Dr DK Pandey, Senior Scientist at the Department of Science and Technology (DST) was the chief guest while Dr Tejwant Singh, Dean, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities, PAU, presided over.

In his remarks, Dr Pandey said that teachers were the backbone of education. He elaborated about the objectives of the workshop and highlighted the programmes aimed at popularisation of science undertaken by National Council for Science and Technology. “Providing hand-on experience to teachers in scientific techniques and tools prove useful for stimulation of scientific temper among students,” observed Dr Pandey saying that this was the objective of the present workshop. He said that there was a lack of science communicators that could effectively pass on scientific knowledge in the style and language palatable to target audience.

He cited many examples where the acts performed by ordinary people have sound scientific basis and highlighted that they ought to be educated about the same. Dr Pandey elaborated on the print and electronic gadgets and modules prepared by DST for promoting scientific temper among the masses.

Dr Neelam Gulati Sharma, Additional Director, Punjab State Council for Science and Technology, remarked that besides these deliberations, the demonstration of modules involving kits, manuals, posters, CD-ROM etc., visit to laboratories, hand-on experience on microbiological experiments in relation to food microbiology, clinical aspects of microbiology and related fields will also be organised. She said that the event was catalysed and supported by Rashtriya Vigyan Evam Prodyogiki Sanchar Parishad, Government of India, and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Punjab.

Dr Tejwant Singh thanked the organisers for selecting PAU as the venue for the event adding that the participating teachers will have much to learn from the state-of-the-art laboratories and teaching infrastructure at PAU.

The Course Director of the event, Dr Jagtar Singh Dhiman, Additional Director of Communication, said that the 33 participating science teachers from different schools of Punjab would be imparted theoretical information about the microbiological techniques, equipments and procedures through different technical sessions by eminent scientists of PAU.

He said that nature was an open book where the happenings having scientific basis were taking place. He said that the workshops fuelled curiosity about happenings and added that for a tangible progress in dispelling superstitions, scientific approach was often useful.

Dr PK Khanna, Technical Director of the course, deliberated on various microbiological techniques useful for classroom teaching. He demonstrated various microbiological modules to the participants. A hands-on experience was provided on the equipment through the tools of microbiology laboratory. The participants were shown a film on microbiological activities as well as the Mushroom Ccomplex of PAU.