On the occasion of National Science Day, a one-day awareness program, SAMAVESHA 18, was organized by Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility (SAIF-NEHU) in collaboration with Indian Science, Technology and Engineering facilities Map (I-STEM) under OPSA (Government of India) on 27 February 2026 at the Golden Jubilee Auditorium, NEHU, Shillong. The program was conducted in hybrid mode and witnessed the participation of around 250 delegates from all North-Eastern states, including nearly 75 offline participants comprising research scholars and faculty members from nearby institutes.
The program began with the inaugural session in which Prof. S.S. Ray, Head, SAIF-NEHU, delivered the welcome address. This was followed by special addresses by the Guest of Honor, Dr. Arun Kumar Sarma, Director, NECTAR, Shillong, and Prof. S.R. Joshi, Director, R&D Cell, NEHU, Shillong. Dr. Harilal Bhaskar, National Coordinator and COO of I-STEM, delivered the opening remarks, introducing the objectives of I-STEM and SAMAVESHA 18. The Chief Guest of the event, Prof. Sumarbin Umdor, Hon’ble Pro-Vice Chancellor, NEHU, Shillong, then addressed the gathering and emphasized the importance of shared scientific infrastructure and collaborative research. The inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Dr. S.P. Pati, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, NEHU.
The first technical session commenced with the keynote lecture by Dr. Arun Kumar Sarma, Director, NECTAR, who spoke on STEM education and entrepreneurship possibilities in the North-East region. The second keynote talk was delivered by Dr. Suktilang Majaw, Director, DIC, NEHU, Shillong, on the theme “Bridging the Innovation Gap: Academia Meets Startups,” where he highlighted the importance of connecting academic research with startup ecosystems. Mr. Narmdeshwar Pandey from I-STEM conducted a live demonstration of the I-STEM portal, explaining the user registration process and equipment booking procedures. The session also included guidance on institutional onboarding, focusing on equipment listing and operator setup within the I-STEM framework.
The second technical session began with a technical talk by Dr. Harilal Bhaskar on key initiatives and collaboration opportunities under I-STEM. Mr. Joydeep Kondu, Regional Manager–Sales, JEOL India Pvt. Ltd., delivered an invited talk on Field Emission Transmission Electron Microscopy and its applications, discussing advanced characterization capabilities. Dr. Harshit Joshi, Chairman, CIF, NIT Meghalaya, presented an invited talk highlighting the facilities available at his institution and their role in supporting regional research activities. Dr. S.P. Pati, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, NEHU, delivered an invited lecture titled “SAIF-NEHU at a Glance: Infrastructure, Instrumentation, and Recent Progress,” outlining the analytical infrastructure and recent developments at SAIF-NEHU.
At the end of the technical sessions, participants were taken to SAIF-NEHU for guided laboratory visits and facility demonstrations. The demonstrations showcased major instruments including FT-NMR, ICP-OES, and Transmission Electron Microscopy, providing participants with direct exposure to advanced analytical facilities. The program concluded with certificate distribution, closing remarks by the organizers and I-STEM representatives, and the rendition of the National Anthem, marking the successful completion of SAMAVESHA 18.
2026, North-Eastern Hill University
Designed & developed at Bioinformatics Centre, NEHU
