Shillong, Feb 27: Various indigenous innovations will be showcased as part of the National Science Day being organized for three days at the State Central Library here.
National Science Day is celebrated to mark the discovery of the Raman effect by physicist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman on February 28, 1928.
The three-day event which will conclude on March 2, is being organized by the State Council of Science, Technology and Environment (SCSTE), along with Shillong Science Centre and Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA).
Deputy Chief Minister, Dr R.C. Laloo will inaugurate the event at 11am on Tuesdays. A regional innovators conclave in which innovators from various states of the North East will participate and showcase their innovations. Various activities, including competitions for schoolchildren will be organised.
Speaking to reporters today, Officer on Special Duty for SCSTE, A. Suting, said that this year being an innovation year, various indigenous innovations developed by various innovators in the state would be on display during the event.
He also informed that the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) has also recognised the indigenous living root bridges in the state.
MBDA’s Knowledge Services Division, Senior Manager Wankitkupar Swer, said that the living root bridges have been nominated for national recognition in the upcoming ninth biennial competition of the NIF, to be held at Rastrapati Bhavan onMarch 4.
He said that living root bridges were community-driven innovations and the recognition by NIF was not for any single community but for all communities engaged in growing the living root bridges. Scouting of the living root bridges was conducted by the NIF in collaboration with the MBDA and SCSTE.
Some of the communities engaged in growing living root bridges include the villages of Nongriat, Nohwet (Riwai, Mawlynnong), Kudang Rim, Nongthymmai, Mawkyrnot, Nongblai, Khonglah, Padu and Shnongpdeng.
Nongblai village in East Khasi Hills district has around 16 living root bridges.
