The Students’ Placement Cell of the School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University (SAS, NU), organised a guest lecture on “Nanoscience and Society” on 22 July at the Library Hall, Medziphema campus.
The lecture was delivered by Dr C V Yelamaggad, Distinguished Scientist and Professor at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.
The programme was chaired by Dr Mary N Odyuo, Students’ Placement Officer, who welcomed the gathering. Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof Dipak Sinha welcomed the speaker and encouraged students and research scholars to make the most of the opportunity by engaging with the expert.
In his lecture, Dr Yelamaggad introduced participants to the rapidly advancing field of nanoscience and highlighted its growing role in addressing challenges in healthcare, agriculture, energy, environmental protection and electronics. He explained that materials engineered at the nanoscale possess unique physical and chemical properties that enable a wide range of innovative applications.
A key highlight of the session was his discussion on metamaterials and their ability to manipulate light. Explaining the concepts of Negative Refractive Index (NRI) and Epsilon-Near-Zero (ENZ) materials, he said these advanced materials can bend light around an object, reducing its visibility. Although such technologies remain under active research, he noted they hold promise for applications in communication, defence, imaging and photonics.
The lecture concluded with an interactive session, followed by a vote of thanks proposed by Dr Sabbithi Pavan. The programme was attended by 40 faculty members, research scholars and students.
