With the closing ceremony of IISF at the grand A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Hall, where the Chief guest was Shri Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister of Haryana. The Minister announced the development of a “Science City” in the city of Faridabad, Haryana. He also visited the mega science expo where countless commendable innovations were displayed. Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Science & Technology visited the mega expo at the inaugural day, the first day of the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2023.

More than 100 stalls were installed at the expo where 20 stalls were from the private organisations, while more than 80 stalls were from the government organisations. There were around 1 lakh visitors in the exposition. Among the major organisations who showcased their scientific inventions and innovations include Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), and Department of Science and Technology (DST) and its autonomous bodies.  

The displays were clearly justifying the theme of the ninth edition of IISF, “Public Outreach in Amrit Kaal” reflecting the Nation’s contemporary position in the new era in the field of Science and Technology. It proved that our country is young and enthusiastic determined to achieve a lot.

Among the many displays, Ram Mandir model was the centre of attraction of the exhibition due to its inauguration ceremony on January 22, 2024. The unique design including the “Surya Tilak,” highlighting the scientific prowess in the monument was given by the CSIR lab, Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) located at Roorkee, Uttarakhand.

Another treat to the eyes was the "Pollution-Free Viksit Gaon, Viksit Bharat" at the expo. It envisions a sustainable and developed rural community contributing to the overall progress of India. It was a CSIR initiative.

National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), the autonomous institute of Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India. The institute focuses on high quality plant biology research and training the next generation of plant biologists. One of its recent major achievements showcased include “ADVIKA,” a novel superior drought tolerant, climate smart chickpea variety.

Participants watching live experimental set-up in International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi stall at the expo.

Several awards under different categories were given to the participants at the mega science expo. For the Best Conceptual Pavilion, Raman Research Institute (RRI) was awarded the first prize. Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of Gujarat was awarded the second prize, and Technology Development Board (TDB) stood third.

In the category of the Best Technology Pavilion, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Ministry of Defence stood first. BrahMos Aerospace got the second prize.

For the Best Interactive Pavilion, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) received the first prize, and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Department of Space (DoS) got the second prize.

In the category of the Jury Special Mentioned Award, Indian Council of Medical Research got the first prize (ICMR), Amity University received the second prize.

For the Best Pavilion in the Expo, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) stood first, and Department of Biotechnology stood in the second category, Department of Science and Technology received the third prize. 

The Mega science exposition was covered by the Science Media Communication Cell (SMCC) at CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication & Policy Research (NIScPR). It coordinated and facilitated the media publicity of the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2023. The key objective of the SMCC is to disseminate and showcase R&D breakthroughs and scientific achievements of India on various platforms of media.

For more information, please visit https://niscpr.res.in/ or follow us at @CSIR-NIScPR.

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