The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Fostering the passion for pure science among students

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 01, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Fostering the passion for pure science among students

Staff Reporter

‘Ariviyal Aruvi’ attempts to introduce learning by observation and questioning
Scholarships for Higher Education to encourage students to take up science

CHENNAI: The excitement of science, nature and the environment will come alive on television sets, starting Saturday evening at 7.05 p.m. ‘Ariviyal Aruvi’ (which roughly translates as the ‘Stream of Science’), an effort to communicate science in Tamil in the serial format, follows three teenagers and an animated character, Guru, on their quest to understand the world around them better.

Speaking at a preview show of the serial to press persons here on Sunday, Secretary to the Ministry of Science and Technology T. Ramasami said the Centre had set aside about Rs.1,500 crore for Scholarships for Higher Education (SHE) to encourage students to take up science after the higher secondary-level examinations.

Scholarships

Some 10,000 SHE would be made available, of which three-fourths will be for the toppers of examinations conducted by every board of education. The other quarter would be awarded to those who have passed exams such as IIT-JEE, but would like to opt for a course in pure science instead.

“Science fiction writers, with the exception of Arthur C. Clarke, have damaged the cause of science and only served to create modern mythology. This serial is an attempt to foster an interest in pure science,” said Mohana Krishnaswamy, producer of ‘Ariviyal Aruvi’.

Director Lata Krishnaswamy recalled the moments when nature overwhelmed her with its splendour. “I want to convey this sense of awe to my viewers, to encourage the desire to learn and ignite the passion for science,” she said.

The show attempts to introduce a different learning methodology from the one used in classrooms, encouraging learning by observation and questioning, said principal investigator Balu Venkatraman.

M. Anandakrishnan, Chairman, Madras Institute of Development Studies and the Review Committee of ‘Ariviyal Aruvi,’ said there was an urgent need for such programmes.

The increasing number of students choosing careers in computer science over pure science would only lead to an enslaved country, rather than one making scientific progress.

The series is being produced by Krishnaswamy Associates with funding from the Department of Science and Technology, and with the collaboration of the Centre for Co-operation in Science and Technology among Developing Societies (CCSTDS). The series would be aired on Podhigai Channel on Saturdays at 7.05 p.m. and repeated at 11.30 a.m. on Sundays.

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