What is NCSC?
The Children's Science Congress has its modest beginning as an experiment in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh in the early nineties. It Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh in the early nineties. It became a nationwide activity since 1993 with the holding of first National Children's Science Congress (NCSC) in Delhi. Since 1993 NCSC is held during the last five days (27-31) of December every year. The quantitative and quantitative expansion of NCSC has drawn attention of different countries. NCSC in previous years was attendant key observers from Germany, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, ASEAN Countries etc.
Objectives
The primary objectives of the Children's Science Congress is to make a forum available to children of the age-group of 10-17 years, both from formal school system as well as from out of school, to exhibit their creativity and innovativeness and more particularly their ability to solve a societal problem experienced locally using the method of science.
By implication, the CSC prompts children to think of some significant societal problem, ponder over its causes and subsequently try and solve the same using the scientific process. This involves close and keen observation, raising pertinent questions, building models, predicting solutions on the basis of a model, trying out various possible alternatives and arriving at an optimum solution using experimentation, field work, research and innovative ideas. The Children's Science Congress encourages a sense of discovery. It emboldens the participants to question many aspects of our progress and development and express their findings in vernacular.
Features of the Congress
The projects are:
- Innovative, simple and practical;
- Represent teamwork;
- Are based on exploration of everyday life-situations;
- Involve field based data collection;
- Have definite outputs, arrived through scientific methodology;
- Are related directly to community work in the local community;
- Have follow-up plans.
Who is eligible to participate
This is a forum open to young scientists in the age of 10-14 (lower age group) and 14-17 years (upper age group) as on December 31 of the calendar year. This event of NCSC is not restricted to the school-going children only but is also open for the non-school children from the marginalised sections of the society who can be involved as team members.
Areas of Research
Every year a focal theme is announced for the CSC. The children are expected to carry out projects related to the focal theme and the identified sub-themes. Activity books are available to help guide teachers and the child scientists. A group of children not exceeding five, can do the project with the help of scientists, schoolteachers, coordinators of school science clubs, activists of science based voluntary organizations etc. The teachers / guides receive special orientation on the theme of the CSC every years.
How can CSC Projects help in class Studies?
A project by middle school students in Kerala, helped understand functioning of the lens in our eye, formation of real image through a convex lens, rectification of vision using spectacles and many other concepts of optics. Surveys followed by sight testing by the group of many children in the school helped determine vision defects and corrective action was catalyzed. The concepts were part of class science curriculum.
Tentative Activity Schedule
1) Selection of subjects and activity for registration of teams :30 June
2) Working on the project: Minimum two months
3) District level Congress: By mid October
4) State level Congress: By mid November
5) National level Congress: 27-31 December
Screening
1. The selection ratio at District / State Level should be as follows:
National: State = 1:10 and State: District =1:15 (Out of 15 at District 1 will be screened for State Level)
2. The selection ratio of Lower age group (10 to 14 years of age) to upper age group
(14+to 17 years) should be 40:60.
Guidelines for Teachers and participants
Participants
CSC projects are undertaken by children, irrespective of whether they are school -going or not, from 10 to 17 age group. Every project is carried out by a team of 2 to 5 children.
A child scientist can participate at the national level only once in each group as group leader.
Project work
Local problem is identified and correlated with the focal theme and sub-theme.
Work is carried out under self-explanatory title and in a well- marked local or geographical area.
Observations are recorded in a well - maintained log book.
Project could either be a survey or observation or experiment based or a combination of all of these.
Data collected are subjected to analysis.
Conclusions are drawn after proper analysis of data.
Inferences are made.
Solutions to the problem to be suggested.
Action plan for follow - up to be devised.
Use of living objects is restricted.
The project is documented as a report and presented orally at district, state and national levels.
Written report
Cover page should have a title, names and addresses of the team leader, other group members, teacher guide and district and state of the participating team, in English or Hindi.
Abstract in English is mandatory with word limit of 250 words.
Report should be handwritten in any scheduled language.
word limit is 2500 (for lower age group) and 3500 for (upper age group)
The report normally comprises of Form A, Introduction, Aims and Objectives, Need Statement, Hypothesis, Work Plan, Methodology, Observations, Results, Data Analysis, Conclusion, Inference, Solution to the Problem, Future plan, Acknowledgements, References and Appendix (if needed)
The log book is a must, as a part of the written document since it is reflective of team work. This has to be submitted along with the report.
Oral presentation
Time limit is 8 minutes for presentation followed by interaction for 2 minutes.
A maximum of four charts or posters (5 5 cm x 70 cm) along with overhead projector or LCD projector can be used as an aid while deliberating.
presentation should be loud enough with clear diction.
Theme of 2010-11
The year 2010 being celebrated as the International year of Bio- diversity. With activities Span over the period 2010 -11. The Focal theme for this year's NCSC has been taken as " Land Resources, use for prosperity, Save for posterity"
with the following Sub theme-
1. Know your land
2. Functions of land
3. Land quality
4. Anthropogenic activities on land
5. Sustainable use of land resources
6. Community Knowledge on land use
Judgement and Evaluation
The innovative ideas and scientific methodology are the basis of a good project but you have to prove your communication skills also to make others listen and understand you findings. And for doing this all, a total cooperation in the group is a must. Accept positive criticism within the group or even from outside and improve your work plan. This will bring you awards and recongnition.
NCSC Common Evaluation Criteria
Definitions of the terms used in the evaluation criteria
(i) Originality of idea and concept: A unique or novel project: Aunique or novel project idea which attempts to answer a spewcific question (a hypothesis driven by curiosity to understand any concept related to focal theme). The idea should not be an exact replication of model project as printed in the acivity guide. Aproper expiation of origin of the idea may be demanded by the evaluator.
ii) Relevance of the project to the theme : This section focuses on how the project is relevant to the focal theme/sub theme.
iii) Understanding of the issue: refers to the extent ofknowledge the child scientist has in relation to the project idea.
iv) Data collection: Systematic collection of information using relevant tools /interviews/ questionnaire. Sample size should be sufficient to support the issues under study.
v) Analysis: This includes tabulation, categorization/classification, and simple statistics as applicable to the study
vi) Experimentation/validation: Conducting of experiments/field study and validation applying simple methods of science. Experiment need not be very sophisticated or lab based, they could be simple, self developed and inexpensive too.
vii) Interpretation and Problem solving attempt: To what extent the team has addressed the proposed hypothesis and the issue of the locality through the project.
viii) Team work: It refers to work division, cooperation and sharing among the team members (the child scientists).
ix) Background correction (Only for district level): In this case one has to verify the background of the children like geographical location of their school, village, town etc. in relation to infrastructure, information and other input related facilities available to them. The logic is that children from difficult geographical situation must get some weightage in comparison to the children from advantageous geographical location. Non-school going children should also get some weigtage in this criterion.
x) Report and Presentation : Written report and oral presentation should be evaluated separately. Reports should be evaluated for its systematic presentation, tabulation of data in support of the project idea and the clarity with which the study is documented and explained. A log book is mandatory and should be authenticated. The cover page of the log book should carry the names of the child scientists, the district and the state, in English. Marks given for the presentation should cover question and answer with evaluators, presentation of charts / posters, illustrations posters and other visuals.
xi) Follow up and Action Plan (Only for state and national levels): Has the team conveyed the message to the community? How it was communicated ? Are they going to continue involving more people till the problem is solved? Have they suggested any action plan? Marks should be given for similar efforts.
xii) Improvement from the previous level (Only for state and national levels): This is to encourage the child scientists towards their continuous involvement with the project for its improvement. Improvements on the work from District to State level and then from State to the National level will be given marks separately. Evaluators are supposed to specify the areas of improvement on a separate sheet of paper.
xiii) Additional page (s) : These must be there in the project report with detail description of
works of improvement done after the previous level (Particularly on the basis of evaluator's
suggestion in the previous level).
The Congress is organized by NCSTC -Network, a registered society comprising a network of 65 organisations (governmental and non-governmental) working for science popularization. The network, spread over most of the States and Union Territories of India, was facilitated in 1991 by the National Council for Science and Technology Communication, (Rashtriya Vigyan Evam Prodyogiki Sanchar parishad) Department of Science and technology, government of India.
Each State has a coordinating body, whiehmay be a government agency or a non-government organization (See list in Annexure -V). Schools, science clubs, or any group or organization willing to work with children are the nodal centers for facilitating science projects among science enthusiasts.
The Congress is organized at three levels. The district level congress is the forum in which projects compete with one with one another and are screened for the State level Congress. A few projects are selected from the State level for the Grand Finale, the National meet of the scientists. Seven to eight lakh child scientists participate at various levels/from the states and union territories.
Moving Forward
i) Two selected projects from each state also participate in School Science Education Forum of the Indian Science Congress session held every year during January 3-7.
ii) This program is also being linked to IRIS - Intitiative for Research and Research and innovation in Science - a joint initiative of DST, CII and intel. Projects with originality and innovative ideas could be picked up at State level for participation in National fairs of IRIS. Opportunities are also available under schemes of Ministry of Science and Technology, for innovative ideas to get financial support to pursue the idea further to make it reach a conclusive end.
iii) Technology Entrepreneurship Promotion Program Selected CSC projects meeting the following criteria may apply for support under this programme.
a. The idea should be new/novel,
b. The idea should have potentiality for translating it into working model/prototype / process
Selected projects will be provided financial support to undertake the above developments, patent support and guidance, scientific/technical consultancy, fabrication assistance, market information and networking with related research lab/institutes as required. For detailed information you may contact: Techno - entrepreneur Promotion Programme, Ministry of Science & Technology, Post Bag No. 66, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016.