Mangalore: Ideas on Chemistry 'Amalgamate' at St Agnes Rasa-Chetana
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS)
Mangalore, Sep 2: A day-long symposium on rejuvenation of chemistry education ‘Rasa-Chethana’ organized by the department of chemistry, St Agnes College in collaboration with Pilikula Regional Science Centre, Mangalore and Text Book Society, DSERT at the conference hall of the college was inaugurated on Friday September 2.
Professor Uday Maitra, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore inaugurated the programme in a unique way by lighting a lamp using a chemical on which he poured acid.
Delivering the keynote address, he said that application of chemistry in day-to-day life is gradually declining as right from high school, the subject is not taught in a manner to make it useful and creative science.
Pointing out that women chemists in India are low (not even 10%) he said colleges should emphasize on the usefulness of studying the subject. Noting that longevity in India has increased remarkably since the 1930s only because of better medication where chemistry played a major role, he added that today, experiments done in labs are quite below average, and hence teachers need to work on introducing more experiments to encourage students to study the subject with curiosity. He suggested the style of teaching method to be changed.
In the days where students are pursuing courses in consideration of making ‘quick money’ chemistry as a subject too can be made relevant to our society if necessary changes are made, he suggested.
Dr Sr Prem D'Souza, principal, St Agnes College who presided over the programme honoured chemistry teachers Prof Shivaram Holla, Prof V S Lasrado, Prof Mohan Shetty, Prof B N Bhat and Vasanthi K for their excellent service in teaching chemistry to the students.
She stressed that the symposium should change the mindset of the students and others about chemistry and said it was not possible to want technology without learning chemistry as a basic subject.
Prof Ronald Mascarenhas, HOD, welcomed. Dr H Jayantha gave a bird's eye view on the need for organizing the seminar as the year 2011 is international year of chemistry. Joyce D’Souza delivered the vote of thanks.
The symposium has been organized with the objectives of bringing concerned subjects’ experts, teachers and officials to one forum, to deliberate on issues like ignorance of basics of chemistry, less practical orientation than theory, and to take decisions on necessary steps to overcome shortcomings by making chemistry syllabus more practical. Various sessions, experimental demonstrations, panel discussions, sharing of experiences will be held throughout the day.