Science talent from tribal heartland wins plaudits

The four-day programme gave the students an opportunity to present their educational science projects, participate in quiz programmes and attend a number of lecture sessions on science and technology.

Ajina Stephen of Model Residential School, Kalpetta, receiving the award for the Best Science Project Report from Minister for Scheduled Tribe Welfare P.K. Jayalakshmi. Photo: S.Mahinsha

For their science project, Ajina Stephen and her team from Model Residential School, Kalpetta, chose to work on the humble grass.

During the two months of their travel across Wayanad, they collected various specimens, grouped them and identified their valuable properties.

Their effort paid off on Sunday as “Pollai Pullukal,” their project, bagged the first prize at the Sasthrabodhini Model Residential Schools Science Fair, which concluded here on Sunday.

Youth Affairs and Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister P.K. Jayalakshmi distributed the awards to the winners at the fair conducted by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment and financed by the Scheduled Caste and Schedule Tribe Welfare Department.

The Minister said that such fairs would help identify and nurture talent in science and technology among tribal children. It provided them an opportunity to interact with experts.

The Sasthrabodhini project, which aimed to promote talented students from socially and economically disadvantaged communities in science and technology, is currently being implemented in 27 model residential schools across the State.

The four-day programme gave the students an opportunity to present their educational science projects, participate in quiz programmes and attend a number of lecture sessions on science and technology. A major attraction of the fair was a visit to the Vikram Sarabhai Centre Space Centre here.

In the science project report competition, Ajina Stephen bagged the first prize, K. Amritha of the Pookodu school in Wayanad came second and A.K. Renjith of the school at Njaraneeli in Thiruvananthapuram bagged the third prize. While K. Athira of the school at Paravanadukkam in Kasaragod came first in project presentation, Ajina Stephen came second and K.B. Mathu of the Tirunelli school in Wayanad bagged the third prize.

In the quiz, the Njaraneeli school team bagged the first prize, while the team from the school at Pattuvam in Kannur bagged the second prize and that from the Paravanadukkam school in Kasaragod the third prize.