National Conference on ‘Recent Advances in Material Science (RAMS)’ Hosted at Dharanidhar University’s South Campus in Keonjhar
A two-days’ national conference on the theme “Recent Advances in Material Science (RAMS)” was recently held at the South Campus of Dharanidhar University, Keonjhar. Organised by the Department of Chemistry of the University, the conference was aimed at bringing together academia and industry on one platform in order to envision models of sustainable development by harnessing the powers of materials. The event was held on 15 and 16 March 2024 and witnessed the participation of eminent scholars of the field.
The inaugural session of the conference had as its chief guest, former Chief Scientist of CSIR-IMMT Bhubaneswar, Dr S.K. Biswal. Renowned scientist, Dr SC khattoi was the guest of honour of the occasion. Underscoring the significance of the academic gathering, the guests lauded the University for conceptualizing and organising a conference of this kind. The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Pratap Kumar Mohanty and Chairman PG Council, Professor Satyabrata Mishra were among the other dignitaries on the dais.
Several experts from the field, such as Professor Dipankar Chattopadhyay of University of Calcutta, Dr. Trilochan Mishra, Chief Scientist of CSIR-NML, Jamshedpur, Professor Debabrata Pradhan of IIT Kharagpur, Dr Gokarneswar Sahoo of NIT Rourkela, Dr KSK Varadwaj of Ravenshaw University, Dr Bikash Kumar Jena of CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneswar and Dr Avijit Mandal of Presidency University, spoke on a range of topics connected to the theme of the conference. The speakers specifically stressed on the need to explore the sustainable materials that ensure technological progress without harming the environment.
Dr. Ramanuj Narayan (Director, CSIR-IMMT Bhubaneswar), the chief guest of the valedictory session enthused the scholarly gathering by urging upon students and researchers to extensively study the untapped potential of Keonjhar. He also declared that an MoU would be signed between CSIR-IMMT and Dharanidhar University, which would contribute to research on the region and also pave the way for substantial development. Convenor of the event, Dr Sridhar Sanyasi read out a report highlighting key outcomes of the conference. While the Vice Chancellor of the University presided over the meeting, Dr Bhabani Shankar Jena (retd. Chief Scientist, CSIR-IMMT), Sri Narendra Kumar Sahoo (Registrar, Dharanidhar University) shared the stage with him. The event concluded with a formal vote of thanks by co-convenor of the conference, Dr Y N Singhbabu. Among others present were Dr P.C. Pal (Org. Secy. and HoD, Chemistry), Dr. Anupama Dash (Jt Secy. Cum Treasurer), Dr Debasish Grahacharya (Co-convener), Dr. Bandita Swain, Dr Preeti Manjari Mishra, Dr Priyadarshini Nayak, Sudhansu K Giri and Chandan Ray who coordinated the meeting.