The 18th National Science Day celebration was organized by the Dibrugarh University Research Scholars’ Association (DURSA) on 9th March, 2016 at Rang-ghar, the University Auditorium, Dibrugarh University. The theme for 2016 was ‘Scientific Issues for Development of the Nation’, and Professor Barindra Kumar Sarmah, Retired Professor, Department of Physics, Gauhati University and erstwhile President of Assam Science Society delivered an eloquent lecture on the ‘Characteristics and Values of Science’ which pertain to the progress of entire humankind when a scientific approach is applied to solution of issues at hand.
The program was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of Dibrugarh University, Prof Alak K. Buragohain, who is himself a brilliant man of science. In his inaugural speech, he began by stating that scientific discoveries transcend the human boundaries of race, creed, colour and nation, and that the essence of science was constituted of sharp observation, critical thinking and rigorous analysis rather than just of state-of-the-art instrumentation.
Professor Barindra Kumar Samah, in his invited lecture, spoke of the inherent nature of truth in Science, which is nevertheless always open to challenge and can therefore be invoked for proof by reproducibility of an experiment. Science hence is truly democratic. He also quoted Robert A. Millikan, who in his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize, stated that ‘Science walks forward on two feet, namely theory and experiment’. Prof. Sarmah then spoke of the interdisciplinary nature of Science..
and how different branches of science are dependent on each other to arrive at a lucid understanding of a scientific phenomenon, or for creation of any technology based on the same. He maintained that imagination is often more crucial than knowledge in the pursuit of the same. Heterodoxy and doubt too are indispensable for scientific progress and are to be preserved at all costs in the face of rising intolerance in the world today.
The warmly applauded invited lecture was followed by the felicitation of awardees and achievers of Dibrugarh University of the year 2015-16 and Prize distribution to the inter-school quiz competition winners which was held just prior to the program.
The National Science Day celebration finally concluded with the Vote of Thanks from Ms. Nishanta Saharia, Vice-President, Dibrugarh University Research Scholars’ Association (DURSA).
