MANGALORE Dec 15: A select group of students from across Dakshina Kannada district are going to be given a rare opportunity to participate in a face-to-face interaction with scientists at an upcoming symposium at the National Institute of Technology-Karnataka, Surathkal.

As part of a joint initiative of the State Government and the national institute, nearly 400 students picked from 225 high schools and 90 pre-university colleges will be brought to NIT-K on December 16 and 17.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Panchayat P. Shivashankar said the main objective of the symposium was to encourage pure sciences among students. The departments of Educational Research and Training and Science and Technology and the Karnataka Rajya Vigyan Parishat will be part of this initiative where important developments and current trends in the field of scientific research will be discussed. The main attraction of the event will be the presence of C.N.R. Rao, Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, at the inaugural session of the symposium.

The other speakers will include Vice-Chancellor of Yenepoya University Syed Aqueel Ahmed, Harish Bhat from the Bharatiya Vigyan Mandir, Yogananda P.S. from S.J. Engineering College, Mandakavi J.R. from the Bharatiya Vigyan Mandir, Nityananda Shetty from NIT-K and Jayanth from St. Agnes College. In addition to this, the NIT-K and the State Government will organise a workshop on the problems and possibilities in the field of pure and applied sciences on December 18 and 19 at the Pilikula Nisargadhama.

Hindu