CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh, organised an outreach programme on 15 December 2023 for promotion of the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2023 to be held from 17-20 January 2024 at Faridabad, Haryana. The theme of the current edition of IISF 2023 is “Science and Technology Public Outreach in Amrit Kaal”, which aims to inspire a wide range of people and provide a platform for students, teachers, scientists, researchers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs and science communicators to showcase their work.
Around 200 school students from the tri-city participated in the outreach event with their teachers and mentors. The students got an opportunity to visit various labs in IMTECH and interact with scientists to understand multiple facets of microbiology and biotechnology. The outreach programme aims to inspire students and young researchers to undertake science as a career and uplift the scientific temperament of researchers across the country.
Delivering her keynote address, Prof. Jayanti Dutta, Deputy Director, UGC-Human Resource Development Centre, Panjab University, emphasised that science should be fun, which will bring back the joy of discovery in the field. She emphasised that events like IISF help science reach the masses, which is the biggest challenge in a diverse country like India. The aim is to engage the public with science and celebrate the joy of science. It shows how Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) can provide solutions to improve our lives and encourage frugal innovation.
Dr Sanjeev Khosla, Director, CSIR-IMTECH, welcomed the students and dignitaries and said, “IISF is dedicated to fostering creativity in Science, Technology and Innovation for advancing a prosperous India. Even if one student after today’s programme aspires to take research as a career in science, I think the aim of IISF is served.” Prof. Arvind Garg, Sah Uttar Kshetra Parmukh, Vinjana Bharti, gave a brief account of VIBHA's activities and the role of IISF in shaping the research ecosystem in the country.
