State-level camp of Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan to be held at CGCRI campus, Jadavpur Vidyapith

Kolkata: The state-level camp of India's largest talent search programme will be held on the CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CGCRI) campus and at Jadavpur Vidyapith on April 14, which is expected to see a participation of around 137 students from various schools across Bengal and also from neighbouring state of Sikkim and union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

These students have already qualified from an app-based national level online talent hunt conducted at 3,400 centres across the country and 31 centres in Bengal in November last year.

It is a part of Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan (VVM), a national science talent search programme aiming to identify and nurture the bright minds among the students from class VI to XI. Vijnana Bharti (VIBHA), a national movement for the propagation and popularisation of Science and Technology among students and masses, has been organising the programme for past six years in collaboration with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous organisation under the Department of Science and Technology. One of the main objectives of VVM is to promote and propagate a scientific and rational outlook in society, to develop interest in science and encourage creativity among the students.

Mayuri Dutt, the state coordinator of the VMM said students from Bengal, Sikkim and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are participating in the programme. Those who will qualify will be asked to join the National Camp in Mumbai. She also expressed her thanks to CSIR-CGCRI and Jadavpur Vidyapith authorities for their co-operation.

Among the students who will be taking part in the state level camp on Saturday, there are some students from the districts as well who have been provided accommodations in the city. Out of total 137 students, there are 23 students from class VI, 25 from VII, 21 from VIII and IX, 24 and 23 from X and XI respectively.

Both the senior and junior level students will be judged on the basis of 'Experimental skill test' where the students have to answer questions on various fields of science and also on lab based projects. In another method, the students will be asked questions on movies based on science fiction which will be shown to them.

Two top students from each class will be able to represent their schools and states at the national camp scheduled to take place at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai on 12 and 13 May.

National convenor, VVM, Arvind Ranade said: "Apart from various fields of science, the students will also be judged on subjects like 'India's contribution to Science'. They will get enough materials from our website. They get to know India's contribution towards the science right from the days of Aryabhata and Vārāhamihira. It is a nationwide campaign to give platforms to the students who could excel in various fields."