It was a day to cherish for a group of bright eighth standard students from across the State when they got an opportunity to do scientific experiments and fire away questions to an IAS officer.
“We were on a journey to an entirely different world that begins with atoms and extends all the way up to the Antarctica Sea.
The session with Swagath Bhandari IAS, Assistant Collector, Ernakulam, was really motivational. It was an eye-opener when she told us how she chose her career and overcame the hurdles,” said Atul Raj, student of HSS Srikrishnapuram, Palakkad.
He was among the 60 students selected for ‘Inculcate 2012’ held at CUSAT campus in Kochi after a state-wide competitive exam held by the Kerala State Science and Technology Museum (KSSTM).
The idea was to spot talent in basic sciences early and mould them by offering scholarships at school-level.
“Nowadays, only a few among the bright students opt for courses other than medicine or engineering. So the programme is an attempt to attract talented students to basic sciences,” Dr Girish Kumar K, Professor, Department of Applied Chemistry, CUSAT, said.
A total of 20,000 students sat for the exam that tested their knowledge in basic sciences and 300 of them came out trumps.
“They were divided into five groups of 60 before they attended the talent pruning camps at five universities including CUSAT.
Each university will select 50 students and provide them a monthly stipend of Rs 750 till they pass the 12th standard exam. Mentors will be allotted to them to help them excel in their chosen field,” Kumar said.
Swagath Bhandari termed the interaction “vibrant” and observed that the kids were really curious about the happenings around them.
“I asked them to choose a career according to their capability and aptitude and cultivate the habit of reading,” she told Deccan Chronicle.
“One student asked me why I chose civil service to which I replied that my idea was to serve the poor. He then said there were so many other ways to serve the poor,” she said, smiling.
The children virtually had a peep into the polar region, thanks to the lecture by Dr A.A. Mohammed Hatha, Associate Professor, Department of Marine Biology, CUSAT.
The students had the rare opportunity to familiarise themselves with the life and culture of the Arctic region.
The students also had the opportunity to do experiments in chemistry, physics, mathematics and biotechnology laboratories and understand the principles behind them.
A quiz programme on basic sciences was another session that they enjoyed.
“I was really thrilled to know about distinct bacteria and virus in biotechnology, working of simple pendulum in physics, fun problems in mathematics.
I had the shock of my life when I learned about the adulterants that can get into our body and was amazed to see artificial sun setting in the chemistry lab,” said Aiswarya M.V, an eight standard student from Kozhikode.
