Mysuru, March 06, 2022 (www.justkannada.in): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today laid the foundation stone for the ‘Cosmology Education and Research Training Institute,’ in Mysuru, near the foothills of Chamundi. The Institute is being established by the University of Mysore in association with the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.
In her address, she said, “Many girls have attended the program here today. They are the future of our country. They are all shining like stars. I wish all of them to become scientists and bring laurels to the country. I wish all the young scientists engage themselves in research and training activities here.”
“A lot of data (statistics) including both old and new, will compile after the establishment of the Astronomical Planetarium. However, it is not enough only if the data is collected, it should become useful. Efficient people to give proper guidance to use it are required. There are such capable people at the University of Mysore, who can provide guidance. If the young scientists make use of the planetarium data it can prove good for the people, as well as the country and the society,” she observed.
“The University of Mysore is the cultural capital of Karnataka. It is the birthplace of several arts and artists. I have a lot of respect and am proud of this University. There is a lot of work going on here. An IAS officer from Karnataka was once my advisor. It was he who gave me the idea of establishing the planetarium here. After that, Prof. K. Vijaya Raghavan prepared the blueprint of this project. The University of Mysore gave a lot of cooperation to implement it,” she added.
In his address, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha observed that the University of Mysore is one among the four Universities in the country that have celebrated centenary year celebrations. “India’s economy is improving after Nirmala Sitharaman took over as the Finance Minister. All signs have appeared that India’s GDP will increase by 9.2% in comparison to China,” he said. On the occasion, he said that the University of Mysore requires an Inquibity Center and requested the Union Finance Minister to grant it.
Prof. G. Hemanth Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, University of Mysore, in his address expressed his view that the contribution of the Wadiyar kings in the establishment of the University of Mysore was immense. “We have to remember Jayachamaraja Wadiyar on this occasion. We have opened the Higher Learning Centre in his name. The proposed planetarium will benefit the school and college students and the public to gain knowledge about science and astronomy. This Planetarium will be the first of its kind in the country, where all the real-time data will receive directly from the satellite and displayed through digital displays,” he added.
“The DGStar system includes 7 system and Domex screen. This training institute with an engine with special significance will be helpful for the students and teachers in imparting meaningful and effective training,” he observed.
Prof. K. Vijaya Raghavan, Chief Scientific Advisor, K.N. Vyas, of the Atomic Energy Department, Dr. S. Chandrashekar, Secretary, Science, and Technology Department, and Prof. Annapurna Subramanian, Director, Indian Institute of Astrophysics were present. Prof. B. Shivappa, Registrar, University of Mysore gave a vote of thanks.
