The Parikrma Festival of Science (FOS) was hosted this year at Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Bangalore, from January 21-23. Focused on the theme of “Maps and Cartography”, the three-day event witnessed 100 students from over 30 Bengaluru schools (including government schools) participating in interactive sessions on map decoding, mathematical concepts, and digital GIS technologies. 

Activities included storytelling with fantasy maps, discussions on inequality and exclusion, and explorations of future mapping in areas such as space, AI, and oceanography. The festival concluded with a treasure hunt, a hackathon, and the Cartographers Challenge, where students presented innovative mapping solutions to global challenges.

The science festival was hosted in partnership with Synopsys India, long-term official sponsors of the event, and the chief guest of honour was Chandrashekar B U, senior architect at Synopsys.

The eminent lineup of speakers at the event included Professor M. B. Rajani, a professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), IISc, Bengaluru; Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, former Indian Air Force fighter pilot, test pilot, and astronaut; Dr. N. N. Ramaprasad, deputy superintending surveyor at the Karnataka Geospatial Directorate, Survey of India; Dr. P. Masilamani, geography professor and researcher who teaches at Bharathidasan University in Tiruchirappalli; Dinesh, community media activist with a background in computer science who has been associated with Janastu and Servelots (janastu.org) in Bangalore; Neelkantha Nagappa Kurubar, an 83-year-old shepherd and spiritual leader from Uchgaon of Belgaum Taluk who promotes and conserves the Decanni Sheep breed, supports traditional grazing systems, and organizes sheep breeders and wool producers for better markets; Prof. Maria Thaker, a scientist who studies how animals survive in changing environments and works at the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science; Surya Sen A V (IFS), Indian Forest Service Officer of 2013 Batch in Karnataka Cadre who currently serves as executive director of Bannerughatta Biological Park (Bangalore); Dr. Ramananda Chakrabarti, a professor at the Centre for Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and recipient of the SwarnaJayanti Fellowship (DST) in 2017-2018 and Sunil S. Kulkarni, a scientist at ISRO who uses satellites, maps, and drones to help people during natural disasters like floods and cyclones. Having joined ISRO in 2009, he has worked for over 16 years to support disaster management across India and has been conferred with the ISRO Team Excellence Award for his excellent work.

The topics covered were:

Session 1 – Geographical Survey of India

Session 2 – History of Cartography – Projection and Its Types 

Session 3 – Inferring Cartography Orally

Session 4 – Mapping Animal Movement in Changing Landscapes 

Session 5 – Reading the Earth’ s Story Through Rocks

Session-6 How Maps Help Protect Forests and Wildlife

Session-7 Mapping the Earth from Space

Session-8 Satellite-Based Mapping

The Parikrma Festival of Science was conceptualised to foster collaborative, not competitive, discovery among schoolchildren and help them explore the role of science in everyday life in a fun way. In regular school settings, children can ask questions, but only within the limits of time and resources allowed by school curricula. Parikrma Festival of Science stands out with its goal to create a platform for broader discussions on science and society. Its main focus is to develop not just in-house scientists but socially engaged scientists.

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