Science & engineering fair to innovate & create the best models was spread on two days at National Science Centre
Agastya International Foundation, an education trust that runs world’s largest mobile hands-on science education program for disadvantaged children and teachers and Synopsys India, a world class R&D center of Synopsys, Inc., hosted its 1st edition of Anveshana 2016, at the National Science Centre at Delhi on the 10th and 11th of February. A science fair aimed at bridging the knowledge gap between schools and colleges through integration of ideas. More than 81 school students & 108 engineering students showcased their research projects during the two day event. Avneshana, the two day science & engineering fair is an amalgamation of creating innovation & facilitating a process of mentoring between engineering students and school students while they design and make the models. Mr. K. Thiagarajan, COO, Agastya International Foundation, said “Agastya is immensely happy and privileged to bring Anveshana to Delhi NCR after several years of successful events in Bangalore and Hyderabad. Bridging Engineering students and school students into a creative project mode is the powerful learning idea that is Anveshana” Speaking of Agastya at the inauguration Dr. V.K. Aatre, DRDO’s Director-General; Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, and Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister during 1999–2005,said “Agastaya sparks creativity by triggering a child’s curiosity through scientific experimentation. It not only instills the belief that he/she can do it through actual experiments but gives the child a platform to talk about it giving him/her the much needed confidence. This entire exposure to scientific experimentation- seeing, doing and believing, is a life lasting experience.” This year, around 32 ideas were generated from 11 engineering colleges from the Delhi NCR region. Out of which 24 models from 7 colleges got shortlisted for final prototyping and evaluation, a collaborative effort of school & college students.
Apart from this, 128 engineering students got an opportunity of mentoring children and around 122 school students from 15 schools received direct training in model making thus improving their design, conceptualisation and leadership skills. (Website: www.anveshana.org) Program was inaugurated by Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, DST Secretary, Govt. of India.
He was joined by Dr. V.K. Aatre, DRDO’s Director-General; Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, and Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister during 1999–2005, Mr. Rama Sharma, NSC Director, Mr. Ramji Raghavan, chairman, Agastya International Foundation along with representatives from Synopsys India Ltd. The closing note for the event was delivered by Prof. Nageshwar Rao, Vice Chancellor (In-charge), IGNOU.
Nearly 1000 school students visited Anveshana Fair on the 10th and 11th February 2016. The fair was open to public on both the days from 11.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.
Autonomous Vehicle for Handicaps won the first prize. The project was designed by Engineering student from Ajay Kumar Garg Engineering College, Ghaziabad and students from DHT Saraswati Vidya Mandir, Ghaziabad and Shri Gur Shri Guru Ram Rai Public School, Ghaziabad Shahla Sultana, Senior HR Representative at Synopsys on the occasion said, “After proven success of Anveshana at Bangalore and Hyderabad, Synopsys was happy to extend the partnership with Agastya for planning and executing of Anveshana at NCR in 2016. Anveshana sparks curiosity in young children and mentorship in engineering students. It gives opportunity to young mind to innovate, provides
them a platform to present their ideas, such that some of these ideas could be incubated later.”
