19th National Children's Science Congress to be organised in Jaipur in December

The 19th National Children's Science Congress is to be organised in Jaipur from 27 to 31 December 2011 to provide an opportunity to the children to showcase their interest in the latest developments in science and technology.

A meeting for review of preparations for the congress was organised on 17 August 2011. Land resources: Save for the future was set as the theme for the 2011 National Children's Science Congress.

At the meeting all the departments concerned were asked to work with coordination to ensure success of the mega-event. An invitation for the inauguration of the congress would be sent to President Pratibha Patil. The meeting reviewed the preparations for transport, publicity, field visits and maintenance of law and order. Besides the State Government officers, representatives of the Union Government's Science & Technology Department also attended the meeting.

An expenditure of Rs1.50 crore is likely to be incurred on organising the event, out of which the Rajasthan State Government would bear an expenditure of Rs.70 lakh. The congress, to be held on the sprawling campus of a private university here, will comprise 12 parallel scientific sessions, exhibitions and cultural performances.

The congress will provide a platform to children between the ages of 10 to 17 years to exhibit their creativity and innovation. The theme- Land resources: Save for the future is to be divided into six sub-themes to cover the spheres of quality of land resources, human activities, utilisation of resources and community-based knowledge.
Participants are to prepare and present project reports and posters on the sub-themes. Hundreds of scientists, child scientists, students and resource persons are likely to take part in the congress. Participants from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries are also expected to come.

About National Children's Science Congress

The Children's Science Congress began as an experiment in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh in the early nineties with joint initiatives of the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC)-Network and Rashtriya Vigyan Evam Prodyogiki Sanchar Parishad (RVPSP), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. The idea of organising Children's Science Congress was inspired by Gwalior Science Centre, Madhya Pradesh.
Children's Science Congress became a nationwide activity since 1993 with the holding of the first National Children's Science Congress (NCSC) in New Delhi. The Children's Science Congress is coordinated by (NCSTC)-Network catalysed and supported by RVPSP. Since 1993, National Children's Science Congress is held during the last five days (27-31) of December every year.

The primary objective of the Children's Science Congress is to make a forum available to children of the age-group 10-17 years, both from formal school system as well as from out of school, to exhibit their creativity and innovativeness and more particularly their ability to solve a societal problem experienced locally using the method of science.