Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, May 25: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is likely to inaugurate the 101st All India Science Congress, which is being hosted by Jammu University in February next
This is for the first time that the prestigious All India Science Congress is being hosted by Jammu University.
According to official sources, the five-day mega event will be held from February 3 to February 7 in which more than 12,000 Science experts from different parts of the country as well as abroad and around 200 VIPs, including Union Ministers, Chief Ministers and Governors are expected to participate.
Though not yet confirmed, President Pranab Mukherjee may be chief guest in valedictory function of the mega event, which is organized every year by Indian Science Congress Association- biggest body of Sciences in the country, sources added.
Parallel Children Science Congress, Women Science Congress, mega Science Expo, various competitions and paper presentation are main highlights of the Congress, which will have 14 sessions in five days. Conferring of Young Scientist Award is another attraction of the event.
Jammu University is learnt to have started gearing up for success of the mega event and various management committees are being constituted for the purpose. Governor N N Vohra, who is also Chancellor of the University, is personally monitoring the developments with regard to the scheduled Science Congress, sources said.
Registrar Prof Naresh Padha and Prof Meena Sharma from the Department of Chemistry in JU have been appointed as the Local Secretaries, who will be overall incharge of the Science Congress arrangements, sources informed.
For discussing the arrangements, sources further disclosed, Prof Meena Sharma today called on Indian Science Congress Association president Prof R C Sobti, who is also Vice-Chancellor of Allahabad Central University.
During their meeting at Chandigarh this afternoon, Prof Sobti is understood to have explained to Prof Meena Sharma about technicalities and successful management of the event for which a budget of more than Rs 22 crore has been earmarked.
The Indian Science Congress is usually held every year in the month of January but the forthcoming event has been scheduled in first week of February keeping in view weather conditions of Jammu.
Though the number of participants in the Science Congress remains around 12 thousand, the host Jammu University is expecting more participation, nearly 15 thousand, this time owing to the significance of scenic Jammu Kashmir and reverence of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Trikuta Hills, sources explained.
The inaugural function will be followed by Public Lecturers and Plenary Lecturers for the four consecutive days during which parallel Women Congress and Children Congress will also be held. Science Community Meeting and General Body Meeting of the Indian Science Congress Association will also be held during the event.
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