Apurva Vigyan Mela: Students experiment using waste materials

NAGPUR: Apurva Vigyan Mela, the 14th science expo commenced on Wednesday with total participation of 23 Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) schools.
NMC has organized this exhibition in collaboration with Association for Research and Training in Basic Science Education (ARTBSE). The chief guest for the inaugural function was Raghuji Thakur, Gandhian philosopher from Delhi.
"Apart from health and technology, keeping a track of developments in science is also imperative for the society," he said. He added that the rationalistic approach to religious belief is promoted through experiments at this expo.
NMC high school education officer Ashok Talatule, social worker Umesh Chaube and ARTBSE President Sunil Agrawal were also present at the inaugural ceremony.
The expo showcases various experiments based on the syllabus of high school. Around 200 students were trained under the able guidance of science author Suresh Agrawal and a team of NMC teachers .
"Mathematics, Science, Physics are subjects that bring nightmares for students. If concepts are explained live to them through experiments, it is easier for them to grasp," said trainer and NMC teacher, Jyoti Medpilwar. "All the experiments are done using waste material," she added.
Guruprasad Mishra, a student of std 8 from Surendragarh NMC high school, told TOI that he enjoys experimenting with science and aspires to make a mark in the field of science.
Kirigami (art of cutting paper), displayed by VSS Shastri and Chikmathji from Karnataka which was the key attraction of the exhibition, amazingly displays the use of origami in mathematics and entomology. Shastri meticulously displayed how to make finely-cut insects from magazine paper and use these models to study insects.
Kolhapur's Ramchandra Lele, who has devised scientific calendar on astrology, scientist and science communicator OP Gupta from Allahabad are among those who have come to Nagpur especially to take part in the Apurva Vigyan Mela.
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