The Indian Institute of Technology Jammu (IIT Jammu), in partnership with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India, organized a one-day Scientific and Technical Outreach Program on the 13th of October, 2023. The event took place at the scenic IIT Jammu campus, nestled in the serene surroundings of Nagrota, Jammu.
This engaging program saw active participation from numerous schools and local colleges in Jammu, including Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Gharota and Government College for Women Gandhinagar, with over 120 enthusiastic students in attendance. The inaugural ceremony was graced by the esteemed presence of Prof Manoj Singh Gaur, Director at IIT Jammu. Accompanying him were distinguished scientists from BARC, including Dr Archana Sharma, Director of Beam Technology Development; Mr S. Prabhakar, specializing in Food Irradiation Technology; Mr Sameer Mandal, expert in Nuclear Reactor technology; Mr R. K. B. Yadav, specialist in Radiation safety in health & environment; Mrs Herman Rao, Mr R. K. Mishra, and Mr Yatin Thakur, too, were present.
The IIT Jammu team was equally well-represented by Prof Kannan Iyer (Dean of Academics), Dr Vijayan Pallipattu (Dean of Administration), and Prof Debapriya Mondal. Prof Yogesh Nimdeo, the Head of the Chemical Engineering Department, also actively participated in this enlightening program. Furthermore, other institutions contributed to the success of the event, with Dr B. D. Sehgal (GWC) and Mr Awadhesh Kumar (JNVG) and their colleagues actively engaged with the attendees.
The Scientific and Technical Outreach Program, organized by the Public Awareness Section of the Scientific Information Resource Division at BARC, extended over a week, from the 9th to the 13th of October, 2023, across five colleges in Jammu. It culminated in a final and remarkable session at IIT Jammu. The overarching objectives of the program were threefold:
- To dispel myths and misconceptions about atomic energy and radiation.
- To acquaint students and the general public with the functioning of reactors and BARC technological innovations, with a focus on Food irradiation.
- To enlighten students about the potential career opportunities in the nuclear sector and the groundbreaking innovations within it.
Eminent scientists conducted extensive discussions and interactions with students and faculty, complemented by two captivating skits on nuclear energy and BARC Technologies.
The program saw the active involvement of numerous specialists from various BARC departments, including all the aforementioned scientists, as well as technical staff members such as Mr Ram Badade, Mr Atul Likhite, Mr Umesh Gulhane, Mr Pradeep Pawar, and Mrs Samruddhi Patil. Their informative lectures and engaging skits left an indelible impact on the participants.
The response from the students who attended the workshop and participated in the quiz sessions was overwhelmingly positive and encouraging. Their enthusiasm has generated numerous requests for more such programs, reaffirming the success of this outreach initiative.