A project on biobricks, a model on wetland restoration and a semi-autonomous robot called Eco-Bot — these were some of the exhibits at the Young Scientists Competition held at Presidency University, Calcutta, on December 9.
The event was jointly organised by Presidency University, Calcutta, and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Calcutta, as a pre-event of the Humboldt Kolleg 2025, a conclave for scientists and researchers. The science exhibition was specifically organised for schoolchildren (Classes X and XI), to promote their scientific curiosity. "It was a learning experience, with an atmosphere where schools appreciated each other’s projects, which I think was very important," said Jitosoma Thakur of Adamas International School. A five-member team from Class XI represented the school, presenting a project on wetland restoration. "Our teachers and seniors helped us a lot," she said.
The guests were Nirmalya Narayan Chakraborty, vice-chancellor of Presidency University; Debajyoti Konar, its registrar; Maitree Bhattacharya, director of the Jagadis Bose National Science Talent Search, Calcutta; and Judith Koester, programme officer of Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Bonn, Germany. The event started with a welcome note by Das, an assistant professor of life science, Presidency University, and also the convener of Humboldt Kolleg, 2025.
Upal Chakrabarti from the sociology department gave a speech, enlightening the students about the history of Presidency University.
Sayam Sengupta of the chemical sciences department, IISER, gave a lecture on the dangers of plastic use. It was followed by a quiz conducted by Rupesh Shreshtha of the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust, Nepal.
Students from 14 schools presented models or charts on the topic — Science for Protecting the Climate and Serving Society. The participating schools were Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls’ High School, Behala Girls' High School, Adamas International School, Apeejay School, Park School, Pratt Memorial School, La Martiniere for Girls and others.
The projects included a fluid pollution management system, a smart and sustainable city model and a model on industrial air purification with bag filters. La Martiniere for Girls' Eco-Bot grabbed eyeballs. It was a small, semi-autonomous robot, specifically designed to detect and reduce pollution in coal mines.
Jadavpur Vidyapith came first, Apeejay School, Park Street, second and Garden High School, IISER Kolkata Campus, came third. Rameshwar Adhikari of Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, coordinated the scientific model demonstration session.
"We worked for almost a year, after school, during our free period and at home to make this project work," said Class XII student Mohana Nath of Garden High School, IISER Kolkata Campus, after the award ceremony. Mohana and three other teammates from Class XI and XII are now thinking of expanding their project on sustainable oil-water separation using shola plant biomass. The event concluded with the students touring the Presidency University Museum and campus.
"Such initiatives can play a pivotal role in inspiring students to enter scientific fields and contribute meaningfully to solving critical national challenges in climate change and energy sustainability," said Das.