Students participate at the Young Innovators meet on National Science Day. Pictures by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Feb. 28: Students from schools and colleges of the twin cities today participated in a slew of activities organised by the Regional Science Centre to mark the National Science Day here.

The science day is observed every year to commemorate C.V. Raman’s discovery of “Raman Effect” for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 1930.

The events started with the Young Innovators Meet where students from various institutions displayed their new ideas and innovations in the form of working science projects on the topic — Science, Society and Environment.

The projects displayed were under six sub-themes including agriculture, food security, environmental issues and concerns, energy resources and conservation, disaster management, health and mathematics in everyday life.

This apart, the students heard an awareness lecture on bird flu from eminent animal virologist and Odisha Vet Council Registrar Balram Sahoo. An exhibition on the life and works of C.V. Raman was also displayed on the occasion.

A quiz on Raman was also conducted among the students. “The events are aimed to provide a platform to the budding scientists so that they get more interested in science, which is best learnt in practise rather than theory,” said education officer of the centre N. B. Sahoo.

The events concluded with a sky observation programme of rare planetary event.

“While five planets are visible to the naked eye, it is difficult to see all of them together on one particular day. It is only from February end to March end that these planets — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn — can be seen at one time. The four moons of Saturn discovered by Galileo in 1609 will also be visible. Although, these can be viewed with the naked eye, students can get a better view of the planets using our scientific equipment here,” said Sahoo.

In yet another development, the centre has planned to replace its models on “science on wheels”— a mobile exhibition unit aiming at presenting basic scientific concepts in a simple and enjoyable manner for students of rural schools. The existing models on “global changes’ will be replaced with models on “electricity and magnetism” “The subject ‘electricity and magnetism’ has been handpicked from the school curriculum so that it will directly pertain to the requirements of the school students and thus be more beneficial,” said the official.