Shankaran, while emphasising that “we need to go beyond science”, added that “if you think there is a need, then we must make a concerted effort to set up a fund for research”.

‘Avishkar’, the brainchild of Governor S M Krishna, is an attempt to instill the culture of research among students from the undergraduate to the doctoral level. The three-day event (January 10-12) is being conducted this year by the SNDT Women’s University. Last year, it was hosted by the Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University.

The highlight of the festival is that it encourages research in various disciplines beyond science and technology, stressing on the need for research in the humanities, languages and fine arts; commerce, management and law; pure sciences; agriculture and animal husbandry; engineering, technology, medicine and pharmacy.

“Research is aimed at discussing, interpreting and revising human knowledge with time. A beginning has been made in that direction by Avishkar. It shows that we need to inculcate a research culture at the right stage, which is the student community,” said SNDT Vice-Chancellor Chandra Krishnamurthy.

The number of entries this year is the highest in pure sciences (57), pharmacy and medicine (58) and humanities and social sciences (54).