Space agency chooses 3 students from state for YUva VIgyani KAryakram, a first of its kind interaction programme for middle school students, started by Union government’s vision ‘Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan’. The 2-week residential programme was inaugurated by ISRO chairman, K. Sivan at Sriharikota on Monday. 110 middle school students from 29 states & seven Union territories are taking part in it.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For Eldho Mathew Binoy, Alan C. Raju and Anugraha Anish, it has been a dream come true when they got the call from the Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) informing them of being chosen for the YUva VIgyani KAryakram (YUVIKA). This programme is the first of its kind interaction for middle school students started by the Union government’s vision ‘Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan’.
The trio has been lucky from the state to attend the two-week residential programme by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) which will conclude on May 27.
Its inauguration was held at Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota by ISRO chairman, K. Sivan, on Monday, and is seeing 110 middle school students from 29 states and seven Union territories taking part.
The three lucky ones, Eldho (Puliyaparamb Higher Secondary School, Kodunthirapully, Palakkad), Alan (GHSS Parappa, Kasaragod) and Anugraha (GHS Poochapra, Idukki), are undergoing training at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thumba, here.
Paraly native Eldho who will be joining in the eighth grade next month has always wanted to pursue a career as a space scientist. Eldho’s mother, Jolly Binoy, a Hindi teacher in the same school he studies recalled her son’s tryst with space science where he recently bagged the second prize in space quiz organised by VSSC held at Palakkad.
“Eldho has been actively winning prizes in various extracurricular activities including debates, Scouts and competitions held by the education department and other state agencies”, said Jolly whose husband, Binoy Mathew, is a Malayalam teacher in GMHSS, Palakkad.
The only girl student to be chosen from Kerala, Anugraha, belongs to Idukki and is on the threshold of joining the tenth grade. The eldest among three children, Anugraha has never shied away from participating in projects, seminars and extracurricular activities as well.
Her mother, Shalini Narayanan, a government employee in the irrigation department in Muvattupuzha, was so excited to speak about her daughter’s achievements. Anugraha’s father, Anish Kumar works as a taxi driver.
“We are proud of our daughter as she is the only girl to be chosen from scores of applications from the state for the ISRO’s first of its kind two-week residential programme. When she called us in between her summer school programme, she shared her excitement in visiting labs at VSSC and getting hands-on training by space scientists”, said Shalini.
Tenth grader Alan has already set his goal to join for aeronautical engineering at an IIT. Alan is a state champion in the tug of war and is also a volleyball player where he juggles academics, sports and extracurricular activities with equal élan.
“It was my husband, C. M. Raju, who is an in-charge of a pharmaceutical company in Bengaluru who keeps guiding Alan. It was by accident that Alan got selected for the prestigious Yuvika programme which we consider it as a stepping stone for Alan to reach his goal,” said V.K. Santha, Alan’s mother, a homemaker.
These students have been chosen as per their performance in their eighth standard examination, membership of science club/space club, participation in extracurricular activities including sports, NCC or Scout and Guides. The programme spreads over four ISRO centres - VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram, U. R. Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru, Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad and North Eastern Space Applications Centre, Shillong. The children will also get an opportunity to interact with K. Sivan, ‘ISRO YUVIKA- Samvaad with Chairman ISRO on Friday at Sriharikota.
“This programme would help them inculcate scientific temper. We are hoping that Yuvika programme would produce a good number of space scientists every year”, said Mr Sivan.
The students will also visit ISRO laboratories to have a first-hand experience on how team-ISRO works to accomplish challenging missions. Students will get opportunities to interact with senior scientists throughout the programme.
They will also visit the launch pad and integration facilities at SDSC, SHAR, to understand spaceport operations. The students have been accommodated in ISRO guest houses where the ISRO is bearing their entire expenses, including travel by second AC train.
The parents of Eldho, Alan and Anugraha, also informed that this is the first time their children have stayed away from home for such a prolonged
duration.
