India International Science Festival 2021 inaugurated

Panaji: An attempt to send most rocket kits from a single venue for creating a Guinness World Record marked the inaugural event of the seventh edition of India International Science festival (IISF- 2021) on Saturday here.

Stating that science and technology will propel India as a frontline country in the world in the years to come, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh said: "When technology is clubbed with innovation, it brings ease of living for the common man. The main aim of the science festival is to bring into use the innovations by the people and develop technology that is affordable to the masses."

India is celebrating the 75th year of its Independence and it is time to lay down the road map of scientific progress for the next 25 years, when India celebrates the Centenary of Independence. "Almost 70 per cent of 135 crore are youth. It is the youth of today that will bring about that change," he said.

Soon after the inauguration, about 550 eleventh grade students standard from different schools of Goa embarked on rocket making wherein prototypes of the working model will be made and later in the evening, those would be launched from an open venue for attempting the Guinness World Record.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Union Minister for Ayush, Shipping & Ports, Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of State (MoS) for the Ministry of Tourism and Port, shipping and waterways, Shripad Naik, Secretary Ministry of Earth Sciences, Dr M. Ravichandran and President, Vijnana Bharati, Dr Vijay Bhatkar also spoke on the occasion.

India International Science festival (IISF) is a joint programme of Ministry of Science & Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences and Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA), an NGO working for propagation of science. The first IISF was held in year 2015. The main purpose of IISF is to celebrate science along with people in India and across the globe.

Some of the main events at the inaugural function are Science Village, Traditional Crafts and Artisan Meet, Games and Toys, Global Indian Scientists and Technocrats Fest, ECO-FEST, New Age Technology and Mega Science and Technology Expo.