young scientists student's research program 2017...
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May, 2017
Young Scientists Student's Research Program 2017 theme announced
Science International Forum Kuwait announced the research theme for Kuwait Children's Science Congress
(KCSC)-Young Scientists Student's Research Program 2017. KCSC is organized in association with
Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India to spread the concept of the method of science among
children by adopting the principle of learning through doing.
Main theme: Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development
Sub Themes: Natural Resource Management, Food and Agriculture, Energy, Health Hygiene and
Nutrition, Lifestyles and Livelihoods, Disaster Management, Traditional Knowledge Systems.
Each Indian School in Kuwait can send a maximum of four teams/projects – 2 each from the 2 announced
categories.
Junior Category-Lower Group: 10 years to less than 14 years
Senior Category-Upper Group: 14 years to less than 17 years
A group of children not exceeding five, can form the team and carry out the research project with the help of
school teachers, coordinators of school science clubs, experts/ activists of science based voluntary
organizations, research institutes etc. as guides. General evaluation criteria for the projects are originality of
idea and concept, relevance of the project to the theme, scientific understanding of the issue, data collection,
analysis, experimentation/scientific study/validation, interpretation and problem solving attempt, team work,
log book presentation and project display in exhibition booths, innovation and scope for improvement.
Team selection is done exclusively through schools. Interested candidates are requested to download the
research activity guide with detailed terms and conditions, research theme description and a sample project
report for your reference from our site. The completed research projects will be exhibited and evaluated during
Kuwait Children's Science Congress and Exhibition (KCSC)-2017 scheduled to be held in Kuwait in
November 2017. Selected projects will undergo a mentoring program by leading Scientists from Kuwait
Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) and will be submitted to Department of Science and Technology,
Government of India, for considerations as entries for the participation in the National Children Science
Congress. There will be no fee for participation in this program. The exercise of project activities, as thumb
rule, encourages the children to explore, think, serve and wonder and is capable to imbibe the temperament/
quality/skill of the children like Observation, Making measurement, Making comparison and contrasts,
Classification, Estimation, Prediction, Interpretation, Critical thinking, Creative thinking, Drawing conclusion
and Cooperative skills.
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Internationally renowned scientists admitted to Academy
The Academy has just admitted two internationally renowned scientists as Corresponding Members,
Dr Raghunath Mashelkar (India) and Professor Rudiger Wehner (Switzerland).
Dr Mashelkar and Professor Wehner are recognized for their outstanding scientific contributions to
their fields. Dr Mashelkar is a highly successful polymer chemist and an influential leader in shaping
innovation within India's science and technology policies. Dr Mashelkar has driven international
collaboration between India and Australia through his work in education, research and innovation
partnerships with Monash University, Swinburne University of Technology, RMIT University and the
Australia–India Institute.
Professor Wehner, from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, has been recognised for his
world-leading research on animal navigation (neuroethology). Spending over 40 years studying the Saharan
desert ant Cataglyphis, Professor Wehner was the first scientist to show how ants, despite their tiny brains,
are capable of performing extraordinary feats of navigation through desert landscapes. The research has
increased scientists’ understanding of the evolution of nervous systems and their role in controlling animal
behavior. From the Saraha desert to the Australian outback, Professor Wehner’s lifelong interest in insect
navigation has also seen him team up with Macquarie University’s Dr Ken Cheng to study the navigation
patterns of the red honey ant, Melophorus bagoti.
Dr Mashelkar and Professor Wehner join the Academy’s 29 other Corresponding Members,
comprising leading international researchers and science advocates with strong links to Australia. The
Academy will announce the election of 21 distinguished Australian scientists as new Fellows at the start of
Science at the Shine Dome on 22 May 2017.
courtesy: www.science.au
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4-tonne payload launch on June 5, says ISRO Chairman
The first launch of GSLV Mark –III, the satellite launch vehicle that can carry 4,000 kg payload, is
scheduled for June 5, Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar announced.
Mr. Kumar said the launch vehicle will increase India’s ability to carry payloads from the current cap of 2.2
tonne. After launching 104 satellites in one go earlier this year, India’s space agency is highly recognized
for its ability to put satellites into orbit. The space scientist said all preparations for the launch are underway
at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.
“A 20-tonne engine is going to get
tested next month, which will give
us the ability to put satellites up to
four tonne in space,” he said. The
Chairman also said that an
outreach institute was being
planned in Jeedimetla. It will
make available to general users
the resources of ISRO at the
centre, which is likely to work
with the National Remote
Sensing Agency, another ISRO
organization. Mr. Kumar was
talking on the sidelines of a
lecture he had delivered at the
Indian Institute of Chemical
Technology on Friday on
occasion of National Technology
Day.
Sources at IICT said the institute could tie-up with ISRO as it did in the past, to produce polymers
and other chemical components with space applications. Mr. Kumar had suggested an exchange between
scientists of the two institutions to determine feasibility of collaboration. Mr. Kumar who was closely
involved with Mangalyaan or Mars Orbiter Mission, which was launched in 2013 to probe Mars, said the
orbiter was expected to last only for six months but it has outlived its time.
He attributed the orbiter’s long life to judicious use of on-board fuel in navigating the orbiter’s path
to the Red Planet. “It is expected now to last many Martian years,” the Director Indian Space Research
Organisation added.
courtesy: www.thehindu.com
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Stunning images reveal glacial landscapes under the oceans
The footprints of long-gone glaciers and icebergs are now frozen in time in a stunning new collection of
images of Earth’s seafloor. The Atlas of Submarine Glacial Landforms is a comprehensive, high-resolution atlas
of underwater landscapes that have been shaped by glaciers, largely in polar and subpolar regions, and provides a
comparative look at how glaciers, ice and related climate shifts transform Earth. Kelly Hogan, a marine
geophysicist with the British Antarctic Survey and an editor of the atlas, presented in Vienna at a meeting of the
European Geosciences Union.
Most of the more than 200 images were generated from research vessels using multibeam bathymetry,
which renders the seafloor surface in 3-D, exposing a region’s glacial history. For example, the distinctive
asymmetry of 20,000-year-old glacial deposits called drumlins in the Gulf of Bothnia, between Finland and
Sweden, suggests that ice flowed south, toward a larger glacier in the Baltic Sea.
Other images reveal the tracks of icebergs that once plowed and scribbled the ocean floor, such as those
seen in the Barents Sea in the Arctic Ocean. The tracks may look random, but they tell tales of past currents and
water depth. In all, the seafloor depicted in the atlas covers an area about the size of Great Britain. But the real
impact of the project goes beyond individual images, Hogan says. She expects that scholars exploring glacial
history, researchers predicting future ice behavior and climate scientists are among those who will keep a copy
close at hand.
courtesy: www.sciencenews.org
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Indian science needs hard work and a critically large base of experts, not more management
SPARK (Sustainable Progress through Application of Research and Knowledge) is a proposed initiative to
synergise science activity in India. A new, more efficient way of managing science is surely welcome, but
one needs to put in a lot of thought before taking any action. The existing systems of science governance in
this country are robust with departments reporting to ministers who in turn report to the Union Cabinet.
There is no lack of sound advisory bodies and committees within these departments. As for overarching
bodies, we already have the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister and the Principal
Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. Why are there two such similar bodies? Have any of their
recommendations resulted in concrete actions? In the end, they have remained toothless. Do we need a third
such body? The science departments are too different from one another to come under the purview of one
“overarching” body like SPARK. The Department of Science and Technology and Department of
Biotechnology are purely funding and outreach organisations. The Council of Scientific & Industrial
Research (CSIR) has a special and tricky mandate which involves interaction with industry. Department of
Atomic Energy, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Department of Space and others are into
mission-mode projects. There is hardly a government department or ministry that science does not touch.
Reality of Indian Science: The goals of SPARK seem to be most closely attuned with NITI Aayog, and it
might well be effective only within this parent organisation, taking inputs from various quarters such as
industries, the ministries themselves and NGOs to make proposals, some of which could move forward to
become major initiatives. What one needs is a management technique that effectively identifies scientific
challenges and links the resulting breakthroughs with national problems. We do not have so much to
manage. The report of top science administrators that recommended the setting up of this independent
authority is correct in that “the stature of Indian science is a shadow of what it used to be” but this is not
because of “misguided interventions”.
It is because there is a lack of scientific expertise across all levels. We have failed in our educational
system to harness the enormous latent talent in our country and build a solid foundation of science. Science
does not end with the Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research
and other elite institutions. I disagree with the report’s contention that “there is a huge support system”, and
“global goodwill” which is “positive”. We have none of these. Anyway, India does not need global
goodwill to succeed in science. It needs hard work, honest management and a critically large base of
experts. Soothing yet baffling expedients to solve the problems of Indian science might make for good copy
in the short run but they are not going to yield real results.
Decisions on new initiatives like SPARK should not be taken within government departments in
Delhi following a proposal from one closed administrative group to another. A broad-based consultation
with stakeholders is a must. Even if SPARK is constituted, it needs financial independence; given the
relationship between the Ministry of Finance and its Department of Expenditure on the one hand and the
science departments on the other, this remains a moot point. Large systems that work even moderately
satisfactorily should not be tinkered with too much, for we may then have to face unintended consequences.
Indian science is certainly not in a good state of health today. But what is wrong is not the structure of the
system. The wrongs emanate from the many sins of omission and commission over the years by the
individuals who have led the system. Gautam R. Desiraju is a professor at Indian Institute of Science,
Bengaluru, and former president of International Union of Crystallography. courtesy: www.thehindu.com
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Indian science needs hard work and a critically large base of experts, not more management
Minister of State for Defence Dr Subhash Bhamre hailed the country’s advanced missile technology and
said “India is capable enough to even counter dual attacks, if any”. He was addressing the valedictory
function at the 5th edition of Bharatiya Vigyan Parishad (BVP) and Expo, titled ‘The confluence of
traditional and modern science’, at Fergusson College. A display of Brahmos, along with numerous other
missile models and equipment developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO), remained the star attraction of the exhibition. “We have an excellent missile technology and our
borders are secure, even in case of dual attacks on Indian land,” said Dr Bhamre.Chief Minister Devendra
Fadnavis, who was also present at the event, urged scientists to reunite and work towards bringing back the
lost glory of ancient sciences.
“Our scientists have the capability and can help regain the long-lost glory of India’s ancient
sciences. Works of universities, such as Takshashila and Nalanda, were world renowned. This can happen
now too, when there is a confluence of various streams of
science,” said Fadnavis.
The three-day expo attracted over 3.5 lakh
Puneites, who enjoyed a large display of equipment, along
with 303 posters. Special sessions on science by over 40
experts were also conducted. The CM further extended his
government’s support for similar science annual meets in
the state, to boost the technology sector in the state.
courtesy: www.indianexpress.com
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Exhibition on wheels: Science Express to cover around 70 stations across India
The Science Express Climate Action Special (SECAS II), an innovative mobile science exhibition on a
16-coach AC train, will stop at 68 stations across the country in its current phase tour till September.
"The Science Express 9th Phase is covering around 70 stations for science popularization in nearby areas," the
Secretary Department of Science and Technology, Prof Ashutosh Sharma told PTI at a recent DST programme
in the city. "The exhibition is a good opportunity to generate dialogue and discussion on science-related
issues," Sharma said. The current ninth phase of the Science Express (SECAS II), flagged off on February 17
this year will be completed on September 8, this year, covering 19,000 km, a Central government press
statement said.
The SECAS is a unique collaborative initiative of DST, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate
Change, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Railways, Wildlife Institute of India and Vikram A
sarabhai Community Science Centre. Science Express Phase I to IV had showcased cutting edge research in
science and technology being carried worldwide, Phase V to VII was based on the theme of biodiversity and as
'Science Express Biodiversity Special' it showcased the rich biodiversity of India. Phase VIII as 'Science
Express Climate Action Special' highlighted the global challenge of climate change, the release said.
Climate change is an important environmental issue with many short term and long term impacts, from
shifting weather patterns that threaten food production to rising sea level that increase the risk of catastrophic
flooding, the impact of climate change are not just global in scope but more severely affect the poor. Since its
launch in October 2007, over 1.61 crore people had visited Science Express.
courtesy: www.timesofindia.com
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10
3 Indian scientists elected fellows of Royal Society
Three Indian-origin scientists known for
their expertise in genetics, computers and
ecology have been elected fellows of the
Royal Society, the world’s oldest scientific
academy in continuous existence. Headed by
Nobel winner Venki Ramakrishnan, the
London-based Royal Society announced the
2017 election of 50 scientists and 10 foreign
members for their outstanding contributions
to science.
Ramakrishnan said: “Science is a
great triumph of human achievement and
has contributed hugely to the prosperity and
health of our world…The new fellows have already contributed much to science and it gives me great pleasure
to welcome them into our ranks.”
The three Indian-origin scientists are Krishna Chatterjee (University of Cambridge), Yadvinder Malhi
(University of Oxford) and Subhash Khot (New York University).
Chatterjee is distinguished for his discoveries of genetic disorders of thyroid gland formation,
regulation of hormone synthesis and hormone action, which have advanced fundamental knowledge of the
thyroid axis. The Royal Society said Chatterjee has identified dominant negative inhibition by defective
nuclear hormone receptors as a common mechanism in Resistance to Thyroid Hormone and PPARg-mediated
insulin resistance. “He has shown how deficiency of human selenocysteine-containing proteins causes a
multisystem disease, including disordered thyroid hormone metabolism. He seeks to translate such
understanding into better diagnosis and therapy of both rare and common thyroid conditions,” it said.
Khot is a theoretical computer scientist whose original contributions, the society said, are providing
critical insight into unresolved problems in the field of computational complexity. “He is best known for his
prescient definition of the ‘Unique Games’ problem, and leading the effort to understand its complexity and its
pivotal role in the study of efficient approximation of optimization problems; his work has led to
breakthroughs in algorithmic design and approximation hardness, and to new exciting interactions between
computational complexity, analysis and geometry,” it said.
Malhi is an ecosystem ecologist who the society said has advanced understanding of the functioning of
terrestrial ecosystems and how they are responding to the pressures of global change, including climate
change, degradation and loss of large animals. “This work integrates insights from ecosystem ecology into
Earth System science, and has been characterised by a multidisciplinary approach that involves establishing
broad networks of field research in tropical forests in some of the most remote and challenging regions of the
world, and also application of micrometeorological approaches, global climate datasets, terrestrial ecosystem
models and satellite remote sensing. This work has contributed to our understanding of the carbon sink in the
terrestrial biosphere, and to how it may be vulnerable to climate warming,” the society said.
courtesy: www.hindustantimes.com
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Chennai student team bags third place at the UK-India Social Innovation Challenge 2017
A project titled ‘Providing de-fluoridated water to villages affected by fluoride contamination’ by a
student team from Chennai-based Loyola Institute of Business Administration has won the third spot in the
recently held UK-India Social Innovation Challenge 2017. A team of six students from the Institute
participated in the prestigious challenge, which was a UK-India Social Entrepreneurship Education Network
(UKISEEN) initiative and witnessed a total of 50 submissions by students from universities throughout the UK
and India.
The top project of the Challenge was ‘A BCD Egg’ by Claire Scott from UK-based Cranfield
University and it focused on reducing the risk of using unsafe drinking water. The first runner up was
University of Southampton’s Alexandre Beardshall for ‘Juamaji’, an Enactus Southampton project providing
communities in Kenya and Malawi with a reliable source of water and fish using solar distillation. A cash
prize of £1,500, £1,000 and £500 has been awarded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place holders respectively. ‘A BCD
Egg’ will also receive 6 months mentorship from members of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII),
namely Ms. Shuchita Sonalika (Director and Head-UK, CII), Ambassador Dinesh Patnaik (Deputy High
Commissioner of India to the UK) and Mr. David Golding (Head of European and Global Engagement,
Innovate UK).
Eight Indian projects had made it to the shortlist of the top ten projects of the Challenge. Of these, the
team from Loyola Institute impressed the panel of judges the most with their efficient solution. Their project
focused on two solutions – the first one being providing domestic water filter based solutions and the other
was providing de-fluoridated water for agricultural and irrigational purposes using fly ash as the raw material.
Water being the most vital survival need, contaminated water takes a huge toll on the wellbeing of masses.
Therefore, this project promised mega utility impact. It delved into the depth of the underlying issue of
providing clean water and sanitation to the masses as well as envisaged a realistic and efficient solution to
overcome it at domestic as well as commercial level. For this competition, the team was supported by their
Institute as well as the Chennai Water Board.
Monica M, one of the six students from the Loyola Institute team, said, “It was a great experience for
the team, we got the exposure which has heightened our confidence in our purpose. Our success has given us
the hope to implement this project on a commercial scale now.”
This was the first competition launched by UKISEEN with the aim to find, fund and support innovative
and sustainable solutions to the global problem of providing clean water and sanitation. It was collaboration
between the Social Impact Lab at the UK-based University of Southampton, the Centre for Social Innovation
and Entrepreneurship at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, the open innovation platform Babele,
the British Council and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Congratulating the top three winners, Dr. Pathik Pathak, the Director of Social Enterprise at University
of Southampton and the Founding Director of its Social Impact Lab, said, “The UK-India Social Innovation
Challenge shows how our two countries can work shoulder to shoulder to tackle the pressing challenges of our
age. Clean water and sanitation is an urgent problem for our world, and through this Challenge we hope to
found some game-changing innovations which can improve the lives of millions.”
courtesy: www.indiaeducationdiary.in
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"Equipped with his five senses, man
explores the universe around him
and calls the Adventure Science."
Edwin Powell Hubble
The Nature of Science, 1954
Discover
VOLUME 03
ISSUE 02 MAY, 2017
Compiled & Edited By
Prasanth Nair
Reshmy Krishnakumar
Science International Forum, Kuwait
facebook.com/sifkuwait
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