One of the participants at the science seminar organised at SK Science Centre on Thursday. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Shashank Kumar Singh from Visheshwar Seminary, Chhapra, would represent the state at the national-level of a science seminar in Mumbai on October 8.

The boy outshone 15 others at a science seminar on the topic “Water Co-Operation: Issues & Challenges” organised at SK Science Centre on Thursday.

Students had to go through a written exam comprising 20 questions. Nine students of the senior secondary-level and seven from the middle school-level from different divisions across the state took part.

The students also came up with paintings, drawings or PowerPoint presentations on the topic.

Organised by State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT), Bihar, and SK Science Centre (National Council of Science Museums), ministry of culture, Government of India, the event was inaugurated by Hasan Waris, the council director.

Akriti Raj of Prabhat Tara Girls’ High School from Tirhut division said: “Problems regarding water are formed by natural, social and political issues. As far as natural issues are concerned, there is no proper division of water bodies geographically. For example, 60 per cent of the world population resides in Asia but only 36 per cent of water is present in the continent. On the other hand, South Africa, with six per cent world population has 26 per cent of the natural resource. Social issues affect farming, industries, hydropower and others.”

The judges at the event were Ashok Kumar, a teacher of Shastri Nagar Boys’ High School, Manoj Kumar, deputy director, Pranjal Training-cum-Research Centre under Bihar State Water and Sanitation Mission, public health engineering department, S.P. Verma, a retired physics professor of Science College and the president of Science for Society, and Nimisha, a lecturer at Gulzarbagh Government College.

The event was also attended by project co-ordinator Pradipta Mukhopadhyay.