Allahabad: Bollywood actor and Rajya Sabha MP Hema Malini spent a good two hours interacting with students and faculty at the Science Conclave 2008 organized by the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad (IIIT-A).

She also spoke to the Nobel Laureates, praising them for taking time off and visiting India and spending an entire week interacting and encouraging the 1000-plus students from different parts of India.

She was shown around the sprawling campus by Founding Director M.D. Tiwari, who also showed her the Software Development Centre and the Centres of Excellence.

Full Coverage of the Science Conclave 2008

A lot of research and application development is underway at the IIIT-Allahabad and Hema Malini was pleasantly surprised to see young men and women deeply engrossed in their work.

She walked across to their work stations and enquired about the projects they were working on.

Hema Malini was later joined by Nobel Laureates Prof. Jerome Friedman, Prof. Harold Kroto and Prof. Martin Perl. The group spent some time in a closed door meeting discussing and exchanging notes on how to promote science and technology at the grass roots level in schools and colleges.

She was very curious to know how such gatherings could be made more frequent in different parts of the country.

She even encouraged IIIT-A director M.D. Tiwari to make the Science Conclave an annual event on the lines of the Lindau Conferences.

By: Flynn Remedios at IIIT-Allahabad