Report on the Celebration of National Science Day 2026
Venue: N. R. Sen Auditorium, Rajabazar Science College Campus
Date: 27 February 2026
On 27 February 2026, the National Science Day was celebrated in the N. R. Sen Auditorium, Rajabazar Science College campus, University of Calcutta.
The programme was jointly organised by the Indian Science News Association (ISNA) and the West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology (WAST).
The session commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Amit Krishna De, Secretary, ISNA, who briefly outlined the history and mission of ISNA
and underscored the importance of nurturing scientific temper among the youth. He highlighted that the event commemorated the pioneering contributions of Prof. C. V. Raman to Indian science.
Prof. Dulal C. Mukherjee, Former President of the Indian Chemical Society and Professor of Chemistry, University of Calcutta, delivered an engaging talk on the life and discoveries of
Prof. C. V. Raman. He also clarified certain misconceptions regarding the date and context of Raman’s landmark discovery.
The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Sivaji Chakravorti, President, WAST, and Former Director, NIT Calicut. His lecture focused on “Frugal Innovation”
and explored how meaningful technological advancements can be achieved with limited financial, infrastructural and material resources.
He emphasized that frugal innovation is not about compromising quality but about eliminating unnecessary complexity and redefining value to enhance accessibility and societal impact.
He also discussed the concept of “Jugaad,” highlighting both its creative strengths and its limitations in sustainable innovation.
Prof. Bikas K. Chakraborty, President of ISNA and Former Director, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata, spoke on the legacy of eminent scientists such as Prof. J. C. Bose and Prof. S. N. Bose, noting how resource constraints did not hinder their scientific excellence.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Prof. Probir Kumar Saha, Treasurer, ISNA. The session was anchored by Dr. Esha Pandit.
delivering the welcome address"
Report on the Conference FSEAM 2026
Venue: IIT Kharagpur
Date: 21-23 January 2026
The 1st International Conference on Frontiers in Surface Engineering and Additive Manufacturing (FSEAM 2026) was successfully held
from 21-23 January 2026 at IIT Kharagpur under the theme “Sustainability Through Engineered Surfaces and Additive Innovation”.
Jointly organized by the Department of Metallurgical & Materials Engineering, IIT Kharagpur, and BIT Mesra, in association with West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology,
the conference provided a global platform for academia, industry, and research organizations to deliberate on advances in surface engineering and additive manufacturing.
The three-day event featured 44 keynote lectures, 66 invited talks, 47 contributory oral presentations, and 30 posters, reflecting broad participation from IITs, NITs, CSIR laboratories, BARC, ARCI, and international institutions from Germany, Japan, USA, Israel, Singapore, Australia, and the Netherlands.
Plenary lectures by eminent leaders, including Dr. S. Somanath and Prof. Narendra B. Dahotre, highlighted advancements in laser-based additive manufacturing, space materials, and next-generation processing technologies.
Parallel technical sessions covered additive manufacturing, surface engineering, thermal spray technologies, biomaterials, hydrogen-resistant alloys, AI/ML-assisted materials design, and smart manufacturing.
A special session chaired by Prof. Indranil Manna showcased research contributions from his former students, reflecting his academic legacy.
The conference also included industry exhibitions, a poster evaluation session, a cultural program, and a valedictory ceremony recognizing outstanding young researchers. Overall, FSEAM 2026 successfully fostered interdisciplinary collaboration,
strengthened academia-industry partnerships, and advanced the discourse on sustainable materials engineering for strategic and non-strategic sectors.
Report on the WAST Outreach Program #2
Venue: Taki Government College
Date: 30 January 2026
On 30th January 2026, the Zoology Department of Taki Government College hosted West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology’s (WAST’s) outreach program. Almost 75-80 undergraduate students and 8-10 faculty members attended the program.
The theme of the outreach program was “Multidisciplinary approaches on Disease Biology”.
At the onset of the program, Mr. Siddhartha Sinha, the officer-in-charge, and Dr. SanjibDas, Head of Zoology Department, welcomed the speakers and appreciated the efforts made by the WAST.
Talk-1: Prof. Siddhartha S Jana, School of Biological Sciences, IACS, sopke on " Drive and Curiosity fuel the passion for science”. In this talk, Prof. Jana explained how understanding of basic science can manage human disease like cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer.
Talk-2: Dr. Syamal Roy, ICMR Emeritus Scientist, IACS, spoke on " From atom bomb to our knowledge in immunology". In this talk, Dr. Roy explained how immunology teaches understanding of biology.
After the talks, both the speakers participated in question and answer sessions.
Taki Government Engineering College"
Report on the Dr. Sunil Chandra Bose Endowment Lecture 2025
Venue: Meghnad Saha Auditorium, IISER Kolkata
Date: 02 February 2026
The Dr. Sunil Chandra Bose Endowment Lecture 2025 was successfully held on 2 February 2026 at the Meghnad Saha Auditorium, IISER Kolkata. The event was jointly organized by the West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology (WAST) and IISER Kolkata.
The lecture was delivered by Dr. Amita Aggarwal, Executive Director, AIIMS Bibinagar, Hyderabad, and chaired by Dr. Arvind Sinha, Executive Director, AIIMS Kalyani. Dr. Aggarwal’s talk, titled “Urinary Biomarkers in Lupus Nephritis—Where Are We?”,
explored advances in non-invasive urinary diagnostics for lupus nephritis, a severe kidney complication of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), and the evolving role of biomarkers in clinical management.
The program was attended by Prof. Sivaji Chakravorti, President, WAST, the Head of the Department of Biological Sciences, IISER Kolkata, faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, and students. Participants from nearby institutions, including Bose Institute,
Presidency University, Chittaranjan Cancer Centre, and Guru Nanak Dev University, were also present, with over 120 attendees in total.
In recognition of her contributions to medical science and her insightful lecture, Dr. Aggarwal was felicitated by the WAST.
welcoming the speaker on behalf of the organizers"
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