A two-day seminar on June 6 Transit of Venus

CHENNAI: “Understand the way of nature, how it operates, study its applications and importance to mankind,” said Dr T S Sridhar (IAS) Additional Chief Secretary of Higher Education, as he inaugurated at Master Resource Persons’ Training on the ‘Transit of Venus’  at the Periyar Science and Technology Centre campus on Tuesday. He was the chief guest at the programme, which was held to educate trainers from different states on how to create awareness about the Transit of Venus on June 6 this year and how to tackle it. The public need to be advised not to look directly at the sun on that day without eye protection.During the programme Sridhar said, “Learning to live with nature can help one learn to balance the ecosystem and create a pollution-free environment. Students think that science ends with physics, chemistry and biology. But astrology too plays a vital role in science. Scientists began to determine the cycle of yuga, eclipses and nakshatra with the help of astrology. Understand nature to find out how it helps in technology advancement.” He advised the trainers to observe the training in a cascading manner and to pass on the acquired knowledge to children.Shankar, Director of Elementary Education said, “Postcards and school teachers are the fastest medium to reach the public. This programme targets elementary school teachers because they can carry news in a proper way and reach people quicker than others.”B K Tyagi, Principal Scientific Officer, Vigyan Prasar, said, “We received teachers from eight states who were selected by their respective state councils.”Dr P Iyam Perumal, executive director of Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Centre, Dr S Soundararajaperumal, Joint Director, Birla Planetarium, and other research scholars from other  science institutes were present at this programme.