261/2022-2023
Aizawl, the 24th November 2022 : Rural Development Minister Pu Lalruatkima who also holds the Information & Public Relations portfolio today inaugurated Mizoram Science Congress 2022 at the Conference Hall of Mizoram Legislative Annex Building. The biennial event which is considered the state’s biggest gathering of scientific minds encompassing various disciplines of science was also graced by Pu L. Thangmawia, MLA and Vice Chairman of Human Resources Development Board.

Inaugurating the Science Congress, Pu Lalruatkima pointed at the overarching role of science and technology in bettering human lives and human society and said that the speed and scale of changes we encounter today are unprecedented. He noted that the responses to today’s challenges and problems must be deeply rooted in a curiosity-driven scientific tradition which allows quick adaptation to new realities. Speaking the rapid rise of cyber-physical systems, he remarked even though these systems have the potential to pose unprecedented challenges and stresses to our demographic dividend nevertheless we can turn it into a huge opportunity by research, training and skilling in robotics, artificial intelligence, digital manufacturing, big data analysis, deep learning, quantum communication and Internet-of-Things. There is a need to develop and exploit these technologies in services and manufacturing sectors; in agriculture, water, energy & traffic management; health, environment, infrastructure and Geo Information Systems; security; financial systems and in combating crime, he added.

He said that by 2030 India will be among the top three countries in science and technology and will be among the most attractive destinations for the best talent in the world. He further said the country fully appreciates the strong role science and technology plays in meeting societal needs and that science must meet the rising aspirations of our people. We must create an environment for sharing ideas and resources. The brightest and best in every corner should have the opportunity to excel in science. This will ensure that our youth get high-end training exposure to the best of science and technology to make them job-ready in a competitive world, he added.

He stressed that science must also address the problems of urban-rural divide and work for inclusive development, economic growth and employment generation. To enable this, there is a need for a new overarching structure that will coordinate with all the relevant stakeholders. Our ability to mount and execute large, transformational national missions requires effective partnerships that integrate with a large stakeholder base. The effectiveness of these missions can be ensured only by getting out of our deep rooted silos, and adopting a collaborative approach, which is essential to address our multifarious development challenges rapidly and effectively. Our ministries, our scientists, R&D institutions, industries, start-ups and universities, all should work together seamlessly. In particular, our infrastructure and socioeconomic ministries must make appropriate use of science and technology, he added.

The Minister also inaugurated a science exhibition held at Aizawl City Park as a part of the Congress where school students, government departments, science NGOs and innovators have put up their exhibits and innovations.

The two day event which is the 4th edition is being organized by Mizoram Science, Technology, and Innovation Council (MISTIC), in collaboration with science NGOs in the state such as Mizo Academy of Sciences (MAS), Mizoram Science Society (MSS), Science Teachers’ Association, Mizoram (STAM), Geological Society of Mizoram (GSM), Mizoram Mathematics Society (MMS), Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Network (BIOCONE) and Mizoram Information & Technology Society (MITS). The first edition of the Mizoram Science Congress was successfully organized in 2016 at the Mizoram University with large participation of scientists and researchers within and outside the state, students from schools, colleges, and university, innovators, and government departments.

The 4th Mizoram Science Congress is organized in two phases. The event for the first phase was Children Science Congress, which was held on 20th & 21st October, 2022 where child scientists representing all the eleven districts of Mizoram presented their scientific models. 10 child scientists were selected through the event to represent the state at the National Children Science Congress

The Science Congress where four parallel technical sessions of scientific research paper presentations at Aijal Club and exhibition at City Park under a theme of ‘Science & Technology for Management of Water Resources’ is the second phase of the Mizoram Science Congress 2022. Around 130 research papers for oral and poster presentations will be presented

Dr. V.K. Gahalaut, Chief Scientist, National Geophysical Research Institute; Dr. Amrita Rao, Scientist D, ICMR-NARI, Pune; Prof. S.P. Sanyal, Barkatullah University, Prof. Pratima Agarwal IIT Guwahati and Prof. G. Guru Subramanium from Mizoram University are expected to deliver keynote addresses in the parallel technical sessions.