Date:11/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/11/stories/2008051150550200.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

National Technology Day celebrations today

Special Correspondent

Aim is to promote awareness, education and communication of science & tech

VIJAYAWADA: The Regional Science Centre at Bhavanipuram here will be celebrating the 10th ‘National Technology Day’ on Sunday to promote awareness, education and communication of science and technology.

The ‘National Technology Day’ is being celebrated to remember the advances in Indian science and technology in the wake of the successful Pokharan-II Test on May 11, 1998.

An awareness programme on ‘TePP’ (Technopreneur Promotion Programme) will be organised at 4 p.m. on the occasion for the benefit of students, teachers, lecturers, parents, institutions, individuals and general public.

M.K. Durga Prasad, Acharya Nagarjuna University College Principal and Coordinator of one of the 18 ‘TePP’ outreach centres set up by the Union Ministry of Science & Technology on the university campus in August 2007, along with his team members will give more details about the centre. This is the only such centre in the State, which is promoting artisans, technicians and others to improve upon the available technology or innovate through adequate funding by the Ministry of Science & Technology.

The ‘TePP outreach centre not only provides financial help but also help obtain a patent once the prototype is approved. Assistance would also be extended to the setting up of an industry, so that a discovery or innovation could bring the individual some financial gains. Regional Science Centre in-charge Ch. Hemanth Kumar said in a release on Saturday that anybody who had some interest and idea on new inventions and developments could attend the awareness programme to know more about the use of the centre.