Need to empower people with benefits of plasma: Meghalaya minister

Meghalaya education minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Monday underlined the need to empower people with the benefits of plasma. Speaking at the national exhibition and seminar on plasma physics, organised by the department of physics, USTM, in collaboration with the Centre of Plasma Physics- Institute for Plasma Research (CPP-IPR) under the department of atomic energy, Rymbui also urged educational institutions to focus on innovation and research for societal transformation.

The five-day exhibition and seminar was inaugurated at the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) by the education minister who lauded the initiative by USTM to involve school and college students in scientific endeavours as a positive and inspiring step.

"We must know how to empower ourselves with the use of plasma in our lives", the minister said during his speech at the seminar. It may be mentioned that plasma is used to make a range of essential pharmaceutical products, such as those used to treat people with immune deficiencies or bleeding disorders.

The main role of plasma is to take nutrients, hormones, and proteins to the parts of the body that need it. Cells also put their waste products into the plasma. The plasma then helps remove this waste from the body. Blood plasma also carries all parts of the blood through your circulatory system.

B.K Saikia, the centre director of CPP-IPR, Assam, suggested the inclusion of plasma physics in the school curriculum.

Addressing the gathering, G.D Sharma, vice-chancellor of USTM said the exhibition would motivate students to do research on plasma which could open new avenues of learning at the school level. "USTM is also planning to have a centre for plasma research and a separate paper for plasma research," he added.

Varun Mitra, the deputy commissioner of K.V Sangathan, while appealing to the students to think out of the box was of the opinion that after solid, liquid and gas, the fourth state of matter present in the universe is plasma. B.K Saikia, the centre director of CPP-IPR, Assam, suggested the inclusion of plasma physics in the school curriculum.

Working plasma devices and plasma device models are being showcased at the exhibition. Besides, discussions on plasma science and technology by scientists, training of school and college students, quiz competitions and interactions with scientists and experts are part of the seminar.

Over 500 school and college students from 50 educational institutions of Guwahati, Kokrajhar and Ri Bhoi are taking part in the seminar.