JIGYANSA: The Science Outreach Club of IISER Berhampur

Established: April 1, 2021

Mission: Bridge the gap between science and society by fostering scientific temper among the common people of Odisha, especially through accessible communication in Odia and English.

Founders

U Abinash Patro and Gyanaranjan Parida are the founders. JIGYANSA is their brainchild.

Focus Areas

Science Communication: Present scientific concepts in simple and relatable language, especially in Odia.
Public Engagement: Conduct outreach activities in schools, villages, and beyond the campus.
Accessibility & Inclusivity: Translate content and create Odia terms for underrepresented scientific ideas.
Creativity in Science: Blend science with art, podcasts, and drama for diverse audiences.

Structure

Founding Leads

Founders: U Abinash Patro, Gyanaranjan Parida
Design & Social Media: Swapnali, Soumyajit
Translation: Swagat, Usha
Content: Pratyush
Outreach: Abhijit Panigrahi, Mala Adarsh

First Core Committee

Gyan, Soumyajit, Pratyush, Usha, Swapnali, Swagat

Board Members

After the founding phase, core members transitioned to advisory roles.

Collaboration

Works closely with other student science clubs, local communities, and the Student Activity Council (SAC).

Origin & Evolution

JIGYANSA was conceived after U Abinash Patro attended a LIGO science communication workshop. Inspired by efforts in Marathi, he initiated a discussion among peers to create a similar initiative in Odia.

Together with Gyanaranjan Parida, the idea was proposed in an Odia community group at IISER Berhampur and received overwhelming support. With backing from peers in clubs like Naxatra, it was officially launched on Utkala Divas, 2021.

The initial vision was to make science accessible to high school and intermediate students lacking native-language resources.