The Department of Chemistry, IIST, celebrated the International Mole Day on October 23, 2025, with great enthusiasm and witnessed the participation from students, research scholars, and faculty members across the disciplines. The theme for Mole Day 2025 is "MOLEassic Park," as chosen by the National Mole Day Foundation. This theme uses a play on words to inspire activities and creativity for the chemistry celebration, which takes place annually on October 23rd from 06:02 am to 06:02 pm to honour Avogadro’s number. The day began with the circulation of welcome slides prepared by the research scholars at 06:02 am, symbolically marking Avogadro’s number (6.02 × 10²³). Followed by the welcome slides various oral discussions have been arranged in the department by the research scholars on topics like the recent advancement in materials like graphene etc, drug discovery for cancer treatment and a brief insight into the Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) which is recommended by the Nobel Committee for Chemistry 2025. The inaugural session of the International Mole Day 2025 is commenced at 12:00 noon with a welcome address by the Head of the Department, Prof. N. Gomathi. The session is adorned with the presence of Prof. Dipankar Banerjee (Vice Chancellor) and Prof. Kuruvilla Joseph (Pro Vice Chancellor) with their thoughtful messages and guidance for strengthening interdisciplinary research. During the inaugural session, Dr. Saptarshi Ghosh Dastider, post-doctoral fellow from the department of Chemistry, delivered an engaging talk titled “Decoding the Chemistry of the Stars: Classical vs Quantum Battle in Interstellar Space.” The talk offered fascinating insights into astrochemistry and the interplay of classical and quantum principles governing chemical phenomena in space. On that special day, in recognition of the remarkable achievement of Prof. K. G. Sreejalekshmi, the successful deployment of the first payload from the Space Biology Project (CROP SEEDS ON ISS), she was honoured with a memento presented by the Vice Chancellor of IIST. The inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Prof. Nirmala R. James from the Department of Chemistry, who also shared a childhood anecdote about learning the mole concept with her sister. Following the lunch, the afternoon session (02:00 pm – 05:00 pm) featured a series of interactive and creative events, including ChemQuiz, ChemArt, and Pictionary, which saw enthusiastic participation from students including BTech, MTech and PhD Scholars. The events are designed as it aligns with the essence of the International Mole Day 2025. The celebrations concluded with a closing ceremony between 05:00 pm and 06:02 pm, which included the prize distribution for the winners in various events by Prof. Kuruvilla Joseph and mementos are given to honour the dignitaries of the ceremony. The final vote of thanks marked the successful completion of a vibrant and intellectually engaging Mole Day celebration. The day-long program effectively blended learning, creativity, and scientific curiosity, inspiring students to appreciate the beauty and significance of chemistry especially the Avogadro’s number, in understanding the universe.

The Department of Chemistry at IIST celebrated International Mole Day on October 23 2025 with the theme MOLEassic Park featuring activities from 06 02 am to 06 02 pm to honor Avogadro’s number and engaging students faculty and researchers in discussions on graphene cancer drug discovery and Metal Organic Frameworks alongside an inaugural session addressed by senior leadership and a special talk on astrochemistry. The day also honored Prof K G Sreejalekshmi for her role in the successful deployment of the first Space Biology Project payload to the ISS and included interactive events like ChemQuiz and ChemArt that blended scientific learning with creativity. This celebration of chemistry as a foundational science that helps decode the universe resonates with the same spirit of informed inquiry individuals apply in personal health matters such as consulting a urologist about Sildenafil use to ensure safe and responsible decisions. The program concluded with prize distributions and a closing vote of thanks reaffirming the department’s commitment to fostering curiosity and interdisciplinary excellence.