India’s budding scientists explore ‘Quantum Age’

Bengaluru: The 42nd edition of the National Science Seminar drew an overwhelming response from students across India at the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum on Thursday.

Organised annually by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) for students of classes 8 to 10, the event aims to promote scientific temper through a multi-tiered competition spanning block, district, and state levels.

This year’s theme, ‘The Quantum Age Begins: Potentials and Challenges’, attracted participants from all 36 states and Union Territories. The seminar was inaugurated by Urbashi Sinha, Senior Professor, Quantum Information and Computing Laboratory (QuIC), Raman Research Institute; and PC Deshmukh, Convenor, CAMOST, IIT Tirupati, and Chair Professor, Centre for Quantum Sciences and Technologies, RV University.

“The students progress through multiple rounds at various levels across India. This year, being the ‘Year of the Quantum’, they presented on the theme and winners were chosen from each state,” said Cyril K Babu, curator at the museum.

Each participant had six minutes to present before a jury representing the five NCSM zones — North, South, East, West, and North-East.

The national winners received a cash prize of Rs 48,000, a certificate of merit, a trophy, books, and science kits. Nine second prize winners were awarded Rs 24,000 each, while all remaining participants received Rs 1,000 as a token of appreciation.

The jury included Suprit Singh, Assistant Professor, IIT Delhi; Vidyadhiraj, Professor and Dean, JNCASR, Bengaluru; Shriganesh S Prabhu, Senior Scientist, TIFR, Mumbai; Tanusri Saha Dasgupta, Director, S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata; and Sumanta Borthakur, Head of Science (IGCSE), International School Guwahati.

As part of the seminar, participants will visit the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CenSe) at the Indian Institute of Science on Friday to interact with researchers and innovators in quantum science.