Biodiversity for Every One’s Life

Jointly organized by

Miranda House, University of Delhi

and

Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Manipur

Date: 31August 2018

Time: 9.00 am to 06.00 pm

Venue: Auditorium, Miranda House, University of Delhi

Preamble

This Conclave aims to explore Biodiversity from a multifaceted perspective, from scientific

understanding to its conservation and expansion. It will pose two important questions:

How do we make biodiversity an inseparable part of day-to-day life?

How do we make biodiversity an integral part of every citizen’s conscious self?

India is proud to have some of the major hotspots of biodiversity in the world, particularly the N-

E states in India. Its health is important for sustainable development of the entire country. It also

throws challenges as to how to keep the aspirations of the people of N-E fulfilled and at the same

time, maintain and expand the biodiversity. Similar problems/issues affect other biodiversity

hotspots in the country.

With increased human migration, exchange of living and non-living commodities across the globe,

introduction of invasive species, new epidemic outbreaks, and more importantly the local and the

global impact of climate change, we need to re-examine the dynamics of Earth's ecosystem from

a newer perspective. An understanding of the Earth’s ecosystems and measures to sustain the

health of the Earth for the future requires multi-disciplinary approaches. With the help of tools of

big data analysis, foundations of planetary science and ecology and evolution, we may start

identifying key factors that affect biodiversity and, thereby, ecosystem function and

services. While multidisciplinary research is taken up to study ways to keep the living earth healthy

for centuries to come, in parallel, we also need to develop school and university-level curriculum

that incorporates these issues in the education system so that future citizens would be well trained

to identify better solutions for sustainable and equitable development.

While research and education prepare us for a better future, equally important is identifying best

possible ways to conserve biodiversity in our own lifetime. There is an urgent need to bring people

from academia (science, engineering, medicine, social sciences and humanities, law etc), industry,

politics, social service and all concerned citizens to identify immediate solution to mitigate the

impact of climate change and identify ways to conserve biodiversity.

To discuss various possibilities derived from science, new social norms, new policies and outreach

on the topics related to Biodiversity, Miranda House is privileged to host a brainstorming meeting

on 31 August 2018.

Format

The Biodiversity Conclave aims to bring together students, faculty, researchers and concerned

citizens from across the city of Delhi. All sessions will be highly interactive. After a brief

introduction to the theme by eminent invited speakers, the discussion will be thrown open. The

programme will be webcast live on the Miranda House You Tube Channel.

The Conclave aims to sensitize and engage everyone to think about Biodiversity and its

significance in their individual lives and surrondings. The all encompassing influence of our

surroundings on our lives finds many expressions. Several lead up events are being organized to

provide a participative and creative forum to students to express themselves.

Lead-Up Competitive Events

Quiz

THEME: JUNGLE JUNGLE BAAT CHALI HAIN

Organized by: Jigyasa, the Quiz Society

Date: 30 August 2018

Venue:

First Prize: Rs. 5000

Second Prize: Rs. 3000

Third Prize: Rs. 2000

The Quiz aims to test and at the same time educate the participants on the topics of Biodiversity,

Sustainable Development and the importance of Biodiversity in everyone’s life. This will

definitely match up to the quality of those in the Delhi Quizzing Circuit.

Close to 50 teams comprising of two members each will take part in the Quiz.

Format of the Quiz:

Written Preliminary Round: 20 Questions

Finals: 4 Rounds; 50 Questions; 8 Teams in the Finals

Contact: jigyasa.president@mirandahouse.ac.in

To view Poster: Click here

3-Minute Video/Powerpoint Presentation

THEME: BIODIVERSITY IN AND AROUND MY COLLEGE CAMPUS

Organized by: MH Vatavaran

First Prize: Rs. 5000

Second Prize: Rs. 3000

Third Prize: Rs. 2000

The participants will be required to submit either a single short Video (maximum 3

minutes) or a single PowerPoint Presentation (maximum 10 slides).

Entries received till 27 AUGUST 2018 will be considered.

The shortlisted participants (5-6) will be called on a selected date before 31 AUGUST 2018

to present their video or PowerPoint Presentation before the judges.

The participants will be judged on the basis of their Content, Creativity and Presentation.

Best entries among all will be played during the event on 31 August.

Contact: mhvatavaran.president@mirandahouse.ac.in

To view Poster: Click here

Photography

THEME: BIODIVERSITY IN EVERYONE’S LIFE

Organized by: Snapshots, Photography Club, Miranda House

First Prize: Rs. 5000

Second Prize: Rs. 3000

Third Prize: Rs. 2000

This is an Online Competition where two rounds will be conducted.

First Round:

Participants will be required to submit only one entry on the theme Biodiversity in

Everyone’s Life.

Last day of Entry will be 25 August 2018.

Second Round:

Shortlisted participants will be required to submit only one Online entry on the theme

Sustainable Development in Today’s Life.

Last day of Entry will be 28 August 2018.

The participants will be judged on the basis of their Content, Creativity and Composition.

Best entries among all will be displayed during the event on 31 August.

Contact: snapshots.president@mirandahouse.ac.in

To view Poster: Click here

Digital Poster Making

THEME: BIODIVERSITY THROUGH THE LENS OF PEOPLE

Organized by: Snapshots, Photography Club, Miranda House

First Prize: Rs. 5000

Second Prize: Rs. 3000

Third Prize: Rs. 2000

This is an Online Competition. Participants will be required to submit only one entry on

the theme Biodiversity Through the lens of People.

Last day of Entry will be 26 August 2018.

The participants will be judged on the basis of their Content, Creativity and Composition.

Best entries among all will be displayed during the event on 31 August.

Contact: snapshots.president@mirandahouse.ac.in

To view Poster: Click here

Art

THEME: THE MERGNG GREEN – TRANSLATING NATURE

INTO CULTURE AND ART

Organized by: Adwitiya, Fine Arts Society, Miranda House

First Prize: Rs. 5000

Second Prize: Rs. 3000

Third Prize: Rs. 2000

Participants will be required to submit only one entry on the given theme.

Initial selection on basis of online submission of art work

This will be an Onsite Painting Event conducted on 30 August 2018 at 2 pm for maximum

duration of 4 hours in the Student Activity Centre.

Participants will be provided with a Canvas Board of Size 12 inch x16 inch. They can also

bring their own canvas of any size.

The competition involves the use of only Acrylic or Oil Colours. Participants will be

required to bring their own colours and brushes.

The Entries will be judged on the basis of their Content, Creativity and Composition.

Best entries among all will be displayed during the event on 31 August.

Contact: finearts.president@mirandahouse.ac.in

To view Poster: Click here

Event Posters

Exhibitions

HIMALAYAN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND CONSERVATION

ORGANIZATION (HESCO): Innovative Products Developed by HESCO

RAINBOW IN FLIGHT: A Gallery of photographs of Birds on Banks of Yamuna by

Shruti Sharma

ART INSTALLATIONS: By Adwitiya, the Fine Arts Society of Miranda House

THROUGH THE LENS: By Snapshots, the Photography Society of Miranda House

Registration Fee

For All: Rs. 200

Online Fee Payment

Registration Form

Students :http://soft.mirandahouse.in/studentregistrationbio.php

Faculty and Others http://soft.mirandahouse.in/facregistrationbiodiversity.php

Duly filed appended/linked form may be emailed to biodiversity.conclave@mirandahouse.ac.in

Further details

Website: www.mirandahouse.ac.in

Email: biodiversity.conclave@mirandahouse.ac.in

Programme Schedule

Friday, 31 August 2018

09.00 am to 09.30 am Registration

09.30 am to 11.30 am Inaugural Session

09.30 am to 09.35 am

Invocation

09.35 am to 09.40 am

Welcome

Dr Pratibha Jolly

Principal, Miranda House

09.40 am to 09.50 am

Introduction: Mainstreaming Biodiversity

Professor L. S. Shashidhara

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune

09.50 am to 10.00 am

Introduction: Biodiversity for Everyone

Professor Dinabandhu Sahoo

Director, Institute of Bioresources & Sustainable Development (IBSD),

Manipur

10.00 am to 10.10 am

Address by Guest of Honour

Dr. Renu Swarup

Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India

10.10 am to 10.20 am

Biodiversity Through the Lens of Art and Science

Felicitating Winners of Competitions

Quiz, Art, Photography, Short Video, Poster Design, …

10.20 am to 10.40 am

Address by Chief Guest

Professor K. Vijayraghavan

Principal Scientific Advisor, Govt. of India

10.40 am to 11.10 am

Concept of Biodiversity Through Music

Professor Ricky Kej

Indian Music Composer and Conservationist

National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru

11.10 am to 11.30 pm Through Photographic Lens

Mr. Raghu Rai

Renowned Photographer

11.30 am to 12.00 pm High Tea

12.00 pm to 12.30 pm Plenary Address

Biodiversity and Human Survival

Professor C. R. Babu

Professor Emeritus, Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded

Ecosystems (CEMDE), University of Delhi

12.30 pm to 01.45 pm Panel 1: Science of Biodiversity

Science of Biodiversity

Chairperson: Professor L.S. Shashidhara

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune

Biodiversity and Astronomy

Professor Ramana Athreya

Astronomer & Ecologist

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune

बिन वन सि सनू Dr. Anil Joshi

Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization

(HESCO), Dehradun

Interactive Session

01.45 pm to 2.30 pm Lunch

02.30 pm to 03.45 pm Panel 2: Governance, Law and People’s Movements

How to Protect Forests and Wildlife: A Historical Perspective

Chairperson: Professor Mahesh Rangarajan

Environmental Studies & History; and

Dean of Academic Affairs, Ashoka University

Promoting Biodiversity through Political Forums (To be confirmed)

Ms. Vandana Hemant Chavan

Member Parliament, Rajya Sabha

Policy, Law and Adherence

Mr. Abani Kumar Sahu

Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India

Interactive Session

03.45 pm to 04.00 pm Break

04.00 pm to 05.45 pm Panel 3: Biodiversity: My Life, My Perspective

Biodiversity: My Life, My Perspective

Chairperson: Professor Dinabandhu Sahoo

Director, Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development, Manipur

Biodiversity for People: Challenges and Achievements

Mr. Chetan Chauhan

Senior Associate Editor, Hindustan Times

Through Music

Dr. Rahul Ram

Environmentalist, Social Activist and Musician, Indian Ocean

Interactive Session

05.45 pm to 06.15 pm Tea

Speaker Profiles

Professor K. Vijayraghavan

Prof. K. Vijayraghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the

Government of India since March 2018, is Distinguished Professor

and former Director of the National Centre for Biological Sciences

(NCBS). He also served as Secretary of Department of

Biotechnology, India. Prof. Vijayraghavan’s fields of specialization

are developmental biology, genetics and neurogenetics. He joined

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in 1988 and was

instrumental in founding the NCBS at Bangalore in 1992 under the

aegis of TIFR. He received the prestigious Bhatnagar Prize for

Science and Technology awarded by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in

1998. Conferred the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2013, Prof. Vijayraghavan is also

a recipient of the Infosys Prize in the Life Sciences category in 2009. He was elected a Fellow of

the Royal Society (FRS) in 2012 and a Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences

in 2014.

Dr. Renu Swarup

Dr. Renu Swarup is Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry

of Science & Technology, Government of India and Chairperson,

Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a

Government of India Enterprise which nurtures and promote

innovation research in the Biotech Enterprise with special focus on

Start‐ups and SMEs. She has served in Department of Biotechnology

for nearly 29 years before being appointed Secretary to Government of

India in April, 2018. A PhD in Genetics and Plant Breeding, Dr. Renu

Swarup carried out Post-Doctoral research at The John Innes Centre, Norwich UK, under

Commonwealth Scholarship and returned to India to take up the assignment of a Science Manager

in the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, GoI, in 1989. She was

actively engaged in formulation of the Biotechnology Vision in 2001, National Biotechnology

Development Strategy in 2007 and Strategy II, 2015-20 as the Member Secretary of the Expert

Committee.

Professor L.S. Shashidhara

Professor L.S. Shashidhara is Professor and Chair of Biology at Indian

Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune. He heads the

LSS Laboratory at IISER and is a developmental biologist and geneticist of

international repute. After completing PhD and post-doctoral research in

Cambridge University, UK, Prof. Shashidhara joined the National Centre for

Biological Sciences (NCBS) Bangalore. He later moved to Centre for

Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Hyderabad, from where he is

currently on deputation to IISER, Pune. He is a J. C. Bose National Fellow

of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and elected Fellow of

several august scientific bodies of India. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the

apex agency of the Government of India for scientific research, awarded him the Shanti Swarup

Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology 2008, for his contributions to biological sciences. He

is also visiting faculty at Ashoka University, Sonepat, India.

Professor Dinabandhu Sahoo

Prof. Dinabandhu Sahoo, Director of Institute of Bioresources and

Sustainable Development (IBSD), a National Institute of Department of

Biotechnology, Government of India is well-known for his contributions in

the field of bioresources and sustainable development. Prof. Sahoo has the

distinction of being the first Indian student to visit Antarctica in the year

1987-88, as part of the team which laid the foundation for India's permanent

station, Maitri. In 1987-88, Prof. Sahoo also travelled to all 7 continents and

5 oceans within a record time of 18 months. Dr. Sahoo has worked as a

Fellow at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC, USA. He was also

instrumental in launching India's First Cherry Blossom Festival for Peace, Prosperity and

Sustainable Development. Besides publishing papers in international journals, he has published 11

books and produced 2 documentary films. He has also received the India Sustainability Leadership

Award in the field of Sustainable Development.

Professor Ricky Kej

Ricky Kej, composer, music producer and conservationist, won

a Grammy at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in 2015 for his

album Winds of Samsara, made in collaboration with South African

flautist Wouter Kellerman, in the Best New Age Album category. His

album Shanti Samsara – World Music for Environmental

Consciousness was launched on November 30, 2015 at the 2015 United

Nations Climate Change Conference by Indian Prime

Minister Narendra Modi and the then French President, Francois

Hollande. In the months since its launch, Kej has travelled widely

speaking about conservation and the environment. Born to a family of doctors in North Carolina,

USA, Ricky Kej returned to India when he was eight. Originally trained as a dentist, Ricky Kej

never practised dentistry but devoted himself completely to music, lending his voice to many

socially relevant causes including ecological conservation. He is also Adjunct Professor at the

National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), IISc campus Bangalore.

Mr. Raghu Rai

Mr. Raghunath Rai Chowdhry, better known as Raghu Rai, is a highly

acclaimed Indian photographer and photojournalist. Raghu Rai started learning

photography in 1962 under his elder brother Sharampal Chowdhry, an award-

winning photographer, and in 1965 joined The Statesman newspaper as its chief

photographer. In 1976, he became a freelance photographer. Mr. Raghu Rai

was also Director of photography for India Today. He served on the jury

for World Press Photo from 1990 to 1997. Mr. Raghu Rai, a specialist in

extensive coverage of India, has produced more than 18 books, including

Raghu Rai's Delhi, The Sikhs, Calcutta, Khajuraho, Taj Mahal, Tibet in Exile

and Mother Teresa. Raghu Rai's India: Reflections in Colour and Reflections in Black and White

are very popular. Mr. Raghu Rai completed an in-depth documentary project for Greenpeace on

the chemical disaster at Bhopal in 1984, which he covered as a journalist with India Today in 1984.

Professor C. R. Babu

Professor C. R. Babu is Professor Emeritus, Centre for

Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems

(CEMDE), School of Environmental Studies (SES),

University of Delhi. He is also Distinguished Professor of

Environment and Ecology at the School of Human Ecology,

Ambedkar University, Delhi. Professor Babu served as a

faculty member in the Department of Botany, University of

Delhi for 35 years. He was the founder Director of the

CEMDE and created the Department of Environmental

Biology, now known as the SES. Prof. Babu was the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Delhi University

from 2000 to 2005. He is the Project Director of the Centre of Excellence programme of the

Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India at CEMDE and

Project In-charge, Biodiversity Parks, Delhi Development Authority. Professor Babu has been

working in the areas of Conservation Biology; Biodiversity and Genetic Resources; Environmental

Degradation and Ecological Restoration; Ecosystem Dynamics and Functions and Systematics.

Professor Ramana Athreya

Professor Ramana Athreya of the Indian Institute of Science Education and

Research (IISER) Pune is an astronomer by training. He also works on

ecology and conservation of biological diversity. His main areas of interest

are astrophysical phenomena studied at low radio frequencies; biological

diversity research (diversity patterns and speciation processes) and wildlife

conservation paradigms for Arunachal Pradesh. In 2006, Prof. Athreya

described a new species of bird, the Bugun liocichla from the Eaglenest

Wildlife Sanctuary in western Arunachal Pradesh, North-east India. This

discovery has been described by Birdlife as “the most sensational

ornithological discovery in India for more than half a century”. He was awarded

the Pakshishree award in 2009 for this discovery by the Government of Rajasthan. In May 2011,

he was conferred the Whitley Award, one of seven awardees in the year for his work on

conservation and involving communities in Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary.

Dr. Anil Prakash Joshi

Dr. Anil Prakash Joshi is an Indian green activist, social

worker, botanist and the founder of Himalayan

Environmental Studies and Conservation

Organization (HESCO), a Dehradun-based non-

governmental organization involved in the development

of environmentally sustainable technologies for the

agricultural sector. He has received the Jamnalal Bajaj

Award and is an Ashoka Fellow. The Government of

India awarded him the Padma Shri in 2006, for his

contributions to Indian society. Born in Kotdwar, in Pauri Garhwal district, in the present

day Uttarakhand state of India in a family of farmers, Dr. Joshi completed his M.Sc. in Botany and

later, his doctorate in Ecology. He joined the faculty at Kotdwar Government PG College but

resigned the job in 1979 and founded the NGO Himalayan Environmental Studies and

Conservation Organization (HESCO). Under the aegis of HESCO, Dr. Joshi promoted research

and development of new environment-friendly technologies for the agricultural sector, tapping the

local resources.

Professor Mahesh Rangarajan

Prof. Mahesh Rangarajan, Professor of Environmental

Studies and History at Ashoka University, is currently also Dean

Academic Affairs of the University. His special areas of interest

are environmental history and colonial history of British and

contemporary India. Mahesh Rangarajan studied at Delhi

University and at the University of Oxford where he went as a

Rhodes Scholar and was awarded the Martin Wright Prize at

Balliol College in 1988. He was the Charles Wallace Scholar at

Nuffield College in 1991. Prof. Rangarajan appears frequently

on Indian television as a political analyst. He is also a columnist in the print media, writing

on wildlife conservation, political and environmental issues. In 2010, he chaired the Elephant Task

Force (Gajah) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests formed to initiate measures for the

protection of elephants in India. Prof. Rangarajan was awarded the TN Khooshoo Memorial Prize

for Environment and Development in 2014.

Ms. Vandana Hemant Chavan

Vandana Hemant Chavan is a Member of Parliament (MP) elected to the Rajya

Sabha as a Nationalist Congress Party of India (NCP) member for Maharashtra.

An advocate by profession, Ms. Vandana Chavan was thrice elected as

Councillor to the Pune Municipal Corporation from 1992 - 2007 and was Mayor

of the City of Pune in the year 1997-98. In that period she was Vice Chairperson

of All India Council of Mayors and also Chairperson of Maharashtra State

Mayor, President and Councillors Organisation. She has spearheaded several

initiatives in the city of Pune targeting mainly citizen’s participation,

empowerment of women and sustainable development. Presently she is the

Chairperson of the Environment Sub-Committee of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industry

and Agriculture, Pune. Recipient of several awards and fellowships, including the prestigious

Eisenhower Fellowship (USA), she is member of the 8-member Task Force of the Metropolis

Women International Network Forum.

Mr. Abani Kumar Sahu

Mr. Abani Kumar Sahu is a Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court of India.

He started as a junior to Mr. Ram Jethmalani in 1988. Mr. Sahu is well-known

for his Public Interest Litigation (PIL) cases in favour of good governance. He

was complimented by the Supreme Court for a well-researched PIL seeking a

guarantee from the government to safeguard the citizens’ right to live in a

secure atmosphere in the aftermath of the Delhi blasts of 2005. The National

Investigative Agency was a result of his 2008 PIL after the Mumbai terror

attacks. He was appointed as Amicus Curiae in the famous Jain Hawala case,

Indian bank cases and Chandraswami cases. The Supreme Court issued notice

to gutka manufacturers on an application by Mr. Sahu alleging that even after the ban order

restraining the use of plastic in sachets they were flouting the law and still using plastic pouches.

Mr. Chetan Chauhan

Mr. Chetan Chauhan is Senior Associate Editor at Hindustan Times. He

handles six regional editions of the Hindustan Times as Deputy National

Affairs Editor, including Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and

Uttarakhand. He also handles national news flow from hundreds of

correspondents across the country. This means he has to look at around

200 stories every day for different platforms – digital and print. A

journalist for over 20 years, he has written extensively on social sector

with special focus on environment and political economy. Mr. Chetan

Chauhan has rich news reporting experience as he has worked in national

political bureau covering all social sector beats including environment, health and education. He

was previously handling the metro reporting team of Hindustan Times. However, his specialisation

is environment and climate change. He has covered all United Nations Conference of Parties

(COP) since 2007 and has travelled extensively in wildlife zones of the country.

Mr. Rahul Ram

Rahul Ram is an Indian bass guitarist, social activist and

music composer. He plays bass guitar in the band Indian

Ocean which he joined in 1991. Rahul completed his

graduation in Chemistry from St. Stephen’s College and

M.Sc. Chemistry from IIT Kanpur. Following a PhD (1986–

90) in Environmental Toxicology from Cornell University,

which he attended on an Andrew White scholarship, he

became an activist with the Narmada Bachao

Andolan (1990–95). Later, Rahul Ram went to America to

learn to play the Alto saxophone. Inside his group, he is known as Logic Baba because of his

rationality. He has composed music and done playback singing in Bollywood. Along with Indian

Ocean member Asheem, Rahul has sung 'Yaara Maula' in Anurag Kashayap's Gulaal, a Hindi

movie based on student politics. Rahul Ram's band Indian Ocean has also given music for several

films including Black Friday and Peepli Live.

About Miranda House

Miranda House, College for Women at University of Delhi, is amongst the premiere institutions

of the country. It has been awarded All India Rank One amongst colleges under the National

Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for two consecutive years in 2017 and 2018. Department

of Biotechnology, Government of India, has given it the Star College status. The National

Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has accredited the college with Grade A+.

Established on 07 March 1948 by the then Vice Chancellor of University of Delhi Sir Maurice

Gwyer, it chronicles the history of women’s education in India. Since its inception it has carved a

unique niche for itself as a globally recognized premiere institution of higher learning. Miranda

House has a rich legacy. The extremely distinguished list of alumnae imparts a sense of confidence

and pride in students.

IBSD Miranda House Centre for North East Studies

This Centre has been established under the aegis of Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable

Development (IBSD), Manipur. The core mission of this Centre is to provide opportunities to

students of all regions to explore and appreciate the diversity and immense potential of the north-

eastern states; create a better research-based understanding of the ethos, challenges and

opportunities in the north-eastern states in a culturally sensitive manner; and nurture, strengthen,

celebrate and leverage the immense talent of the students of the region by providing them a forum

for expression and innovation so that they may proactively contribute towards sustainable

development and integration of the region.

About D S Kothari Centre for Research and Innovation in Science Education

This Centre has been established at Miranda House with generous funding from the Department

of Science and Technology, Govt. of India in project mode. The Centre is devoted to promoting

creativity and excellence in science with special focus on attracting young students to careers in

science and nurturing their innate talent. It aims to act as a nodal centre that will provide easy

access to resources for undertaking innovative and inspiring science activities designed to give an

early exposure to the scientific process and the joys of discovery. The programs are informed by

rigorous science education research, results of cognitive studies on students learning and

pedagogic tools established to be effective. Special emphasis is on adopting multi-representational

and multidisciplinary approach to science learning in contemporary contexts and integrating the

use of cutting-edge educational tools and technologies to provide the best possible environment

for exploratory work. An important component of our activities at DSKC entails interaction with

schools and organization of mentoring programs.

Organizers

Advisory Board

Professor L.S. Shashidhara Professor of Biology, Indian Institue of Science Education and

Research (IISER), Pune

Professor Dinabandhu Sahoo Director, Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development

(IBSD), Manipur

Convener

Dr. Pratibha Jolly Principal and PI, DS Kothari Centre for Research and

Innovation in Science Education

Co-Conveners

Dr. Bani Roy Department of Chemistry

Dr. Mallika Verma Department of Physics

Dr. Jyoti Arora Department of Zoology

Dr. Saloni Bahri Department of Botany

Local Organzing Committee

Dr. Janaki Subramanian Department of Botany, Bursar

Dr. Rashmi Rakshit Department of Physics, Convener Students Union

Dr. Amrita Tripathi Sheikh Department of Chemistry, Adviser Environment Society

Dr. Monika Tomar Department of Physics, Member Connectivity Committee

Dr. Anuradha Khattar Department of Computer Sc, Member Connectivity Committee

Dr. Bashabi Gupta Department of Geography, Convener Indian Music

Dr. Balwant Kaur Department of Hindi, Convener Snapshots

Ms. Aparajita Sharma Department of Hindi, Convener Fine Arts

Dr. Sangeeta Rai Department of Hindi, Convener Fine Arts

Dr. Ritu Gupta Department of Mathematics, Convener Quiz Society

Dr. N. Bilasini Devi Department of Physics, Convener MH-IBSD Centre

Dr. Rekha Kumari Department of Zoology, Member MH-IBSD Centre

Dr. Rashmi Shakya Department of Botany, Member MH-IBSD Centre

Dr. Ravinder Jha Department of Economics, Convener Cafeteria Committee

Assistance

Mr. Sandeep Anand System Network Adminstrstor

Ms. Shelly Jeena Secretary