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Pratibha Patil seeks steps to attract students to basic sciences

Photo: T. Singaravelou

GIVING A MEMENTO: Chief Minister N. Rangasamy presenting a memento to President Pratibha Patil at the inaugural of the 34th Jawaharlal Nehru National Science Exhibition for Children - 2007 in Puducherry on Friday. Lt. Governor Mukut Mithi (extreme right) is in the picture. —

PUDUCHERRY: President Pratibha Patil on Friday expressed concern at students, particularly the brighter ones, drifting away from basic sciences and opting for professional courses such as commerce, management, information technology and biotechnology.

Speaking at the inaugural of the 34th Jawaharlal Nehru National Science Exhibition for Children –2007, she said peer pressure, the changing socio-economic situation and market mechanisms contributed to students drifting from basic sciences.

“The number of students opting for science after the secondary school stage has dropped, according to a study, from 32 per cent in the early 1950s to 19.7 per cent in the recent years,” she said.

“The choice of National Talent Search awardees also reflects this trend in recent years. Of the 750 awardees, hardly 100 opted for science and only 15–20 per cent pursue science at the post-graduation level,” she added.

The President said that Governments and institutions should make efforts, including chalking out schemes, to attract more students to take up basic science and research activities.

The President urged children to “study well, gain knowledge, discover the wonders of the world and acquire skills and capacities to be good scientists, researchers, inventors and innovators.” And at the same time, she said, it was important for children to follow traditional Indian values of “truth, tolerance, respect for elders and welfare of fellow human beings so as to preserve the rich heritage of our country.”

“Apart from working on cutting edge technologies, scientists should also find low-cost technological solutions that are easy to implement and within the reach of end-users.” She said that the areas that could benefit from new technologies included better farming techniques, low energy intensive machines and disease prevention. Lt. Governor of Puducherry Mukut Mithi said it was important to make children realise that everything was possible and the future would be in their hands, provided they set themselves a goal and worked hard towards achieving it.

Science exhibitions, he said, provided unique opportunities to children to stimulate scientific acumen and enabled them to inculcate skills of creativity, inference, communication ability and originality, which were essential not only for a career in science but also for any other career.

Chief Minister N. Rangasamy said it was necessary for children to develop a scientific temper and quest for doing research. He said the Education Department had taken steps to construct a telescope and a planetarium at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore. Minister of State for Human Resource Development D. Purandeswari said children were the most important stakeholders in sustainable development, adding that there was a need for balanced development.

Education Minister M.O.H.F Shahjahan said it was a matter of pride and privilege that the Union Territory was offered a chance to organise the exhibition.

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