Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 29 2010:
A four-day training workshop on science writing/journalism for Thoubal district has begun from today at Waikhom Mani Girls' College, Thoubal.
The workshop is being organised by Manipur Science and Technology Council (MASTEC) in association with Waikhom Mani Girls' College and it is being sponsored by National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), Dept of Science & Technology (DST), Govt of India.
The workshop which began from today is the fourth of its kind at the district level being organised by MASTEC as part of its science popularisation activities.
Similar workshops have been conducted earlier in Imphal East, Chandel and Ukhrul districts.
The main objective of the workshop is to train budding science writers to enhance science coverage in various forms of media in the State (print, audio visual and electronic, etc).
The inaugural function was attended by Commissioner of Science & Technology H Imocha Singh and Executive Director of MASTEC Th Surendranath Singh as chief guest and president respectively.
Director of NCSTC Dr Manoj Patairiya and Principal of Waikhom Mani Girls' College, Ibeton were also present at the occasion as guests of honour.
Speaking as chief guest, Imocha observed that today we are living in a scientific world.
So there is the need for everyone to possess minimum scientific knowledge to understand the role of science in our day-to-day living.
In his presidential address, Surendranath said that science is more important for our security and health today than ever before.
He also emphasised on the need to find more effective ways of communicating science to the general public.
Director of NCSTC Dr Manoj Patairiya, who himself is a Scientist in the Department of Science & Technology explained that the workshop is being organised to bridge the gap between science and society through use of media as a tool.
The need of the hour is to de-jargonise scientific content and write about scientific material in a manner easily understandable to all , he added.
In the technical session of the day one of the workshop, Scientist from BSIP, Lucknow Dr CM Nautiyal and H Devendro Singh from AIR, Imphal respectively delivered lecture on the topic of 'Science writing and topic identification for writing' and 'Opportunities that AIR officers have to be science writers' as resource persons.
On the second day of the workshop tomorrow, Satyajit Usham of The Sangai Express, Rupachandra Yumnam of ISTV, A Gitchandra Sharma of AIR and Dr CM Nautiyal will present papers on various topics as resource persons.