Neha Saini
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, February 10
Albert Einstein had once said, “To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science.”
Pushing for developing scientific temperament and building a future generation of innovators, keeping in mind the advancement in science, a few city-based teachers are running network of small science clubs that are proving to be hotspot for budding scientists. These community science clubs have been established in rural belt by the government schoolteachers and are affiliated to the VIPNET programme (Vigyan Prasar NETwork) started in 1998 by the Central Government with an objective of providing a fillip to the science clubs movement in India. Under the programme, any individual with a scientific bent of mind can form a network to weave all science clubs, societies, organisations to promote scientific activities.
Sanjeev Sharma, a science teacher from Government Senior Secondary School, Jabbowal, has been running Infinity Science Club at his school, working with a group of 20-30 students to develop ideas that have won accolades at the National Science Congress. Leading their project of turning agricultural waste into biofuel, he and his team of students have developed a solid biofuel using parthenium plants (better known as congress grass). He said the project also provides us opportunity to recycle the waste paper and filthy water from RO filters.
He had earlier worked on a project to turn agricultural waste into ethanol. “The motive behind our science club is to encourage and engage students as well as local community to adapt to a scientific way of life. We mostly do projects in the field of agriculture science,” says Sanjeev.
Another teacher, Pankaj Sharma, who runs a village science club at Bhoewali, too, has been encouraging kids to think out of the box. Recently, Arshdeep Singh, one his students and a son of a daily wager, won the Inspire Award from the Department of Science and Technology for developing a prototype of a low-cost air purifying system. Pankaj says that it’s important to build scientific temperament not just in youth, but also local communities. “If we have to move towards an inclusive sustainable society, then we have to understand the basic concepts of science and implement them in our lifestyle,” he says. Pankaj has been running the club for past 10 years. He is helped by the local village community to generate resources for his club.
While Sanjeev and Pankaj work with senior kids, Ritu Gagan, a science teacher from Government Elementary School, Patalpuri, Majitha, is running the only primary science club of the district in her school. Her students fall in the age bracket of 4-7 years. “I start with basic concepts of science like magnetism, evaporation and other simple techniques that I make them learn through various activities. I have made a small kitchen garden in my school to teach kids about organic farming. I often engage their parents in the process of learning as well,” she shares. Ritu has been running VIPNET approved science programmes in her club. “I have 40-50 students and they all come to my class eager to learn. I believe we need to build scientific minds, not political ones for the country to progress,” she adds.
All of these science clubs are self-funded yet they prove a point. “There are lot of judgements and misconceptions about government school teachers and education. But, the reality is very different. We work with kids who come from such backgrounds where education is not a priority. The drive we see in them to rise above their meanshellip;is incredible. Our effort is to turn them into thinkers, innovators and not just degree holders,” Sanjeev resolves.
Science clubs run by Amritsar-based teachers become hotspot for budding scientists
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