Hyderabad to host first Telangana Science Congress in August

This will be the first state-level science congress to be held since formation of Telangana.

HYDERABAD: Although Hyderabad missed out on hosting the Indian Science Congress in January, the city will be host to another Science congregation this year — Telangana Science Congress — to be conducted by Telangana Academy of Sciences. Speaking to Express, Chairman of Scientific Advisory Committee of TAS and former Director of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Dr Mohan Rao said the science congress will be held in August at Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT).
This will be the first state-level science congress to be held since formation of Telangana. Earlier, Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences (APAS) used to organise the science congress. After State bifurcation, TAS was formed in 2015.

The APAS, however, continued functioning in the new AP and conducted two state-level science congress till now, in 2016 and 2017.Dr Rao said that the Telangana Science Congress was supposed to be held soon after the ISC, which was to be hosted by Osmania University. However, consequent to the unfortunate developments that led to postponement of the ISC and shifting of its venue to Manipur, the Telangana Science Congress also had to be postponed. However, it has to be seen if Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will inaugurate the congress.

TAS blues

While TAS is managing to conduct the first ever Telangana Science Congress, the academy has various hurdles which the state government has to look into — most important of which is the lack of a good venue to house TAS. Presently, TAS is housed in two houses of OU staff quarters located near international students hostel in Tarnaka. The academy is in dire need of space to at least set up office and a conference room. TAS, president, Dr K Narasimha Reddy, former VC of MG University, Nalgonda, speaking at the presentation of Young Scientists Awards-2017 at IICT on Saturday raised this issue and asked state government to grant land to TAS.

Minister KTR said that if TAS gives a representation in writing, he will take it to the CM. Last year, TS government had approved `15 lakh for the Science Congress. When asked if this amount was sufficient, Dr Rao said TAS will raise more funds from sponsors.

5 budding scientists awarded

TS Academy of Sciences presented Young Scientist Award to five budding scientists on Saturday. The awards were given in five categories: Engineering sciences, Medical health and Pharmaceutical sciences, Chemical sciences, Life and Agricultural sciences, and Physical and Mathematical sciences, respectively to Alka Kumar, Scientist-C at IICT, Dr Prakash Saudagar, Assistant Professor at NIT-Warangal, Dr Sai Prathima Parvathaneni, senior research associate at IICT, Dr Sadia Parveen who obtained PhD from IICT, and Dr T Suman Kumar, Assistant Professor at UoH.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com