National Science Day: ‘Women in Science’ themed exhibit motivates girls with wireless electricity & other inventions; Over 1289 school students and 120 teachers from 97 schools from Indore district, Ujjain, Khargone, Mandleshwar, Dewas, Khandwa, Dhar, Badwani visit RRCAT

We all have heard and experienced wireless networks and connections, which were like sci-fi movies about two decades back. Celebrating National Science Day on Friday, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT) presented many other such scientific marvels taking students on an amazing journey into the future.

Over 1289 school students and 120 teachers from 97 schools from Indore district, Ujjain, Khargone, Mandleshwar, Dewas, Khandwa, Dhar, Badwani and others visited RRCAT campus here to have first hand information about latest developments taking place in the field of science and technology.

RRCAT director Debashis Das said that National Science Day is observed to commemorate the Nobel Prize winning discovery of Raman Effect by eminent Indian scientist Professor Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman in February 1928. “This is a perfect day to bring adventures of science to students,” he said.

Further, this year, the theme of National Science Day 2020 is Women in Science. “We have currently only 15 percent women scientist in India, which is far lower than other fields, so it is the perfect day to remind people about women in science and motivate girls to become scientists,” Janki Upadhyaya, RRCAT scientist, said.

RRCAT is also celebrating Dr Vikram Sarabhai Birth Centenary during August 12, 2019 to August 12, 2020.

Those who visited the RRCAT included differently-abled children from four special schools. The research and development activities of RRCAT in the frontline areas of particle accelerators, lasers, related technologies, and their societal applications were explained to students through models, posters, presentations and videos.

A special interactive session with questions and answers with interpreters was arranged for 49 differently-abled (deaf and dumb) students from 3 special schools who participated in the event along with their 7 teachers. The program was organized under the Chairmanship of Purushottam Shrivastava, Director, PAG and Rajesh Arya, convened the event. 

A special exhibit showing women in science was also set up. From nobel laureates to every woman, who uses science everyday, the display featured female scientists from all over the world. From Marie Curie to Anandibai Joshee, the profile of women in science inspired young girls to pursue their dreams.

RRCAT has emerged as a national as well as international leading centre in the front line areas of accelerators and lasers and related science and technologies. RRCAT staff volunteers escorted the students to 10 different sites and labs.

These included Synchrotron Radiation Sources (SRS) Indus -1 and Indus-2, Cryogenic laboratories, Laser laboratories, Workshop, Fire station, Magnet lab, etc. More than 56 exhibits were set up in exhibition area and in the labs. The R&D activities of RRCAT were explained to the students in a simple manner through various models, posters, presentations and videos.

The visiting students and teachers were offered lunch and during lunch period a “Prashna Manch” was organized and winning students were awarded with mementos. 

 Wireless Electricity wows students

“I was particularly amazed and inclined towards the wireless generation of electricity, and how it was prepared using primary and secondary coil,” Asmita Kushwah, a student from Khargone said. She hoped to become an engineer and was inspired by scientists to innovate her own technology someday.

Shanu Panwar had the same wish.
Preeti Mandloi, Anjali Batham and Rajin Khan talked about a project built on air suspension.

Simran Yadav and Saloni Ghosh were impressed by women in science and aspired to fulfil their dreams as well.

First view of microbial world

Students from Rajgarh district felt lucky to actually view through microscope and see plasma. “We have always read about plasma and microbes, this is the first time we got a chance to see how it looks,” Nikita Visaliya and Krishnapriya Malviya said. Both the students hoped to become doctor in future.

“We feel inspired and hope that someday, we will achieve our dreams as well,” Neha Jaiswal, Jyoti Nagar and Ambika Patidar said.

Despite their interest, Radhika Gupta and Lakshmi Malviya shared that all of them feared becoming a scientists as it might be too difficult.