Lok Sabha Question No. 1817 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-26
Subject: Information related to Science to the Rural Children
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: RODMAL NAGAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1817 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26/07/2017

## INFORMATION RELATED TO SCIENCE TO THE RURAL CHILDREN

## †1817. SHRI NAGAR RODMAL:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY òãðìððÐð ¡ðøÜ ÑßðøÌðð÷ò±ð¨îó  Ùðüëðó be pleased to state:

- (a) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  provide  information  related  to  science  to  the  rural children; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  SCIENCE  AND  TECHNOLOGY  AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES (SHRI Y.S. CHOWDHARY)

òãðìððÐð ¡ðøÜ ÑßðøÌðð÷ò±ð¨îó ÙðüëððâðÚð Ùð÷ü Üð¸Úð Ùðüëðó +ÉÉè® ÑðöÆãðó òãðìððÐð ÙðüëððâðÚð Ùð÷ü Üð¸Úð Ùðüëðó

(gÉÉÒ ´ÉÉ<Ç. AºÉ. SÉÉèvÉ®ÉÒ)

- (a) Government of India, has taken many steps to popularize science and provide information about science across India including rural children in the country.
- (b) The  Department  of  Science  &  Technology  (DST)  has  used  several  mechanisms  and  has launched numerous schemes, programmes and projects across the entire length and breadth of the country to popularize  science. Some of the major initiatives undertaken are given are as follows:
- (i) Science  Express:  To  spread  awareness  about  science  amongst  masses,  particularly  children from rural places, DST has been playing an active role through one of the flagship initiatives called  Science  Express.  Science  Express  is  an  innovative  science  exhibition  mounted  on  a custom-built 16 coach AC train which has been travelling across the country since its flag off on October 2007.  It has successfully completed 8 phases of journey which included 4 phases as  'Science  Express',  3  phases  as  'Biodiversity  Special'  and  another  as  'Climate  Action Special'. Over 300 innovative, interesting, informative exhibits have been mounted on-board to  make  learning  fun-filled  for  the  visitors  to  this  unique  train  which  comprise  mostly  of school students & teachers. Children are also encouraged to participate in activities, games, quizzes,  competitions,  etc.  through  which  they  easily  understand  fundamental  concepts  of Science  and  Mathematics.  Science  Express  also  has  complementary  activities  which  are conducted in its 'Kids Zone', 'Joy-of-Science Lab', and through events on railway platforms and outreach in schools located nearby. To facilitate this, a team of trained communicators stays on-board during the run of 6-7 months in each phase. For those schools/institutions that are  not  able  to  visit  the  exhibition  train,  the  on-board  team  of  Science  Communicators conduct Outreach Activities, located in the vicinity of the Railway Station where it is parked. This one-of-its-kind mobile exhibition completed 8 tours across India in May 2016 and the 9 th

phase, which was launched in February 2017,  is in progress. Thus far, this train has travelled more  than  1,52,000  km  across  the  length  &  breadth  of  the  country  on  the  Broad-gauge network of Indian Railway covering over 510 locations and attracting 1.72 crore visitors.

- (ii) National Children's Science Congress (NCSC):  NCSC was launched in 1992 to encourage and engage school students in the age group 10-17 years in identifying various challenges in their localities/communities  and find  possible science and technology (S&T) solutions. Each year, about 500,000 rural & urban students participate at the District level competitions across the country. The selected projects/models are then evaluated at the State level and further at the National  level.  The  winners  of  the  national  competitions  are  now  also  getting  a  chance  to participate  at  the  International  level.  In  2017,  in  the  Silver  Jubilee  year  of  NCSC,  it  is  the endeavour of DST to engage school students from almost all the  districts of  the country  to participate in this exciting programme.  In addition, Initiative for Research and Innovation in Science (IRIS) of DST aligns with National Level Mega Science Competitions. In 2013, IRIS also has attracted lateral entry from winners of many other national competitions and fairs like NCSC, Science Fair by National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Jawaharlal Nehru Science Fair by National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Such an alignment has turned IRIS into a truly global initiative.
- (iii)   India  International  Science  Festival  (IISF):  IISF  is  a  mega  event  supported  by  Ministry  of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences in association with Vijnana Bharati which was successfully held in New Delhi for the second successive year in 2016. Council for Scientific  and  Industrial  Research  (CSIR)  was  the  nodal  organization  and  the  venue  was National Physical Laboratory (NPL). IISF 2016 saw a conglomeration of different scientific components,  with  a  focus  on  students  and  the  young  scientists,  like  Science  Village  (3000 school students from rural background across the country), Young Scientist Conference (with 3000 scientists from various R&D institutions, Mega Science Expo with the participation of all the  scientific  and  R&D  institutions  across  India,  India  International  Science  Film  Festival, INSPIRE- student innovative projects, NGO Conclave, Unnat Bharat pavilion and so on.
- (iv) Science  Exhibition  &  Fairs:  Science  exhibition  and  Fairs  are  amongst  the  most  important activities  to  create  and  enhance  scientific  awareness  of  children  especially  rural  children; teachers, parents, peoples' representative and common man. Science, Technology, Engineering  and  Mathematics  (STEM)  demonstrations  under  this  component  of  DST comprise  of    Science  Fairs,  Melas,  static  exhibitions,  mobile  science  exhibitions,  lecturedemonstrations,  interactive  media,  visits  to  S&T  establishments,  hands-on-STEM  activities, and so on. These events, whether stationary or mobile, serve to utilize the expertise of resource persons trained by DST in various activities. Different kinds of demonstration are being taken up  on  a  variety  of  themes  like  environment,  health,  science  behind  miracles,  vermin composting, etc. Science in toys, Puppetry, activity stalls where children solve a puzzle or do mathematical games/ activities, ask a good question, design/redesign, spot-the-odd one, draw a future, quizzes, painting and skits and street plays, expose them to science in daily life. These serve to expose students to the scientific concepts and motivate them to take up a career in science.  Over  200  Science  fair/Science  exhibitions  were  held  in  almost  all  the  States  in  the country in last 3-4 years. More than 6 lakhs students & teachers and 20 lakhs general public got benefited.

National  Council  of  Science  Museum  (NCSM)  in  the  Ministry  of  Culture  also  organizes Science & Engineering Fair, Innovation Festivals  and Mobile  Science Exhibition Programme. 24 exhibition buses in which well-designed science exhibits have been mounted are regularly traveling in Rural areas specially focused on rural students with an objective to popularize science in rural & urban areas for the  benefit of  students  and  common  man. In addition,  NCSM  organizes  various educational  activities  viz.  science  exhibitions,  science  seminars,  science  camps,  popular  science lectures,  etc.  through  its  chain  of  25  Science  Museums,  Science  Centers,  Planetaria,  etc.  spread across the country.

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