CSIR-NIScPR, New Delhi, organised a “Student-Science Connect Programme” with the theme “Millets for Health and Nutrition” at Cambridge School in Srinivaspuri, New Delhi, as part of the Jigyasa event on 20 October 2023. The event was attended by more than 200 students and 20 teachers from more than 10 different schools. Besides Cambridge School Srinivaspuri, Cambridge School, Indirapuram; Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan; DPSG Palam Vihar, Gurugram; Gyan Mandir Public School; and Bal Bharati Public School, Pitampura, participated in the event. The central objective of the event was to provide students with a deep understanding of millets and their pivotal role in promoting health and nutrition.
The programme commenced with Shri CB Singh, Head of Jigyasa, Training and HR Division at CSIR-NIScPR introducing the students to CSIR and its various laboratories. During his welcome address, Mr Singh addressed the importance of bridging the gap between the scientific community and society and also discussed the role of the Jigyasa programme which aims at “Capacity building in Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) at the grass root level amongst students and teachers”.
Dr Suman Ray, Principal Scientist & Jigyasa Nodal at CSIR-NIScPR, delivered a talk on “Millets for Health and Nutrition”. In her presentation, she covered a wide range of millet-related topics, including their historical significance, the Indian states that produce millets, different millet species, nutritional value, dietary fibre content, minerals, trace elements, vitamins, and amino acids. She also touched on the significance of the International Millet Year. Dr Ray engaged the audience with an interesting millet quiz.
A short movie on millets was also shown to the students highlighting two key points: “The History of Millets" and “Traditional Indian Millet Recipes”.
The event also placed a significant emphasis on creating awareness on Energy Literacy Training, which is an initiative by the Energy Swaraj Foundation, aimed at educating individuals about the critical concept of energy literacy. Energy literacy is regarded as the initial stride towards addressing climate issues and safeguarding the environment. The knowledge and understanding is necessary to make informed choices, conserve energy resources, and actively contribute to mitigating climate change and environmental preservation.
The programme concluded with the dissemination of NIScPR's monthly popular science Hindi magazine, "Vigyan Pragati", featuring a special issue on Millets, which was made available to both students and teachers. Vigyan Pragati is widely recognised for its informative and insightful articles, making it a valuable resource for teachers and students who wish to further explore the subject.
