Assam pavilion at Indian Science Congress reaps laurels

GUWAHATI, Jan 10 The Assam pavilion, planned and executed by the Assam Science, Technology and Environment Council (ASTEC), has been adjudged the best in the exhibition section of the 96th Indian Science Congress that concluded at the North East Hill University (NEHU) campus in Shillong on Wednesday.

There were 85 institutions, which took part in the exhibition section of the Congress, named the Pride of India Exhibition. The institutions included Department of Atomic Energy, ISRO, CSIR, DRDO and a host of other institutions and several states of the country.

ASTEC, an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Assam, planned and executed the Assam pavilion that covered an area of 1,000 square feet.

The pavilion was designed as a prototype of the historical Rangghar. The pavilion included the stalls of the IIT-Guwahati— with the display of various designs the have produced so far, ASTEC— with the display of the Aryabhatta Science Centre activities and the GI on muga silk of Assam, Assam Energy Development Agency – with the various gadgets of non-conventional sources of energy and their activities, Centre for Plasma Physics—with real time generation of plasma for the common man’s knowledge with effective multi-media projections.

Many of the interesting and attractive innovations of Uddhab Bharali were also displayed in the pavilion.

Amtron –with their various IT-based services, Department of Handloom and Textile, Assam—with machines and natural dyes etc, Department of Sericulture – with the display of silk worm, life cycles of the worms, weaving machines, silk clothes with beautiful designs, Department of Fisheries—with the traditional system of fishing and with their latest activities, the Department of Tourism—with information on the existing and coming up tourism facilities of the State, also put up their stalls in the pavilion.

Besides, the Guwahati Planetarium – with the model of its own building, a prototype of a rocket and a satellite and two real telescopes, also put up their stall in the pavilion, said ASTEC sources.

It may be mentioned here that for the first time since its inception in 1914, the Indian Science Congress has held its congress in the NE region.