French scientist Loic Villian addresses students at the International Year of Physics celebrations being held at BIT Mesra. A Telegraph file picture.

Ranchi, Nov. 22: If the panel of experts failed to cope with the number of questions being bombarded at them, it?s understandable.

More than 200 students from more than 20 schools and colleges threw them questions on everything, from theory of relativity to the quantum theory, at the interactive panel conducted today at the Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra.

The programme was just one of the many events being organised to celebrate the International Year of Physics, being celebrated the world over to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein?s legendary papers on quantum theory, Brownian motion and theory of relativity, which was first published in 1905.

To use the occasion not just to celebrate, but also to popularise physics, the institute has lined up a host of programmes, which began yesterday and will continue till November 23.

Judging by the number of students taking part and the number of questions they volleyed, the organisers do seem to have achieved their objective.

For the students of Class IX and X, there was a quiz based on laws of physics and numerical problems.

The preliminary rounds began with 36 teams, which were pared down to four for the finals.

For the results of the quiz, the students will have to wait till tomorrow.

One competitive section involved riddles designed out of different theories of physics.

It had various rounds like answering a question within a fraction of a second and crossword puzzles among other projects.

The first prize was bagged by St Xavier?s College, Kendriya Vidyalaya, HEC, got the second and the Ranchi Women?s College team the third.

Thomas Andrews, coordinator of the programme, told The Telegraph, ?One of the most important aspect of these programmes is the involvement of students of different schools and colleges to arouse their interest in this subject. We are trying to create a base for them so that their inquisitiveness rises.?

These quizzes, interactive sessions and exhibition of physics are aimed at increasing and arousing their knowledge in this subject,? said Andrews.

The students also displayed models prepared by them, meant to demonstrate the laws of physics.

The exhibition is also displaying models which are in the experimentation stage in BIT, on which students are still working.The organisers feel that studying such models will help develop the childrens? interest further.