Barapasaurus tagorei at the Geology Museum of the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata with students from local schools visiting the museum.
I am a staunch advocate of science outreaches and policies. I organize regular outreach events for school children and general public. It is my philosophy that the strategy of isolation of scientists is no more valid in today’s rapidly evolving world. I firmly believe that it is the duty of all scientific researchers/scientists to learn to outreach their theories and recent development in science to the public and make their science researches more palatable to the mass. It is only through various outreach attempts that greater sociocultural awareness can be atained where wider population and upcoming generation will be aware of the progress in sciences around them and be conscious of the contributions of the scientists.
First Organised Outreach Event by Sanjukta Chakravorti
With this philosophy in mind, we (Prof. Dhurjati Prasad Sengupta and me) arranged for the first outreach event in the Indian Statistical Institute. The event titled ” Banglar Jeebashmo: Fossils of Bengal; A Deep Time Biodiversity of Bengal” gained huge popularity among the school students and audiences and was covered by the leading daily of the state. The targeted audience were school children of secondary and higher secondary standards as well and research fellows and interested general audience. The sole aim of the programme was to highlight the rich fossil heritage of the state of West – Bengal to the upcoming generation and the raise awareness on the necessity to preserve the fossiliferous lands in India. Prof. Nigel Hughes of the University of California, Riverside was a huge inspiration for me to organize this event. His immense support and involvement in this programme was a huge impetus. Several other professors and research fellows working in different aspects of palaeobiodiversity lectured in lucid language to the audience and students which made the event a grand success.
First structured outreach event organised by me and Prof. Dhurjati Prasad Sengupta at Indian Statistical Institute to conserve fossil sites of Bengal – a National Heritage and promote STEM science among students
The Fossil Heritage of Bengal
Sanjukta Chakravorti at the Geology Museum of Indian Statistical Institute with the students from Baranagar Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama and Baranagar Rajkumari Memorial Girls High School along with several other research scholars promoting the importance of interdisciplinary science among secondary and higher secondary school students. A general museum tour was conducted at the museum which houses the famous Barapasaurus tagorei.
Museum on the Wheels
The project Museum on the Wheels- A Brainchild of Sanjukta Chakravorti was awarded the Engagement Grant 2020 by the Palaeontological Association
I am humbled to have been awarded the 2020 Engagement Grant by the The Palaeontological Association. The project Museum on Wheels aims to create an awareness of and an interest in fossils among students and children through a mobile van carrying and displaying fossils, 3D fossil replicas, audio-visual aids, booklets and handouts. Students in India especially those in rural and remote villages are generally not very familiar with the scope and nature of Palaeontology and Geology. Of the 121 crore Indians, 83.3 crore live in rural areas while 37.7 crore stay in urban areas, according to the 2011 census of India as released by the Union Home Secretory. There are popular myths and superstitions regarding fossils in rural India. Museum on Wheels aims to dispel these superstitions and enable the students, especially from rural areas and small cities, to distinguish facts from fiction, to know about place-based geology, geological processes, the rich fossil contents of India and the necessity of conserving fossil sites. The purpose of the project is to reach out to those who cannot visit the museums located at metropolitan cities. Field science and excavation is not very popular among Indian girls. This outreach project led by Sanjukta Chakravorti, a woman field scientist, will inspire more girls to take interest in this field.
Further updates on the developments on this projects will be provided soon !!
Promoting Palaeobiological Knowledge Among Kids
It’s a commitment from my part to try my best and nuture the curious minds of kids. I guide and promote regular outreach sessions for kids both individuals and in groups in the Geology Museum of Indian Statistical Institute. Surely, it begins at home, but, a museum can be the best place to provide an evidence-based guidance and help foster curiosity and scientific thinking .
Little mind curious and absolutely excited playing with coprolite fossils
Future Plans
To promote the idea that evolution and mass extinction is not a myth.Because ” Extinction is the rule and Survival is an Exception.” My future plan is to aware people the necessity to conserve palaeospecies and biodiversity and necessitate awareness that evolution through time is a real phenomena just as global warming and palaeoclimate changes through time. It is high time that the mass of the population understands that evolution and change in palaeoclimate was true, is true and will be true through the history of time. History repeats itself through time and we can only sustain through conserving the extant and extinct biodiversity.
