The XIV Triennial National Conference of Indian Women Scientist’s Association (IWSA) was inaugurated at National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Tarnaka, on Wednesday. Rohini M Godbole, professor, Centre for High Energy Physics, Indian Institute of Science, was the chief guest. The three-day-long national conference is held with the theme ‘Women led Science, Technology and Innovation’.
Delivering keynote address at the inauguration, Dr. Godbole said that the overall intellectual potential of human beings in the world can be put to use at optimal level only when the number of women in science increases. “Diversity can be good for science, as for any creative activity. Encourage girl children to participate in various science competitions,” she said, emphasising the need to address gender imbalance in science right from the early age of girl children.
NIN’s director R Hemlatha said that there is a need to improve health and nutritional status of women if we want great innovations, inventions and discoveries in India. The director elaborated on the relation between educational levels, and health of women and children.
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She said that educated women with their awareness levels have healthier children, thus paving way for a healthy nation.
The topics which would be discussed at the conference includes (a) Health, Pharmacy and Biotechnology (b) Food, Agriculture and Nutrition (c) Physical and Chemical Sciences d) Space and Technology and others.
President of IWSA Lalitha Dhareshwar, Dr Mahtab S Bamji, Emeritus Scientist, Indian National Science Academy, DR K Ratna, convener, IWSA-Hyderabad branch, also spoke on the occasion.
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