By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 26 Feb: The Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST) celebrated its 1st day of its ‘Innovation Festival 2024’ with the Chief Guest, Prof SP Singh, former VC, HNBGU, and Guest of Honour, Dr Kalachand Sen, Director, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun.
The event began with a welcome address by Dr DP Uniyal, Joint Director, UCOST, who shed light on the prestigious fellowships and memberships offered by the National Academy of Sciences, igniting aspirations among budding scientists.
GS Rautela, Advisor, Science City, emphasised innovation’s transformative power, while Prof SP Singh discussed the vital link between research, education, and innovation. Dr Kalachand Sen stressed on sustainable development and green energy solutions.
A brief video showcasing the importance of National Science Day was presented by the Department of Science and Technology.
Prof Durgesh Pant, Director General, UCOST, in his presidential address, articulated the vision of “Viksit Bharat” through innovation, highlighting initiatives like Lab on Wheel/Boxes aimed at democratising access to scientific education. He talked about a drug free Uttarakhand, “Say yes to life! Say yes to science! Say no to drugs!”
The ceremony concluded with the vote of thanks by Dr GS Rawat, Emeritus Scientist, UCOST.
The event was followed by the inauguration of the exhibitions. In the afternoon, a panel discussion on innovation and startups, led by Prof AK Dwivedi, explored problem-solving methodologies and startup essentials like the Green Hydrogen Mission.
Dr Nitin Maurya, Head of NIF, highlighted student involvement in innovation, with NIF offering support for diverse backgrounds. GS Rautela, Advisor Science City, sparked inspiration with his talk on “Inspiring Innovation in India”.
Dr Vinod Taneja, Senior IT expert, LBS Academy, discussed leveraging technology for governance and natural resource conservation.
A special session on “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Science” was led by Sonal Kaushal Gupta, who emphasised the importance of avoiding drug use as a solution to everyday challenges. Advocate Lalit Joshi discussed practical strategies for raising awareness and educating individuals about the dangers of drug abuse.
The science-based fun activity and quiz competition were also conducted for the students.
The session was coordinated by Dr Piyush Joshi, senior scientist, UCOST. Scientists, faculty members, researchers, students, UCOST, RSC staff participated in the programme.
