Professor Arvind is a well-known theoretical Quantum Physicist with a keen interest in Science Education, Science Communication and Developing Science Pedagogy in Punjabi. He is currently a Professor of Physics at IISER Mohali and is a former Vice Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala. He did his M.Sc. in Physics from IIT Kanpur and obtained his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from the IISc Bangalore in 1997. He worked at GNDU Amritsar, IIT Madras and Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburth before moving to IISER Mohali in August 2007 as one of the founding faculty members where he helped in setting up the institute. He has held several administrative positions at IISER Mohali, including Dean (Research), Dean (Students), Head Computer Centre, Coordinator Outreach, and Officiating Director. Professor Arvind is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Sciences India (NASI) and is a recipient of the INSA medal for Young Scientists 2000. He was the National Coordinator of Theme-1 (Photonics) of the Quantum Enabled Science and Technology (QuST) programme of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, and a member of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) drafting committee for the National Quantum Mission. Professor Arvind's current research interests encompass quantum information theory and foundations of quantum mechanics. He has more than 100 publications in international journals. Professor Arvind is keenly involved in contributing to science education. He has worked on developing new pedagogical tools for teaching science. Prof. Arvind will deliver a talk on “Emergence of Quantum Science and Technology: A Story of 100 years”. Our world possesses aspects that defy classical thinking. Quantum mechanics, developed about 100 years ago revolutionized science and changed the way scientists think. The talk will trace the history of Quantum Science and will decode `Third Quantum Revolution', which we are currently witnessing, from which quantum technologies such as quantum computers and secure communication devices are expected to emerge. 

Dr. Jaswinder Singh is a Lecturer in Physics at Government Senior Secondary Smart School, Kalyan, Patiala. He has earlier served as Assistant State Project Director (Science), SSA Punjab; In-charge of the Circle Inspection Team in the office of the Director General, School Education, Punjab; and as a Member of the Academic Council and Examination Reform Committee of the Punjab School Education Board. He is the pioneer of Jaswins Lab on Wheels, the first mobile science laboratory of its kind. Through live science demonstrations, he has interacted with more than nine lakh people across 12 states of India, while his work has reached over 100 million viewers worldwide through social media. He has received several prestigious awards, including the Shiksha Ratan Award. He was conferred the National Award by His Excellency Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Former President of India, on 05-09-2014. During the Science Conclave, he will present an engaging and interactive Science Fun Show for school students, where exciting demonstrations, live experiments, and simple explanations will bring complex scientific ideas to life. The show will inspire curiosity, encourage questioning, and make science enjoyable, helping young minds experience the joy of discovery while learning how science shapes our everyday world. 

Dr. Preetam Singh is currently working as an Associate Professor at Department of Ceramic Engineering, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, India. Prior to IIT(BHU), Dr. Singh worked as a Post-doctoral fellow to Professor John B. Goodenough, Nobel laureate in Chemistry-2019 at the University of Texas at Austin, USA. Dr. Singh completed his doctoral studies at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, on the development of catalysts for Hydrogen production. He has developed the TAD (Thermally Accelerated Anaerobic Digestion) process to produce Hydrogen and other high-energy biofuels from agro and forestry waste, and introduced the technology to the world through Biezel Green Energy Pvt. Ltd (BGE: https://biezelenergy.com/).  He holds several USA patents on oxide-ion electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cells and electrolytes for “goodenough” glass batteries. He has been entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating the research initiatives of Centre of Excellence under the Uttar Pradesh Green Hydrogen Policy–2024 for successful operation of a hydrogen-fueled train between Varanasi and Gorakhpur, in collaboration with the Ministry of Railways. His talk, “Road of Innovation for Energy Sustainability and Hydrogen Energy”, will highlight how understanding the core problem and the needs of a society are essential for developing meaningful and sustainable solutions. 

Prof. Anubha Kaushik is a distinguished academician and environmental scientist with over 40 years of postgraduate teaching and research experience at leading universities including GGS Indraprastha University, New Delhi, GJ University of Science & Technology, Hisar, Kurukshetra University, and M.D. University, Rohtak. She has previously held important leadership positions such as Dean, University School of Environment Management, Director (International Affairs), and Chairperson, UGC-STRIDE Task Force at GGS Indraprastha University, New Delhi. Her academic excellence is reflected in eight Gold Medals and several prestigious national and international awards, including Fellow of Environment in Societal Mission, AEB Award; Nehru Memorial Foundation Prize (1980), and the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Fellowship Award with Gold Medal (1998). Prof. Kaushik has rich international exposure, having served as Visiting Fellow at the University of Manitoba, Canada; Academic Guest at NOAA, Boulder, USA, and as the Indian representative at the WMO Gender Conference on Climate Change, Geneva. She has have published more than 200 research papers and authored 06 books. Her core research specialization is in the field of ecology and eco-technology. Prof. Kaushik will deliver her talk “Bioremediation and Bioenergy: Applying Biology for Sustainable Environment Management” at Science Conclave-2026. The talk will present real research examples demonstrating how biological and ecological principles enable sustainable pollution management, including microbial removal of toxic metals & dyes from wastewater, phytoremediation of soils, vermicomposting of solid waste, and developing microbial fuel cells for energy generation. 

Prof. Sanjiv Arora is a distinguished academician with over 100 research papers in journals of international repute. He has contributed to several book chapters and has served on the editorial and review boards of multiple scientific journals. His research portfolio is extensive, with notable work on Flame Retardancy of Cellulosic Materials in an ICAR project sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Beyond his academic and research endeavors, Prof. Arora is deeply committed to environmental advocacy. He has delivered over 100 lectures on plastic pollution awareness to diverse audiences. He has previously held important administrative positions Dean, Faculty of Sciences, UGC Coordinator, AIU Nodal Officer, Director of the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Convener, Goyal prizes at Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra. He began his tenure at Kurukshetra University in 1992 as a Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, advancing to Associate Professor in 2006, and achieving the rank of Professor in 2009. He earned his Master of Science in Physical Chemistry and his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in 1991 from Kurukshetra University. The title of his talk, “Let Us Talk Plastics: Rethink, Reduce, Reuse & Replace” reflects a strong commitment to sustainable practices. The talk will examine the environmental impact of plastics and highlight practical strategies for reducing plastic usage.