Instilling scientific temper and environmental awareness at young age crucial for sustainable future: M.C. Dathan

Around 120 students from across Kerala participated the 18th State-level Students’ Biodiversity Congress held at the Government College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, on Saturday (February 22, 2026).

The State-level event followed district-level Students’ Biodiversity Congresses conducted across the State, in which more than 1,000 young student scientists took part.

Inaugurating the event, M.C. Dathan, Scientific Advisor to the Chief Minister, highlighted the significance of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board’s (KSBB) initiative ‘Every Child a Scientist and Artist,’ stating that the programme is gaining wide attention for nurturing scientific curiosity and creativity among children. He added that instilling scientific temper and environmental awareness at a young age is crucial for building a sustainable future.

Board member K.V. Santhosh Kumar presided over the function. College Principal V. Uma Jyothi, KSBB member secretary V. Balakrishnan and senior research officer Akhila S. Nair also spoke.

Dr. Balakrishnan said that the board aims to reach every village in Kerala to inspire the younger generation with a passion for biodiversity and environmental conservation, thereby shaping them into ambassadors of nature conservation. He stressed that Biodiversity Management Committees functioning under local self-governments across Kerala should actively support researchers, citizen scientists and NGOs in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) targets in a time-bound manner.

On the occasion, 20 rare and indigenous tree saplings facing threat of extinction, including ‘Cherupunna,’ ‘Ponga,’ Karapponnu,’ ‘Palodan Njaval,’ ‘Karingali,’ ‘Chenthuruni,’ and ‘Ennapayin,’ were handed over to the college as part of a conservation initiative.

KSBB member and Chief Wildlife Warden Pramod G. Krishnan distributed the prizes to the winners of the State-level competitions.