In a bid to motivate more students to take up careers in theoretical science, a Church-run school has held a three-day workshop promoting scientific research. Students generally opt for careers in medicine or engineering where results of research are put into practice. Research itself is ignored, according to Father Babu K. Thomas, principal at Bharat Mata Higher Secondary School, in Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh state. “Our aim is to create a scientific mentality especially in this International Year of Chemistry and Forests,” he said. About 60 students from eight schools in the city participated in the recent workshop called “Exposure to Frontline Research in Science,” recently. The workshop was held with technical support from the Kolkata-based Acharya Jagdish Chandra Bose Research Institute. Pradisha Jain, an 11th grader from Delhi Public School, said a visit to the laboratory of the Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research Centre in Bilaspur was really fascinating. “The way they were classifying coal was inspiring. We had never seen it before,” said Jain, who wants to be an Indian Administrative Service officer. The start of the workshop which coincided with World Water Day focused on water management and planet earth. Students pledged to save water and offered suggestions on how to save it. Several scientists were on hand to show students how to do conduct fun experiments and simple ways to work out mathematical principles. “Here we got an opportunity to learn practical things,” said Abhishek Gupta, a 10th grader at St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School. P.K. Bajpayee, head of the physics department at Guru Ghasidas Central University in Bilaspur, who opened the workshop, said more programs such as this needed to be organized for the overall development of students. IC13773.1647