Moga is set to celebrate the birth centenary of its illustrious son, Dr Narinder Singh Kapany, widely known as the Father of Fibre Optics, with a two-day science exhibition and the inauguration of a memorial gallery beginning Friday.
The celebrations aim to showcase his life, achievements and connection with his birthplace. Kapany’s 100th birth anniversary falls on Saturday. Born in Moga on October 31, 1926, and raised in Dehradun, Kapany rose to become one of the pioneers of modern fibre-optic communication through his groundbreaking work on transmitting images through optical fibres. He passed away in the US in December 2020.
The initiative is the brainchild of Deputy Commissioner Sagar Setia and Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Jaspinder Singh Bhullar, who conceptualised the event to commemorate the physicist’s contribution to science and inspire students to pursue innovation. Beginning this year, the commemorative event will be annual affair, Bhullar.
Organised by the district administration, the celebrations will be held at Sacred Heart School, Moga under the theme ‘Science Beyond Boundaries — From Light to Life, Earth to Space’. Students from all public and private schools in Moga will be participate.
The exhibition will feature six science zones — Light, Life, Earth, Clean, Sky and Space — covering areas such as optical fibre and photonics, biotechnology, remote sensing, environmental science, artificial intelligence, clean technology, drone technology and space exploration.
A key attraction will be the Kapany Memorial Gallery, which will document his early life, links with Moga and scientific achievements. The programme will also feature student models, working prototypes, live demonstrations and academic sessions by professors from Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) and Munjal Birmingham City University Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Ludhiana.
The district administration plans to carry forward Kapany’s legacy through initiatives aimed at promoting scientific curiosity and innovation among students. These include a public library to be named after him and an annual science demonstration running trophy for educational institutions across the district.
The celebrations will conclude with a tribute to Kapany, evaluation of student projects, presentation of the Dr Kapany Young Innovator Award and an announcement on naming the public library in his honour.
