Centre deprived state's school children in the Science Congress

KalimNews, Bartaman and agencies, 8 November 2022 : The central government granted an insignificant amount of money compared to the requirement. 30th National Children's Science Congress was held in the state level with a two days programme at Bidhan Shishu Udyan in Kolkata.

It is said that Central government is supposed to bear the 80 per cent of the total cost of the state-level event. More than seven hundred students from all the districts of the state participated in the Poster and Innovative model and project paper presentation events. According to the sources, their per capita food consumption in the two days program is at the least 500 rupees. But the central government has granted only 20 rupees per student.

Ujjal Biswas Minister of State Science and Technology inaugurated the event in Kolkata on 6th November. He handed over certificates and a prize of Rs 1,000 to the winners of all the districts. 

Later, Minister Biswas said, "Modi government is not keen in giving the money due to the Bengal in many such projects including hundred days of work. Organising state level program of the National Children’s Science Congress is not possible with the meager funds allocated by the Centre. This deprivation by Delhi to the students of Bengal is done deliberately.

Professor Dr. Ashish Banerjee, Deputy Speaker, West Bengal Legislative Assembly. Dhruvajyoti Chattopadhyay Vice-Chancellor of the Sister Nivedita University, Tapan Mishra Ex-Director of ISRO, Dr. Amal Kumar Mallick president and Gautam Talukder Secretary of Bidhan Shishu Udyan and Professor Shivaji Raha, Professor Tanushree Saha Dasgupta, Professor Anupam Basu and other dignitaries were present at the event. 

The 30th State Children's Science Congress was a joint initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and Bio-Technology, Government of West Bengal and the Department of School Education. Hundreds of school students, parents, teachers came from different districts of the state to attend the programme.

Science Communicators Forum is working with Center and State Department of Science and Technology and State School Education Department to create interest among students about ecosystem and environmental awareness. In this event, more than 316 young scientists from 24 districts of the state presented their scientific Paper presentations, among them the first 30 students of this Children's Science Congress will be selected to participate in the National Children's Science Congress to be held in Ahmedabad. Its national level program will be held in Ahmedabad from 27-31 December. 

There was also a traveling observatory, which became a center of great attraction for students. 

Arif Sardar, a student of Baruipur High School, South 24 Parganas, stood first in the Model Competition of the State Children's Science Congress. About 700 students from 23 districts of the state participated in this competition. 

Rishabh Dey, a student of Jagacha High School and Shruti Adhikari, a student of Jaipur Girls High School, came second and third respectively in this state level model competition. 

Apart from models, school students also participated in poster competition. The top three were Aranya Debnath of Scottish Church, Kolkata, Sabuj Maji of Maina Parmananda Vidyapeeth and Nausin Samsad of Techno Public School, Alipurduar. In the state level science quiz competition organized on the occasion of the 30th Children's Science Congress Sampreeti Khanra and Vidisha Roy students of Vidyasagar Vidyapeeth Girls' School of Medinipur, became the champion at the state level. 

The subject of the quiz was "Bengali in Science". Second and third are East Burdwan and Jalpaiguri districts respectively.

Distinguished Scientist Professor Tushar Chakraborty, Professor Pullin Chakraborty, Sudipta Podel Joint Secretary of State Science and Technology Department and others were present at the valedictory session.

12 project papers from Darjeeling and 2 from Kalimpong districts were also presented in the program.