Championing science

Chairperson Dr (Mrs) Amita Chauhan Conferred With Lifetime Achievement Award For Science Popularisation

ACSF

As the F-2 Auditorium at Amity University, Noida, reverberated with thunderous applause and a standing ovation, every eye turned towards one person - Dr (Mrs) Amita Chauhan, Chairperson, Amity Group of Schools and RBEF. On October 6, she was felicitated with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award for Science Popularisation’ by the Amity Children’s Science Foundation (ACSF) and Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT-RC1), in recognition of her over three decades of dedicated efforts towards nurturing scientific temperament and the spirit of innovation among school children.
The prestigious honour was presented to her by the legendary Padma Shri awardee Prof (Dr) H C Verma, emeritus professor, IIT Kanpur; Prof P K Ahluwalia, national president, IAPT; Prof Rekha Ghorpade, general secretary, IAPT; Surjan Singh, vice president, IAPT-RC1; head ACSF, and other distinguished dignitaries at the valedictory ceremony that marked the culmination of the 40th IAPT Annual Convention 2026 (Ruby Jubilee Celebration). The convention was hosted by Amity University, Noida, from October 4-6, 2026.
Expressing her deep gratitude for the heartfelt recognition of her efforts towards popularising science through school education,  Chairperson fondly recalled the early days of Amity and the vision with which its Founder President, Dr Ashok K. Chauhan, had established the institution. Sharing what had inspired her own journey, she recalled that after spending more than 30 years in Germany, when she returned to India, she realised that the key differentiator between the two nations was science and technology. While Germany had made remarkable progress in these areas, India was still finding its feet in the post-Independence era. As a citizen who deeply wished to give back to her country, she decided to choose education as the most powerful instrument for transformation that India needed.
She recalled how, in 2006, ‘Vasudha’, the first school-level science competition modelled on the National Children’s Science Congress, was conceived to encourage every child to engage, explore, experiment, and innovate. Students were encouraged to develop original science projects, which were evaluated by eminent scientists who also mentored them for national and international competitions. What began as one initiative to kindle scientific temperament has since grown into a remarkable journey of innovation. Today, Amity Group of Schools has 223 patents and copyrights filed by school children for science projects developed through Vasudha, with their work being presented, awarded, and recognised at prestigious national and international forums. She also highlighted the continued efforts of ACSF in taking science education to new frontiers through programmes and courses in quantum computing, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, space science, and other emerging areas, equipping the young learners to become truly world-ready.
Emphasising the need to encourage greater participation of girls in science, she shared a revealing incident from Amity’s early years, when a parent once approached the Principal’s office with reservations about the school having a woman physics teacher. That very teacher went on to nurture some of the school’s finest Physics achievers year after year and has herself continued to make significant contributions to the field through IAPT. Moreover, many accomplished women physics teachers at Amity have carried this legacy forward, nurturing in children the love for science.
Concluding on an emotional note, Chairperson shared that she felt like a happy mother being recognised by some of the country’s most eminent experts for an endeavour very close to her heart - to nurture children who think, ideate, and innovate, while remaining grounded in core human values and responsibility towards society and the nation
The three-day convention brought together 300 passionate physics educators, students, innovators, and researchers from across India to deliberate on topics like emerging trends, experiment designing, challenges, and opportunities in teaching, learning, and research in the field of Physics.

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