SCIENCE CITY CONCEPT

Defining the Science City

Entire Guindy - Taramani institutional belt consisting of about 60 educational and research institutions like IIT, Anna University CLRI, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Institute of Mathematical Sciences , CSIR, Chennai, National Institute of Fashion Technology etc. belonging both to Central and State Governments has been declared as Science City . Science City was established in the year 1998 with the objective of promoting the Science and Technology. Science City contains more than 1500 doctorates, 3500 research scholars and more than 1500 research projects in the fields of Science, Engineering and Technology. There are research equipments worth Rs.500 crores available in Science City member Institutes.

Goals of the ScienceCity 

• Promotion of Science & Technology components involving existing and new institutions
• Promoting the technology transfer component involving industrial houses and venture capital agencies
• Promoting the global technology monitoring and forecasting.
• Establishing a fully equipped Science complex (Convention Centre) for the benefit of member institutes of the Science City , with a view to organise national and international conferences & exhibitions.
• Promoting application of science and technology in those areas of socio economical and environmental developments.
• Encouraging scientific collaboration and technical co-operation among the institutions in the Science City area.
• Networking all Science City member Institutes.
• Converting Science City into a green belt
• Making Science City a Zero Garbage area by promoting vermicompostingand
• Upliftment of Women, through the Gender Cell of Science City  

Activities

To achieve the above mentioned goals of the Science city and developing infrastructure facilities and keeping them environmentally clean and useful to member institutions of the Science city, the following activities are proposed.

Delineating and demarcation of boundaries:

1. Preparing regulatory and development plans (MMDA has already prepared a regulatory plan in this connection).

2. Making the Science City slum free

3. Utilising the land only for the institutions of Science & Technology

4. Acquiring additional 100 acres of land for facilitating establishment of advance Scientific Institutions and science incubation parks.

Improving the environment

• Maintaining a clean environment
• Making the Science City Pollution free
• Making it a no smoking zone
• Creating Green belts in and around
• Using battery operated transports
• Promoting vermiculture to make Science City a zero garbage area  

State Wide Data on Science & Technology  

• Creating an Information Centre for activities such as Internet facilities, linking of libraries, linking of all the laboratories, facilitating the sharing of the equipments, establishing a database of scientists in Science City etc.

Networking of Libraries:

Science in Action

Science City aims to promote usage of solar energy, wind power and other non-conventional energy sources to keep the environment pollution free and also adopt vermi composting to make Science City a zero garbage area.

Creation of Resource Center

1. Providing patenting advice and services

2. Providing data on Subject matter experts and specialists

3. Facilitate Institute Industry inter-action

4. Make technical facilities and lab equipments mutually available

5. Entertainment & education software training programs

6. Conduct training programs

7. Promote Eco-friendly technological transmission

Promoting Science related activities

1. Organising hands on experience activities

2. Organising Science day celebration

3. Organising Inter City and Intra City Science Exhibition and science talents contest etc.

Study Tours

 Encouraging scientific co-operation and technological collaboration, visits to other countries and other parts of the country may be facilitated.

Gender and Science

The Science City established the gender cell with the objective of bringing gender equality and upliftment of women. The gender cell of Science City organises various programmes like Entrepreneur Development Programme (EDP), Entrepreneur Awareness Programme (EAP), workshops, National and International Seminars, International Women’s Day Celebrations, Inter college Cultural programmes etc.

The Gender Cell of Science City has also instituted awards for women, viz. Lifetime Achievement Award and Young Women Scientist Award to honour women researchers.

The Lifetime Achievement is bestowed on women scientist above the age of 65. The candidate applying for the award should have carried out exemplary work in the field of science and technology, which would be useful to mankind. Proposals received for the award will be scrutinised by a high power committee of experts and one candidate will be selected for the award. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 25,000 and a citation. The award is conferred on the recipient on February 28 th on the occasion of National Science Day.

The Young Women Scientist award is bestowed on women Scientist below the age of 40. Proposals will be received from women scientists during the month of December and scrutinised by a high power expert committee. The committee will select 4 candidates for the award. The award carries a cash prize of Rs.25,000 and a citation. This award is conferred on women scientists in order to encourage and motivate women scientists to take up research in Science and Technology.

Setting up Children’s Science Academy

The Science City has set up a Children Science Academy and instituted the Children's Science Academy Awards for the Student Scientists studying in IX, X and XI standards in Tamil Nadu Schools in the year 2000. Projects are invited from school students all over Tamil Nadu. A high level expert Committee comprising of leading scientists in different fields validate the projects and three best projects from each discipline viz. biological sciences, social sciences, computer science, mathematical science, physical science and chemical science. During the first year of inception as many as 114 entries were received from students from all over Tamil Nadu and during the current year 235 entries were received. The awards will be presented to the student winners on the occasion of the National Science Day on 28 th February 2002 . The winners will be given cash prizes as follows

First Prize - Rs. 2000/-

Second Prize - Rs. 1500/-

Third Prize - Rs. 1000/-

As a part of the innovative program, the winners of the Children's Science Academy Awards will be invited to attend a "Science Camp" which, will be organised exclusively for them during the school vacation period. The Science Camp involves presentations and lectures on various topics by eminent Scientists, Scholars and Administrators, visit to industrial houses and places of scientific importance and other places of interest. This Camps is organised mainly to encourage the school students to take up a career in Science and also to keep them updated on the developments in Science and Technology thus preparing them for a bright future. The students and one teacher accompanying each student to attend the Science Camp will be given free transportation from their place of schooling to Science City , Chennai and provided with accommodation and best food.