Museum Day” cum “13th Anniversary Day of Manipur Science Centre”. Students participating at the painting competition held during the occasion of observance of “National Science Day & International Museum Day” cum “13th Anniversary Day of Manipur Science Centre”. 4. SCIENCE EXCURSION The Department has been sponsoring Science Excursion for Science Students to different Scientific Institutions/Place in Kolkata/Guwahati etc for the last 20 years. Feedback from the students who participated in the past Science Excursion has benefited and encouraged the young students by inculcating Scientific knowledge and temper, as Manipur has very limited numbers of Science Museum, Science Centre and Scientific Institution. So, organising such Science Excursion by the Department has provided opportunities for young students of the State to visit outside cities where important Scientific Institutions, Regional Science Centre, Planetarium, Zoological Garden etc are located. Flagged off ceremony of Science Excursion party to Guwahati by Shri. Elangbam Ibocha Singh, former Director (S&T). Group photo of Students participating in Science Excursions organised by the Department of Science & Technology, Manipur. Students interacting with Officers from different Science Centres and Institutions during the Science Excursion organised by Department of Science & Technology, Manipur. 5. NATIONAL CHILDREN’S SCIENCE CONGRESS (NCSC) National Children’s Science Congress (NCSC) is a regular annual programme initiated by the NCSTC, Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India. The programme had been organised at National level with participants of selected students from different States of India since 1993. The National Children’s Science Congress is organised at District and State level in Manipur by the State Co-ordinator, Science Teacher’s Forum, Manipur (STFM), which is the State nodal organization under NCSTC for organising National Children’s Science Congress in Manipur, for which financial assistance is extended by the Department. The Children Science Congress (CSC), an important event of the Indian Science Congress, is organized to provide a unique opportunity to children of the age group of 10-17 years to use their scientific temperament and knowledge and to quench their thirst for creativity by conducting scientific experiments to solve problems identified by them and present their project reports in District/State/National level. Children selected from State level CSC will take part in the National Children’s Science Congress. Photographs of State level National Children’s Science Congress: Photographs of District level National Children’s Science Congress: 6. State level Science Drama Competition State Level Science Drama Completion is organized by Regional Science Centre (RSC), Guwahati every year on the themes such as “Science & Society and sub-themes i) Digital India ii) Cleanliness, Hygiene & Hygiene iii) Green & Clean Energy, iv) Environment Conservation, v) Gandhi and & Science, vi) Periodic Table”. Teams from different Districts participate in this programme. The main objective of Science Drama is immensely popular and a very powerful medium of mass communication that creates a lasting effect on the mind of the audience. It is, therefore, hardly surprising that Science Communicators World over use Science Drama as powerful tool for communicating Science to the public. National Council of Science Museum (NCSM) Kolkata has also adopted the tool in the form of National Science Drama Festival in India for enhancing public understanding of science creating a scientific temper in the society and encouraging creativity among students. Students from the State participating at “State Level Science Drama Completion” at Regional Science Centre (RSC), Guwahati during N.E. Zonal level Science Drama competition.
