Kolkata’s scientific and academic community witnessed a stellar milestone as GD Birla Centre for Education hosted GALAXIS 2025, the city’s first-ever interschool astrophysics symposium, on September 25. The groundbreaking event brought together some of Kolkata’s brightest students in an inspiring celebration of discovery, innovation, and a shared love for the cosmos.
Designed to go beyond textbooks, GALAXIS 2025 aimed to cultivate a deeper curiosity in Astrophysics and Cosmology among school students. Structured in two phases — preliminary and final rounds — the symposium evaluated participants on their understanding of advanced scientific concepts and their ability to communicate them effectively.
The preliminary round, held online, saw enthusiastic participation from 17 leading Kolkata schools, each presenting a three-minute abstract on a chosen topic. After careful evaluation, 11 schools advanced to the final round, including St. Joseph & Mary’s School, The Heritage School, G.D. Birla Centre for Education, Ashok Hall Girls’ H.S. School, Indus Valley World School, Hirendra Leela Patranavis School, Garden High School, Little Steps School, Welland Gouldsmith School, Birla High School, Mukundapur, and Sushila Birla Girls’ School.
The grand finale, held at the GD Birla Centre for Education auditorium, featured eight-minute seminar-style presentations followed by insightful Q&A sessions. The event was judged by two eminent physicists — Dr. Bidhan Kumar Bhaumik, retired scientist from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), and Dr. Tamal Basak, Assistant Professor at the Indian Centre for Space Physics. Their questions and feedback challenged participants to think deeper and reason critically.
The symposium began with an inaugural ceremony and soon turned into an intellectual odyssey, with students impressing the audience through confident, original, and well-researched presentations. At the end of this celestial journey, Ashok Hall Higher Secondary School emerged as the Champion of GALAXIS 2025, earning praise for its clarity, creativity, and scientific depth.
GALAXIS 2025 not only marked a new chapter in Kolkata’s educational landscape but also reaffirmed the power of curiosity-driven learning. More than a competition, it became a celebration of knowledge, imagination, and the enduring human desire to reach for the stars — proving that the future of science is indeed in brilliant hands.