National Science Exhibition- Towards inculcating scientific temper and environment awareness

GANGTOK, 10 Nov: On the eve of National Education Day, President, Pranab Mukherjee will officially inaugurate the six-day 40th Jawaharlal Nehru National Science, Mathemetics and Environment Exhibition here at Saramsa on Monday.
National Education Day is celebrated on the birth anniversary of the first Education Minister of independent India, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on 11 November every year. The National Science Exhibition is being organised by NCERT in collaboration with the State Human Resource Development department.
“Sikkim is second after Assam to host such a function after a long gap, and the officials of the Ministry have expressed their satisfaction over the arrangements”, said Amit Khare [Joint Secretary, Ministry of HRDD] here at Gangok.
Pranab Mukherjee is inaugurating the National Science, Mathematics and Environment Exhibition for the third time, however, this time he is inaugurating the National Science Exhibition as the President of India. “This is the 13th time that any President of India is inaugurating the National Science Exhibition”, said NCERT Joint Director, B K Tripathi.
This time, the National Science, Mathematics and Environment Exhibition is based on the theme ‘Science and Society’ as a central theme followed by six other sub-themes - Industry, Natural resources and their Conservation, Transport and Communication, Community Health and Environment and Mathematical Modelling.
“More than 250 students from across the country including Sikkim are participating in this Science Exhibition, who have been selected from the district and state levels for the national level event”, informed Chewang Gyatso Bhutia [Director, HRDD].
Mr Tripathi informed that the exhibition was started by NCERT in 1971 as the National Science Exhibition for children at a small scale to coincide with the birth centenary celebrationss of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1988 and was later re-designated as Jawaharlal Nehru National Science Exhibition for children.
He further informed that 2013 is being observed as the Year of Mathematics while emphasis is also being laid  on environment related issues.
“The exhibition is an endeavour on the part of NCERT to popularise science and mathematics, highlighting environmental and other issues and to inculcate scientific temper and mathematical abilities among the children of India,” said Mr Tripathi.
The National Science Exhibition is also scheduled to be addressed by the President, Governor, Chief Minister, Union Minister for State for HRD Shashi Tharoor and HRD Minister of Sikkim.