New KSCSTE scheme for improving science education

TechnoparkToday.com(sept, 2013) >> The Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) is rolling out a new set of programmes for improving science education in schools, colleges and university departments, its Executive Vice President Prof V N Rajasekharan Pillai announced today.

Called Nurturing Excellence in Science Teaching (NEST), it involves, among others, programmes for professional development of science teachers, recognition of meritorious science teachers and documentation of success stories in school science teaching.

Prof Pillai was addressing a four-day interface meeting of scientists working at the six R&D centres of KSCSTE that began in Kovalam today. He said the meeting offered a rare opportunity for scientists to meet and interact with others working in related fields and to develop new ideas for future research.

“KSCSTE, and by extension its scientists, play a vital role in shaping the Science and Technology policy of the state,” he said. “The contribution of the researchers gathered here for this meeting to the future direction of science in Kerala cannot be overstated.”

More than one hundred scientists are engaged in full-time research at various R&D centres of the Council and a unified system of this kind does not exist in any other state, Prof Pillai pointed out. “If the number of researchers at various universities is taken into account, the breadth of our scientific community is something Kerala can be proud of,” he said.

Prof Pillai said he expected at least six scientific missions for the future to emerge out the deliberations that will take place over four days, untilSeptember 8, at Hotel Samudra in Kovalam. He added that the Council is considering making the interaction an annual event like the Kerala Science Congress.

KSCSTE Director Dr George Varghese also addressed the gathering. Representatives of the six R&D centres who spoke on the occasion were: Dr P G Latha, Director of the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI); Dr M Balagopal, Research Coordinator, Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI); Dr Narasimhaprasad N B, Executive Director, Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM); Smt B G Sridevi, Director, National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC); Dr M Manickam, Director, Kerala School of Mathematics (KSoM) and Dr N P Kurien, Director, Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS).

Researchers and experts working in the domain areas of the R&D centres have been invited to the meeting.

Sessions on the first day consisted of 37 presentations by KFRI scientists, chaired by Dr Latha. On Friday, 38 paper presentations by researchers from JNTBGRI have been scheduled, followed by a special discussion on the “National & State Policy on Science, Technology and Innovation”.

CWRDM and CESS scientists will present their papers on Saturday and on the final day of meet on Sunday, presentations by NATPAC and KSoM researchers will be followed by the concluding session.