By Marcellus D’Souza

Apr 25: The Science Film Festival of India will be held from April 26 to 28 at the Inox complex and Maquinez Palace, Panaji.

Besides the screening of films related to science fiction, this year’s edition has a science short film festival, for which the organisers have received a total of 55 entries.

The movie - Moonfall – is open to all instead and not just the delegates. “There is no better way to instill a love of science in students than through the medium of film. Aside from films, there are other activities for students. Various activities will expose students to new ideas and technologies,” secretary of science and technology, Tariq Thomas, said.

The festival will be inaugurated by CM Pramod Sawant.

Organised by Vidnyan Parishad, Goa, the festival will feature science film screenings, interactions with scientists, science teachers’ workshops, a science film competition and exhibitions.

President of Vidnyan Parishad Suhas Godse said that they are expecting 5,000 students over the period of three days at the festival.
The festival will also feature a special session on April 27 wherein a talk by experts will shed light on less discussed aspects of ancient Indian knowledge systems.

A students’ science village has been organised on science activity, demonstrations, lectures, etc. Around 160 students from different schools of Goa will participate in the same.

The Go-Vidnyan Expo will showcase modern scientific methods to evaluate the age-old wisdom regarding farming, Indian cow and its criticality for sustenance of healthy human life.

Vidnyan Parishad, Goa is no-governmental, non-profit organization working for science propagation and is a unit of Vijnana Bharati or VIBHA, previously known as Swadeshi Science Movement. It works for the popularisation of sciences in a nationalist manner. Its main aim is to rejuvenate the Swadeshi Movement in this age of science and technology for the purpose of national reconstruction.

Started in Indian Institute of Science (Bengaluru) by a few eminent scientists under the guidance of Prof. K I Vasu. This movement gradually gained momentum and emerged as an organization with national presence. In 1991at the Nagpur meet, it was decided, to launch the Swadeshi Science Movement at all India Level and named it as Vijnana Bharati.

The foundation principle of VIBHA are: To start a vibrant movement for the development of Swadeshi Sciences as a dynamic Science Movement with a Swadeshi Spirit, interlinking traditional and modern sciences on the one hand, and natural and spiritual sciences on the other hand and to create a Swadeshi Movement with modern sciences adapted to national needs.