New Delhi, Feb. 29: On February 28 each year National Science Day is celebrated to mark the discovery of ‘Raman Effect’ by Sir C.V. Raman, the first scientist of India who won Nobel Prize in 1930 in the field of Physics. The theme of this year’s National Science Day was “Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat” as declared by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology.
At Jamia Hamdard, there is a tradition of celebrating National Science Day by inviting distinguished personalities to speak on a topic related to Science and Technology. This year’s programme was celebrated on February 28. The Chief Guest of the National Science Day Programme was Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, IAS, Additional Secretary (Marketing), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India and Director General, National Institute of Agricultural Marketing (CCS -NIAM).
In his address, he dwelled on rich scientific tradition of India since ancient times. He also paid rich tribute to Sir C.V. Raman and other scientists such as S.N. Bose whose legacy was internationally recognized in particle science. Mr. Kidwai also highlighted that currently physics and neuroscience are at intersection and paradigm shift is taking place in many fields of science particularly due to the advent of artificial intelligence (AI). He paid homage to the Founder of Jamia Hamdard, Hakeem Abdul Hameed and assured his all support in the progress and development of Jamia Hamdard.
The Guest of Honour Dr. Srikanta K. Panigrahi, Director General and Distinguished Research Fellow at Indian Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD) and Carbon Minus India (CMI), emphasized that doing science is the real celebration. He urged the researchers to develop low-cost technologies for allocation in agriculture and healthcare. He said that time has come that the country has to be socially as well as ecologically responsible. The impact of climate change affects the life of all humans on earth. He also urged researchers to act ethically in conduct of research.
The Vice Chancellor, Jamia Hamdard – Prof. M. Afshar Alam, in his presidential address, while highlighting the importance of National Science Day was pleased to note that a large number of teachers and research scholars are being felicitated for their research accomplishments. He also underlined that a number of faculty members who are listed as top 2% in their respective fields is increasing every year in Jamia Hamdard. He affirmed commitment toward nurturing a culture of scientific inquiry on the campus. Prof. Alam congratulated all the teachers and research scholars for their accomplishments.
Prof. S. Raisuddin, Director, R&D Cell presented the research profile of Jamia Hamdard, showcasing research ecosystem, high rankings and consistent increase in the number of publications, citations and h-index.
A large number of faculty members were felicitated for high-impact publications, high citations, big research grants, awards, honours and other scientific achievements in the year 2023. On this occasion, more than a dozen books authored/edited by Jamia Hamdard teachers in 2023 were also released. Teachers with high-impact and highly cited publications are provided cash incentives by Jamia Hamdard.
The programme of felicitation was conducted by Prof. M. Shahar Yar, Dy. Director, IQAC. The programme was conducted by Dr. Saima Wajid, Associate Professor, Department of Biotechnology.
In his vote of thanks, Dr. M. A. Sikandar, Registrar, Jamia Hamdard thanked the Chief Guest and the Guest of Honour for their time and enlightening speeches. He also thanked the Vice Chancellor for his support and encouragement in all academic development initiatives. Organizers of the programme and audience were also thanked for making this programme a success.
