Get ready to immerse yourself in the fun and excitement of science. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), Bangalore, is hosting “Pravega”, a science and technology extravaganza, between January 31 and February 2. The festival will be hosted on the IISc. campus in Bangalore.
With the theme “Exploring the frontiers of science”, the festival promises to be an eclectic blend of demonstrations, competitions, workshops, exhibitions and talks spread across three days. The Hindu is the media partner for the event.
Vision Pravega aims to be a festival that inspires youngsters to see the beauty of science and pursue it with enthusiasm. Students will find a unique opportunity to delve into the world of actual science, away from usual textbook material, and be exposed to cutting-edge technological research, a release said.
“The real success of Pravega will be measured not by the footfall, but by how many young minds it manages to inspire,” says Pranav Mundada, the chief coordinator of the festival.
Guests
Bharat Ratna C.N.R. Rao will be presenting a talk on “Exploring the frontiers of science” while the programme director of the Mangalyaan mission, Annadurai, will be lecturing on the Mars Orbiter Mission. Swami Manohar, co-founder of the Simputer and Vijay Chandru, CEO, Strand Life Sciences, are among the list of confirmed speakers. Adriano Aguzzi, a world authority on neuro-degenerative diseases from the University of Zurich, will deliver a talk as will Yogesh Simhan of IISc. on Cloud Computing.
International collaboration Mercedes-Benz will be exhibiting four of its flagship cars to demonstrate its state-of-the-art automobile technology. Industry giants such as Bosch and BASF are not only sponsoring several events but also offering internships at their laboratories as prizes for competitions. Swissnex, India and the Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany are also engaged in a collaboration with Pravega. The University of Goettingen will be demonstrating a solar car, among many other innovations. Several other foreign universities have also consented to set up stalls on campus during the festival to promote higher education.
Competitions and exhibitions Over 45 competitions have been planned as a part of Pravega although most competitions are aimed at the Class 12 and undergraduate levels. In total, cash prizes worth Rs. 7 lakh are up for grabs. This aside, winners also get goodies from sponsors and internships opportunities at research laboratories. Seven workshops on various topics ranging from RC cars to satellite launching will also be conducted alongside the competitions.
Amongst the highlights of Pravega will be two mega-quizzes at the J.N. Tata Auditorium — Inquizitive and Science Quizine. Inquizitive is a general knowledge quiz whereas Science Quizine will have questions drawn purely from science and technology.
ISRO will be setting up an exhibition illustrating the latest advances in space technology. DRDO will be exhibiting a model of the Brahmos Missile. Several emerging technologies such as portable 3D printing will also be on display, while several institute departments are expected to conduct demonstration sessions showcasing exciting experiments and latest research. The propulsion laboratory will also be demonstrating experiments on rocket propulsion. Carl Zeiss will set up a microscopy display.
Cultural line-up Pravega comes with an added tinge of culture, including performances from dance gurukul Nrityagram and rock band Divine Raaga. The final day will conclude with a performance by popular Carnatic progressive rock band, Agam. Ten cultural competitions have been organised.
