Agartala Oct 17: The Department of Applied Biology, USTM, successfully concluded BioFest 1.0, in association with BioNEST, IIT Guwahati, and Guwahati Biotech Park. Celebrating science, innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability and collaboration, the festival brought together school students, undergraduate and postgraduate students, research scholars and alumni on a common platform to exchange ideas, showcase their talents and explore opportunities at the intersection of science and entrepreneurship in Northeast India.
The inaugural ceremony was graced by Dr Erwin Fuhrer, Development Engineer, Voxalytic GmbH, Germany, and Assistant Professor at the Jyoti and Bhupat Mehta School of Health Sciences and Technology (JBMSHST), IIT Guwahati. Swapnil Sinha, CEO, BioNEST, IIT Guwahati, and Dr Bula Choudhury, Senior Scientist, Guwahati Biotech Park.
The event featured a diverse range of scientific, creative and extracurricular activities. The Scientific Pitching Competition gave participants a chance to present innovative ideas, along with several other competitions like the Quiz Competition and the Poster/Model Competition on Bio-waste Utilisation. Other attractions included SciRhythm, Futsal, E-Sports and a variety of stalls.
The second day continued with Biounify ’26, the departmental alumni meet. The day also featured the SciBeats Dance Competition, E-Sports, Futsal, a Bio-Fitness Challenge featuring arm wrestling, and the Sci-Treasure Hunt, keeping participants engaged throughout the celebrations.
The valedictory ceremony was graced by Prof. Mohan V. Aware, Director, NIT Arunachal Pradesh, as Chief Guest, along with Prof. G. D. Sharma, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, USTM. The ceremony concluded with the distribution of prizes to the winners of various competitions, recognising their talent, creativity and enthusiasm.
The festival culminated in a vibrant cultural evening. The evening was further enlivened by the presence of renowned Assamese actor Mr Ravi Sarma, followed by an electrifying live musical performance by Bottle Rockets India.
BioFest 1.0 established itself as a dynamic platform for scientific engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation and cultural expression.
Established in 2011, the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) is the first state private university in the field of Science and Technology in North East India. The University was accredited with an ‘A Grade’ by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in its first cycle of assessment in 2021 and ranked among the top 200 universities by NIRF. USTM remains committed to excellence in teaching, research, innovation, and community engagement, while promoting inclusivity, sustainability, and regional development.
