Aspiring scientists meet real wizards

Around 1,490 students from 32 schools and nine colleges of the NCR region were taken to NPL. Experiments were performed and 60 exhibits detailing various scientific facilities were put on display for students.

It was only yesterday when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for making science more attractive option for children. Today, the country’s premiere research and development organisation, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), took a step in that direction.

It opened its doors to 1,490 aspiring scientists from 32 schools and nine colleges of the NCR region as part of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s Foundation Day in the Capital.

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Open day at labs 1,490 aspiring scientists from 32 schools and nine colleges of the NCR region were taken to National Physical Laboratory  Experiments were performed and 60 exhibits detailing various scientific facilities were put on display for students Students were attracted by humidity generator, liquid nitrogen plant & single crystal formation

Students were taken to 40 laboratories within NPL where experiments were performed and 60 exhibits detailing various scientific facilities were put on display,” said convener H N Dutta.

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With experiments ranging from electrical standards to low temperature physics, the students were clearly excited about the tour. “We learnt about a lot of things that we did not know earlier,” said Nikita Dalmiya and Aakanksha Mehra , class XII students of St Thomas School, Mandir Marg.

While her friends liked the humidity generator, Minu Yadav, class XII, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Gurgaon, was impressed with the liquid nitrogen plant. “This is the first time that I got an opportunity to see how experiments are conducted in a research lab. In school we can only imagine how it all functions, but to see that in front of us was a great learning experience,” she said.

 “I liked the single crystal formation the best. I had no idea that crystals can be so huge! There were a lot of interesting things that my friends and I got to see,” said an enthusiastic Ankit Anand, class XII, Guru Harkishan Public School.

“We want to involve the children, to get them excited about science. I believe more youngsters should take up pure sciences so that they can contribute to the scientific research, that will benefit the country,” said NPL director Vikram Kumar. Clearly, the NPL initiative fulfilled its purpose.