KAAS carried out multifarious science activities. Some activities in the past two years are:
- Special lectures on 2021 Nobel Prize topics at Nrupathunga University,
Bangalore on 15.3.2021 on the following topics:
- Asymmetric Catalysis with Small Organic Molecules’ by Dr. Santanu Mukherjee, Professor, Dept. of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore;
- The Science of Climate Change by Dr. J. Srinivasan, Distinguished Scientist, Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore; Prof . Shrinivas S. Balli, Vice- Chancellor, Nrupathunga University, Bangalore inaugurated the program. Prof. K Siddappa, President, KAAS, presided.
- Chemistry and physics Nobel prize related lectures as mentioned above were also organised at the PES University on 17.03.2022.
- KAAS conferred the Honorary Fellowship to Prof. C.N.R. Rao, an octogenarian, a Bharath Ratna awardee, an internationally acclaimed chemist, and also the founder president of KAAS, on 24.3.2022 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR). The program was attended by the office-bearers and members of KAAS and the deans and scientific staff of JNCASR. KAAS invited representative high school students accompanied by their teachers from different parts of the State in order to kindle interest in science in them. Prof Indumati Rao, Dr. Kiran Kumar, former Chairman of ISRO and Prof Giridhar Kulkarni, President of JNCASR graced the occasion. Prof. Siddappa, President, KAAS, presided over the program. Dr. Kiran Kumar addressed the school students on space science and its challenges. The school students also visited the famed CNR Rao Hall on the JNCSAR campus.
- Prof K. Siddappa delivered a talk on project funding and science and technology innovation at VTU.
- Prof K. Siddappa delivered an invited talk on the New Education Policy at the Davanagere University, Davanagere, and at the Indian Academy of Science College.
- Prof B Kagali and Smt. Muktha Kagali delivered lectures in high schools on science motivation.
- Special lectures at Davanagere on 2021 Nobel Prize topics on 26th Aug. 2022. KAAS with the joint sponsorship of Bapuji Institute of Engineering and Technology (BIET) organised two lectures pertaining to 2021 Nobel award winning science subjects. Faculty members and students of BIET and its associated academic institutions participated in the program. Prof K Siddappa, Prof BD Kumbar, Vice-chancellor of Davanagere University, Dr HB Aravind, Principal of BIET, Prof Y Vrushabhendrappa, Directir, BIET, Dr Alur Manjunath, Director of Research, BIET, Prof Ravi Nanjundaiah, Senior Professor, IISC, Bangalore (invited speaker) and Dr. K.P. Putturaya, Former Director, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health science, Bangalore (invited speaker) were present on the occasion. Prof Ravi Nanjundaiah delivered a talk on ‘The Nobel Climate Warriors’. In his talk he briefed on the two Nobel award winners for 2021 on climate change, viz Syukuro Manabe and Klause Hassleman and highlighted their works. Dr Putturaya delivered a talk on ‘Receptors for temperature and touch’ that essentially revolved around the human physiology and the Nobel winning work by Daid Julius and Ardem Patapoutian. Both the talks evoked very good response from the audience and elicited several questions from students.
- KAAS institutes a new centre at Davanagere University The President, KAAS, Prof K.Siddappa initiated expansion activities of KAAS by establishing a new Centre. As a first step, he along with the EC Member Dr. Lingaraju visited Davanagere University on 8.9.2022, had detailed discussions with the academic fraternity and materialised the institution of a new centre of KAAS. Thus, the new Centre of KAAS has been instituted at Davanagere University, Davanagere on 8.9.2022, with its VC Dr. D.B. Kumbar as the President, Dr. Shishupal as the Secretary and Prof Eswarappa as the Treasurer. Twenty faculty members have joined as life members of KAAS of Davanagere centre.
- First International Geodiversity Day celebration Recognizing the importance of geoscience in solving major challenges that the humanity is facing, UNESCO in November 2021 proclaimed 6th October as the International Geodiversity Day. To commemorate this day, Dr BC Prabhakar, secretary of KAAS with the cooperation of Prof PC Nagesh, Chairman of the Geology Department, Prof R Shankar, the KAAS member and Dr H.S.M. Prakash, Dy Dir General (Retired) of GSI jointly organized the International Geodiversity Day at Bangalore University on 19.10.22, where senior geoscientists from different walks of life, researchers and students participated. Dr. Anindya Bhattacharya, the Dy Director and Head of Technical Coordination Division, Geological Survey of India (GSI), Sri Mahesh Babu, the Registrar of Bangalore University, Dr. Niteesh Kumar Dutta, Dy Dir General of GSI graced the occasion. They gave a call to geoscientists, local communities and government to craft out measures to conserve the geodiverisity of landscapes, rocks, minerals, fossils etc and nurture geotourism. Dr G.N. Dayanand, EC member, Prof L.C.S. Murthy, Treasurer and other KAAS members also participated. Students of geology, geography and environmental science participated in the program. A quiz was organized for the students a day before, and certificates were presented on the celebration day under the auspices of KAAS. In the afternoon session, a slide show on the national geological monuments and the new proposed geoheritage sites in Karnataka were presented by Prof R Shankar and Prof BC Prabhakar. Dr HSM Prakash addressed the students on the scope to work on geodiversity initiatives.
- Vijnana Mela KAAS joined hands with PES University in organsing Vijnana Mela during December 9-11, 2022 by producing and exhibiting short videos on a) History and technology in ancient India, b) The history of Nobel prize and winners of 2022 Nobel prize awardees, and c) Conservation of Geodiversity. It also provided science quiz questions.
- Dr G N Dayananda, Executive Committee Member of KAAS, was invited as the Chief Guest during the valedictory session of Aerofest 2022 held on 24 th Dec. 2022 at National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore. The Jigyasa – Aerofest – a national event that was organized by CSIR- National Aerospace laboratories for school students of classes 9 to 12 from all over the country. He was also invited as a Guest of Honour for the Inaugural & Induction program for First year B.E. students at Vivekananda Institute of Technology, Gudimavu, Kumbalagodu, Bengaluru. The President, KAAS, appreciated the role played by Dr.GN Dayananda and stressed the need to conduct such programs in Karnataka, especially for rural students.
- An invited talk on “Deformation mechanisms in Ni-Ti shape memory alloys” by Dr. Petr Sittner, Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Czech Republic was arranged 23.2.2023 at the Raman Hall, Department of Physics, Central College. Dr K. Siddappa, President, KAAS was present and gave an introductory remark. It was presided by Dr. Lingaraj Gandhi, Vice-Chancellor, Bengaluru City University. Dr GN Dayananda, Executive Member of KAAS introduced the guest. Students, research scholars and faculty members of science participated in the program. Dr R Shankar, Member of KAAS welcomed the audience and Dr Medha Huilgol, the Chairperson of Physics Department proposed a vote of thanks.
- Science Day was celebrated in collaboration with Davanagere University at Davanagere; KAAS President Prof. K. Siddappa delivered a talk on Sir CV Raman and his discoveries and their significance in the present context. Students, research scholars and faculty members participated in the program. Prof. DB Kumbar, the Vice-chancellor, graced the occasion.
- KAAS in collaboration with PES University celebrated the National Science Day at PES University, Bangalore on 28.3.2023. A series of lectures on the 2022 Nobel prize-winning topics and science lectures were arranged:
- Keynote address titled Sir C V Raman and Science in India by Prof KS Siddappa, President, KAAS. The talk outlined the life and achievements of Sir CV Raman and the culture of scientific research that gained momentum in the country.
- Invited talk on Applications of quantum entanglement by Prof HM Mahesh, Dept of Electronic Science, Bangalore University. Prof Mahesh demonstrated how concepts of quantum mechanics have occupied centre-stage in every technology.
- Invited talk on From 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition to Click Chemistry and Bio-orthogonal Chemistry: Novel Annulation for Nobel Prize! by Dr Biju, Dept of Organic Chemistry, IISc, Bangalore. Dr Biju’s invigorating talk showed how the Nobel Prize winners in Chemistry stitched together significant observations in the past to get to their prize-winning work.
- Invited talk on Understanding the significance of sequencing ancient DNA and the Nobel prize in physiology and medicine 2022 by Dr. Utpal Tatu, Professor, Department of Biochemistry, IISc, Bangalore. Dr Tatu shed light on the importance of DNA sequencing of fossils has a relevance to developments in medicine. Students, research scholars and faculty members in science and engineering participated in the program. The program was presided by Dr Surya Prasad, Vice-chancellor, PES University. Dr S Radhakrishnan, the coordinator of the program, welcomed the speakers and audience and Prof BC Prabhakar, proposed a vote of thanks.
- A series of lectures on 2020-22 Nobel prize award topics were also organised at the KAAS Chapter at Davangere University on 31.3.23. Prof K. Siddappa, President KAAS, gave Introductory remarks prior to the following lectures:
- Applications of quantum entanglement by Prof HM Mahesh, Dept of Electronic science, Bangalore University, Bangalore.
- 2022 Nobel prize winner in physiology and medicine: savant paebo “origin of modern humans” by Dr. Srimonta Gayen, Dept of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, IISc, Bangalore.
- From 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition to Click Chemistry and Bio-orthogonal Chemistry: Novel Annulation for Nobel Prize! by Dr Biju, Dept of Organic Chemistry, IISc, Bangalore.
Dr. B.D. Kumbar, VC, Davanagere University, presided over the function. Students, research scholars and faculty members participated in the program. Dr Shishupal, Secretary, Davanagere Chapter, KAAS, welcomed the speakers and Prof K.M. Eswarappa, Physics Department proposed a vote of thanks.
- The ‘KAAS NEWS’ KAAS brought out twelve monthly issues of KAAS NEWS, since July 2022, covering various scientific aspects of national and international importance, and containing research papers, and circulated them on-line to its members, under the able chief editorship of Prof M.N. Anandram,
