Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the 29th Kerala Science Congress, jointly organised by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment and the Kerala Forest Research Institute, at the Mar Thoma College in Thiruvalla on Saturday forenoon. ‘Ecology and Environment’ is the main theme of the congress.
There will be technical sessions involving lectures by scientists, research paper presentations, special sessions, memorial lectures, postgraduate student interaction programmes, and a children’s science congress during the three-day annual event, K. Vijayakumar, general convener, said.
Dr. Vijayakumar said talented young researchers would be honoured with the Kerala State Young Scientist Award at the congress. Best paper awards and poster awards would also be given away.
Science Congress president Suresh Das said there had been a serious fracture in the ecosystems across the highland, midland and low coastal zones of Kerala and the meet would address the issue with inputs from experts in the field. The meet will lay stress on ‘Genomics in health and disease’ and will discuss the prospects and challenges in this field and its relevance to the State.
A.V. Reghu, scientist at KFRI, also the public relations officer of the congress, told The Hindu that the meet will be inaugurated at the APJ Abdul Kalam hall on the Mar Thoma College premises at 10 a.m.
Water Resources Minister Mathew T. Thomas will preside and C.N.R. Rao, scientist, will deliver the keynote address. Anto Antony, MP, will deliver a special message and the Mar Thoma Metropolitan, Joseph Mar Thoma, will release a volume on the presentations to be made at the meet on the occasion.
Madhav Gadgil, Raghavendra Gadegkar, R. Sukumar, and M.K. Prasad, eminent scientists, will deliver a lecture on ‘Ecosystem and Environment’ on Saturday afternoon.
Science exhibition
A science exhibition has begun at the college grounds in connection with the congress. Major scientific institutions in India are participating in the expo. The congress will come to a close on Monday.
