PANAJI: The 7th edition of the Manohar Parrikar Vidnyan Mahotsav will be held on December 18, across nine venues in Goa, with the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Dona Paula, serving as the main venue.
The science outreach programme will run simultaneously at Margao, Ponda, Quepem, Pernem, Canacona, Sanquelim, Zuari Nagar (BITS Pilani campus), and Dharbandora, and will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.
Speaking at a press briefing today, Manohar Parrikar Vidyan Celebration Committee Chairman Jose Manuel Noronha, said the programme is designed to spark scientific curiosity among students at an early age. “We want students to start engaging with science while they are still in school, so that curiosity turns into learning and, eventually, into careers in science. This is a long-term process, and its real impact will be seen years down the line,” he said.
Around 4,300 students are expected to attend the event in person across the nine venues, with many more likely to join through the live online broadcast, Noronha added.
Former ISRO chairman Dr A S Kiran Kumar will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session. The event will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in the presence of Union Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh.
A key highlight of this edition is the Manohar Parrikar Yuva Scientist Award, being presented for the third time. The award, instituted to recognise scientists below the age of 35, has been awarded to Dr Sai Gautam Gopalakrishnan, an IIT Madras graduate with a PhD from MIT, USA, currently working at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. The selection committee is chaired by former Atomic Energy Commission chairman Dr Anil Kakodkar.
The Mahotsav will feature a wide range of popular science lectures spanning physical sciences, life sciences, climate studies, energy, medical science and emerging technologies such as battery research. After the common inaugural session at NIO, parallel lectures will be held at each venue.
