Young Innovators Showcase Talent at National Science Seminar

The 42nd edition of the National Science Seminar took place on March 14, 2024, at the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum in Bengaluru, India. The event attracted significant participation from students across the country, showcasing their enthusiasm for scientific exploration. Organized annually by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), the seminar focuses on students in classes 8 to 10, promoting a scientific mindset through a multi-tiered competition that spans block, district, and state levels.

This year’s seminar revolved around the theme, “The Quantum Age Begins: Potentials and Challenges.” Participants from all 36 states and Union Territories presented their findings, reflecting India’s growing interest in quantum science. The event was inaugurated by Urbashi Sinha, Senior Professor at the Quantum Information and Computing Laboratory (QuIC) at the Raman Research Institute, and PC Deshmukh, Convenor of the Centre for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati, who also serves as Chair Professor at the Centre for Quantum Sciences and Technologies at RV University.

Cyril K Babu, curator at the museum, highlighted the competitive structure of the event. “The students progress through multiple rounds at various levels across India. This year, being the ‘Year of the Quantum’, they presented on the theme, and winners were chosen from each state,” he stated. Each participant had six minutes to present their work before a jury composed of experts from the five NCSM zones: North, South, East, West, and North-East.

Winners of the national competition received a cash prize of Rs 48,000, along with a certificate of merit, a trophy, books, and science kits. Nine second-place winners were awarded Rs 24,000 each, while all remaining participants received Rs 1,000 as a token of appreciation for their efforts. The jury included notable figures such as Suprit Singh, Assistant Professor at IIT Delhi; Vidyadhiraj, Professor and Dean at JNCASR in Bengaluru; Shriganesh S Prabhu, Senior Scientist at TIFR in Mumbai; Tanusri Saha Dasgupta, Director of the S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences in Kolkata; and Sumanta Borthakur, Head of Science at the International School in Guwahati.

As part of the seminar activities, participants are scheduled to visit the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CenSe) at the Indian Institute of Science