Summary
The theme of this year’s Science Day is sustainability
Students share the lab activities they are involved in
February 28 — on this day, more than 90 years ago, C.V Raman discovered the Raman effect or the change in the wavelength of light that occurs when a light beam is deflected by molecules. The day has been celebrated as National Science Day since 1987. The theme for National Science Day 2022 is Integrated Approach in Science and Technology for Sustainable Future.
Students of science share their views on the theme and share the kind of activities they are involved in.
At IIT Gandhinagar, we engage in a lot of activities at Tinkerer's Lab and other clubs like building robots, designing games, printing 3D components, and laser cutting assembly parts. Many professors of Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Earth Sciences, and Computer Science are involved in research on sustainability, which is this year’s theme. Quite a few students from our institute are working on these projects. The idea of sustainability is at the forefront of research in various fields. It will soon become the need of the hour. Engineering students, innovators have a lot of creative and scientific potential to generate innovative solutions for sustainability.
— Arpita Kabra, fourth year, BTech, Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar
As a student of science, we are living in an era where science and technology are intermingled and both converge to two things — sustainability and innovation. Our science club has activities like Opening Day where young minds are taught the basics of science and how to apply them to sustain the world infected with climate change and global warming. In the science laboratory, we perform experiments using machines like Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), spectroscopic measurements, where we devise clever methods and use indirect mathematical insights to understand a certain phenomenon.
— Swastik Majumder, second year, BS-MS Integrated, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata
Our college clubs like Phi@i (Physics club), Curie Club Chemistry, Biology Discussion Forum, Infinity (Mathematics club), and Turing Club (coding club) actively host sessions and discussions that aim at building a sustainable future with an integrated approach in science and technology. Our Biology laboratory course includes a real-life problem-solving approach to certain questions. There are lots of interesting instruments in the teaching labs, but the most intriguing ones are usually in the research labs of the faculty. In 2021, the SPIN lab of IISER Mohali, headed by associate professor Goutam Sheet and his PhD students Soumyadip Halder and Mona Garg succeeded in installing a dilution refrigerator. It is a device capable of producing a temperature of 0.01 K and is used for scientific studies at extremely low temperatures. There is also a supercomputer, but we have a lot more to explore being freshers. However, I must say that research is strongly encouraged even at the undergraduate level, and students usually do internships during the summer break.
— Aditya Garai, first year, BS-MS Integrated, IISER Mohali
Sustainable future has become a buzzword around the world. Science and technology are the two core fields that help us achieve these goals. Both the fields are interrelated and share common aspects. Being a product design student, my interest has always been in understanding the advancements in these fields. I have always been trying to do such different projects during my academic tenure. Technologies help us to increase the efficiency of scientific principles, which in turn help us solve many real-world problems. We have a Tinkering Lab as well as a Makerspace in our university where instruments like 3D printers, laser cutting machines, woodworking machines, and instruments, lathe machines are available. Design students can borrow small instruments like paper cutting tools, foam sheets, and clay modelling to work on their projects. Students can get mentorships from domain experts and renowned professionals from the industry.
— Shivani Mirajkar, second year, Master of Design, Anant National University, Ahmedabad
As of today, one of the biggest achievements is that we have acknowledged the fact that without tomorrow no past shall mean a dime. Conversely true, too, that we are also very far behind in applying it today still. My projects are on halt because of factors of resources. One of the projects is the increase in the use of microbes such as various Archaea bacteria and prokaryotic microbes to deal with various affluents which are non-biodegradable. We have started to fully implement these methods, however, small they are and one day we will reach the ultimate.
— Abhiraj Mukherjee, second year, Biotechnology, Government Science College, Ahmedabad
We had few opportunities to be physically present in a lab and work hands-on because of pandemic. I am a member of the Science Association of our college. I was actively involved in writing articles and blogs related to various recent developments in Science and Technology. I have been a part of the editorial board of our blog and e-magazine. Several initiatives are being taken to move towards a sustainable future. Science and Technology are at the very heart of it. A prominent example would be the thrust towards developing alternative sources of energy and the development of biofuel. That would lower the pollution levels significantly. Plastic-degrading bacteria also have entered the scenario. I feel this is indeed the need of the hour and if anything can help us create a sustainable future, it is the responsible use of resources with Science and Technology providing us the tools to do so. At this level, all I can do is write about it to spread awareness among the student community.
— Astha Mukhopadhyay, third year, MSc Integrated Biotechnology, St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata
I wish to work on the use of microplastics. An example from our daily life is the plastic cut-out left behind after we use a packet of milk, which is neither recyclable nor decomposable. It causes harm to marine organisms when they consume it and indirectly is a risk for human beings. So, an alternative is the use of tetrapacks or duo packs, which are made of paper. They are easily recyclable and environment-friendly.
— Deblina Naskar, second year, Chemistry, St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata
Last updated on 28 Feb 2022
