'Science on Wheels' rolls into Udupi

Udupi: In a joint initiative by the Government and the Agastya Foundation NGO , a mobile science centre has been inaugurated at Udupi. It will tour 20 districts of Karnataka with working models and six faculty members, aiming at improving the students' knowledge and understanding of Physics, Chemistry, Biology and even Astronomy.

A flashy van with ‘Science on Wheels’ splashed across its side stands quietly in the campus of Government Girls PUC College. Upstairs, an entire room is filled with a science lover’s dream- models of the human body, physics instruments and chemistry sets. On the board reads ‘Agastya Foundation Science Centre,’ a small sign of big changes to come in the districts of Karnataka.

This programme has been formed under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, with a funding of 75% from the Central Government and 25%  from the State Government. The Agastya Foundation is an international NGO, formed with the objective of providing quality primary and secondary education. The NGO has provided mobile lab facilities and about 300 models to this project.

“Students think science is a very difficult subject,” says Girish, the convenor of Agastya Foundation. “Nowadays, student concentrate only on the subject in the textbooks and cannot remember the information after a year.”  Agastya aims to change the mindset of the students with practical and visual demonstrations of science. 

“This institution has 1200 girls, of which 420 will get immediate benefits from the programme,” says Suresh Tunga, Principal of the PUC. “We have provided accommodation to the Agastya Foundation, which wanted to have the centre in the heart of the district.”

Agastya will be organising science exhibitions as well, and students from neighbouring schools are welcome to view the facilities at the PUC. Science classes have already begun in the institution and the mobile labs will soon begin touring the various schools in the districts, spending a day interacting with students in each school. “We want to spark creativity in rural areas,” says Girish, while encouraging a group of shy girls to observe a model studying reflection. “When students come to the science centre, they should enjoy playing with science.”

Sub-edited by: Aditya Ramachandran