The World Science Day, being celebrated world-wide by the UNESCO, aims to provide an opportunity for special attention to be paid to the contribution of science to achieving sustainable development and enhancing the prospects for peace. From agricultural production to medicine, from sustainable energy to water management, scientific and technological advances play a key role in social and economic development through a diverse range of applications.

For this occasion, the Gujarat Science City has organized activities like illustrative poster exhibition on science and technology for sustainable development, student activities, state level science fair, screening of scientific movies, etc for the children and the general visitors to inspire wonder and stimulate creative exploration through fun interactive science and the arts. School children from Class I to Class XII may participate in the poster painting, essay writing and debate competitions for the students on the above themes. There will be no registration fee for participation. The meritorious students will receive prizes and certificates.

The State Level Western India Science Fair has been organized in collaboration with Gujarat Council on Science & Technology (GUJCOST). Students and teachers will present enquiry based science projects based on the broad areas of subjects like; physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, mathematics, engineering, environmental science, earth & space sciences etc. GUJCOST has already conducted the district level competitions through its network of Community Science Centers and about 60 science projects, selected through each of the districts for the state level science fair. A panel of Judges will evaluate the projects as per the criteria and select five individual projects, five team projects and three teachers’ project for the representation at zonal level science fair to be held at Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai during 12 to 16 December, 2006. The National Council of Science Museum (NCSM) is centrally coordinating the Science Fair nationally every year.

Science, peace and development are interlinked. The greatest safeguard for peace lies in ensuring that the benefits of science are made available to all people on an equitable basis. The celebration of World Science Day serves to remind us what science is for, namely peace and development. This annual occasion is a regular opportunity to reflect on how science can best serve this purpose.

Working under the aegis of DST, Government of Gujarat, Gujarat Science City is emerging as a large scale science popularization platform in the country, by organizing several scientific programmes and educational activities regularly that depict various scientific themes linked with the day-to-day life. These will help in bringing scientific temper, attitude and deploying science for awareness and empowerment of the community.

In addition, the visitors may explore the marvel of science in the Hall of Science, experience the large format science movies on IMAX 3D screen, learn all about energy in the Energy Education Park, Life Science Park, Children Activity Centre and spare the evening at the grand Musical Fountain as well as night sky observation activities inside the Science City campus.

We request you to kindly visit Gujarat Science City and be a part of this celebration.

With warm regards.

D. B. Mehta
Executive Director, GCSC