RSC , UCOST, Dehradun facilitated online Vigyan Manthan Yatra program of MPCST Bhopal

Under its Mission excellence program, Madhya Pradesh Council for Science & Technology (MPCOST) organizes Vigyan Manthan Yatra to expose meritorious school students to ongoing research and development activities in various S&T institutions in India. The aim of this Vigyan Manthan Yatra is to promote excellence, Innovation, Awareness about Science, Entrepreneurship and Skill Development. Every year group of meritorious students of Madhya Pradesh come to Uttarakhand under Vigyan Manthan Yatra and visit R&D institutions and interact with scientists there. Due to Covid-19 pandemic, the group could not make it to visit Uttarakhand. Therefore a day long programs through web were organized for them by RSC Dehradun and UCOST. In the Inaugural Session Dr D.P.Uniyal, Joint Director (I/C), UCOST, Dehradun and Dr Piyush Joshi, SSO, UCOST, Dehradun briefed about Councils programs and facilitation programs for Vigyan Manthan Yatra. Dr Vivek Katare, Head, Mission Excellence, MPCOST also addressed the students. Later, live demonstrations of experiments on “Matter at Low Temperature” by Sri G.S. Rautela, former DG NCSM and presently Advisor Science City Dehradun; e-Visit of Innovation Hub and demonstrations by Dr Poonam Gusain , Sonia & Pankaj Rawat; and Hands-on Science activities by Mr Ankit Kandiyal and Mr Om prakash Rawat were organised in the morning session for students of class 8-10th. In the afternoon session for students of class 11 and 12th, Dr Rajendra Dobhal, Director General, UCOST, Dehradun addressed the session and thereafter Popular Science Lecture on “DNA: A tool for Investigation” by Dr Aparna Sharma, Senior Scientific Officer, UCOST; e-Visit of Water Quality Analysis Lab, Jal Sansthan Dehradun by Dr Prashant Singh, Associate Professor, DAV PG College; and e-Session “Meet the Scientists” were organized. Dr Rajendra Dobhal; Sh G.S.Rautela; Dr DP Uniyal; Dr Kailash N. Bhardwaj, SO (I/C) & In-cgarge RSC Dehradun and Dr Prashant Singh interected with students in the ‘Meet the Scientist’ session. Experts and demonstrators also answered the queries of students in each session. a total of 500 students joined this virtual tour. Dr Piyush Joshi, SSO, UCOST, Dehradun coordinated the program from UCOST.