National Science Day was celebrated in various locations across Meghalaya, including Ampati, South West Garo Hills, Tura, West Garo Hills, and Nongpoh, Ri-Bhoi, today with an aim to create awareness about the importance of science in our daily lives and also to popularise science and technology among the youth.
National Science Day is celebrated in India on February 28 each year to mark the discovery of the Raman Effect by Indian physicist CV Raman in 1928. February 28 this year falls on a Sunday, precipitating the need for the celebrations today.
Addressing a group of school students and teachers at the event, Deputy Commissioner RK Chitturi encouraged the students to inculcate the spirit of inquiry, find out the cause and come up with scientific solutions to make daily life easier for the people.
As a part of celebrations, an essay competition based on the topic ‘problems and opportunities in your studies during Covid-19 pandemic’ was organized for participating school students from across the district where the first prize was awarded to Atchisa Deora M Sangma and second prize to Dipshika Hajong, both of whom are students of St Claret Secondary School, while the third prize was bagged by Upendra Koch of Sulguri Deficit Secondary School. The first and second prize winners will compete at a state-level essay competition in Shillong.
West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Ram Singh addressed a similar gathering in Tura. He stated that around 72 percent of students in the North East go into the Arts stream and a deficiency of science in the curriculum in the region, especially in villages, has led to this. He thus urged educational institutions to open more science streams so that the number of science students increases in the region.
In Ri-Bhoi, meanwhile, the day ended with prizes distributed to the students of Alpha English Higher Secondary School (first place), St Francis School (second) and Myngken Christian Higher Secondary School (third).
