Lucknow: To mark the beginning of India’s biggest celebration of science and innovation, the CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow organized the Curtain Raiser Program for the India International Science Festival (IISF), 2025.
The event served as a prelude to the grand festival scheduled to be held from 6th to 9th December 2025 at Chandigarh. The event was inaugurated by lightining of the lamp by The Honourable Guest, Dr. Punit Kumar, Associate Professor, Lucknow University and VIBHA (Vijnana Bharati) Member and Dr. Prabodh Kumar Trivedi, Director, CSIR-CIMAP, Lucknow.
IISF, 2025 theme is “Vigyan Se Samruddhi: For Atmanirbhar Bharat,” reflects the nation’s vision of achieving prosperity through scientific advancement and innovation. On this occasion, Dr. Prabodh Kumar Trivedi, Director, CSIR-CIMAP, welcomed the scientists, staff, students, teachers and researchers present in the auditorium. He highlighted the importance of IISF and its aim to spread awareness about science.
He highlighted the various achievements of CSIR-CIMAP, sharing CSIR-CIMAP’s contributions to the country’s development over the years and also highlighted the efforts being made by CIMAP to make India “Viksit Bharat”. He highlighted the transformative power of science-led innovation in nation-building and motivated students to become future torchbearers of India’s scientific progress. He also highlighted the contribution of the Aroma Mission for the Social and Economic upliftment of farmers and congartulated the CSIR-Aroma team members for the selection of ‘Team Aroma Mission, CSIR’ for the ‘Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar – Vigyan Team’ award for the year 2025.
Dr. Sanjay Kumar (Chief Scientist) presented the opening remarks and briefed students and teachers on the various opportunities offered by IISF-2025.
He emphasized the importance of scientific curiosity and motivated students to pursue careers in science, technology, and research. The event included engaging hands-on activities that promoted interactive learning.
On this occasion, Dr. Punit Kumar, Associate Professor, Lucknow University highlighted the importance of IISF and said IISF is a festival with its objective to provide a platform where people from various fields can come together to induce a scientific temper among young minds. He also invited students to actively participate in the IISF-2025 event.
Additionally, short documentary films were screened by Dr. Bhaskar Shukla, , (Principal Scientist) showcasing CSIR-CIMAP’s and CSIR laboratories contributions to the broader role of in addressing national challenges through science and innovation. A short film and a Presentation on showcasing the importance and registration process of IISF was also presented.
At the CSIR-CIMAP Curtain Raiser event, the spotlight was on inspiring young minds. Students and Teachers from various schools participated in the event taking a collective pledge to contribute to the vision of “Viksit Bharat – Atmanirbhar Bharat,” reaffirming that scientific inquiry, innovation, and education remain the driving forces behind a self-reliant and progressive India. They took part in various live demonstrations which included drone demonstration, distillation unit demonstration, quizzes and visits to various R&D labs of CSIR-CIMAP experiencing firsthand how science fuels progress and problem-solving.
Various scientists, innovators, educators, students, and policymakers also took part in the event to foster collaboration, creativity, and knowledge sharing.
