March 2009

30th March 09
Station: Ratnagiri
State: Maharashtra
Exhibition dates: 22.03.09 to 25.03.09
Visitors: 15624

The Sciencexpress entered the state of Maharashtra for the second time with its halt at Ratnagiri. The Sciencexpress exhibition was inaugurated at Ratnagiri by Mr. Nagadatta R., Regional Railway Manager, KRCL, Ratnagiri. Mr. A. Mistra, Managing Director, Konkan Railway Corporation Limited, too, visited the Sciencexpress and appreciated this endeavour. Some of the dignitaries who visited the exhibition at Ratnagiri include Mr. Uday Sawan, M. L. A., Ratnagiri; Mr. Nilesh Gatre, Additional District Magistrate, Ratnagiri; Prof. S. Ananthakrishanan, Pune University; and Mr. G.V. Kelkar, President, Indian Association of Physics Teachers, Maharashtra & Goa Region. Mr. Dilip Surkar, Executive Director, VASCSC visited the Sciencexpress and encouraged the team.

All the dignitaries gave a positive feedback to the exhibition and the effort being made by the team. Mr. Nilesh Gatre wrote: “Interesting and useful for middle school children. All the best!” Mr. G.V. Kelkar wrote: “Aims and objectives behind such train programme are praise worthy. But more importance is the enthusiasm and national spirit of the Sciencexpress team…”

The Joy of Science lab registered 572 students and 27 teachers. The Science Hands-on programme was conducted at R. B. Shirke High School, M. S. Naik School and Shreeman Gangadhar Govind Patwardhan High School. A total of 415 students and 11 teachers participated in the activities conducted in these programmes. The Interactive Sky Programme was conducted at M. S. Naik School and R. B. Shirke High School in which 300 students and 9 teachers participated.

A major highlight at Ratnagiri station were the daily quiz competitions conducted for the students who had come to visit the Sciencexpress. 108 students from G. J. College, M. V. Karbude School, R. B. Shirke High School, Saraswati Vidya Mandir, and Z. P. Purna Prathmik Shala participated in these competitions. Prizes were distributed to the winning teams. An extempore public speaking competition was also organized for students and prizes were awarded to the winners.

26th March 09
Station: Madgaon
State: Goa
Exhibition dates: 19.03.09 to 21.03.09
Visitors: 3828

Madgaon, also known as ‘Margao’, is the second largest town in Goa and the chief commercial centre. Located on the banks of the River Sal, Madgaon is amongst the oldest recorded towns in Goa and is famous for the enormous Portuguese style mansions which mark its landscape. The Madgaon Railway station is Goa's biggest and most important as it is the gateway to south Goa.

At Madgaon, the Sciencexpress was inaugurated by Mr. Joseph George, Sr. Regional Traffic Manager, KRCL, who then visited the exhibition. Mr. V. K. Banakar, National Institute of Oceanography, Goa also visited the exhibition and gave his valuable suggestions.

The Sciencexpress team proudly received the Honourable Chief Minister of Goa, Mr. Digamber V. Kamat, who visited the exhibition. He is the first Chief Minister of any state to have visited the Sciencexpress. After visiting the exhibition, he gave the feedback, “…I was explained the various aspects in this Express. I was impressed by the ideas presented in this Sciencexpress. I have no doubt that this will help the school and college students to understand and know Science better. My best wishes…” His encouraging words boosted the confidence of the entire team.

The Joy of Science lab registered 240 students and 9 teachers at Madgaon. The Science Hands-on activity and Interactive Sky programme were conducted by the Sciencexpress team at Presentation Convent High School, Margao. 274 students and 3 teachers participated in these programmes. The Science Hands-on activity was also conducted at Our Lady of Rosary High School, Margao, in which 65 students and 12 teachers participated. A Quiz competition was organized on the railway platform in which students of Rosary Higher Secondary School participated. The winning teams were awarded prizes.

Two well known research institutes of India situated near Madgaon include the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) situated at Dona Paula and National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research situated at Vasco-da-Gama.

22nd March 09
Station: Kannur South
State: Kerala
Exhibition dates: 15.03.09 to 18.03.09
Visitors: 18323

Sciencexpress was inaugurated by Dr. Rajesh Arora, District Collector, Kannur and his spouse Dr. Parul Arora. Dr. Parul Arora wrote about her experience: “An excellent and innovative means to spark young and old minds alike. The presentations are wonderful and make the complicated theories and events appear simple. It is also an excellent opportunity to steer young minds in the right directions. Great Work! Excellent!”

The Joy of Science lab showed an astounding increase in the number of participants with 1380 students and 19 teachers participating in its activities. The Interactive Sky Programme and Science Hands-on activity was conducted at Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Kannur. 179 students and 8 teachers participated in the Interactive Sky programme and 196 students and 6 teachers participated in the Science Hands-on activity. The school authorities showed their appreciation for the Sky Programme with the words: “The tips provided on sky watching were interesting, visuals on night sky, planets, constellations, etc. were enjoyable and interactive.” Some team members visited the Science Park at Kannur.

Kannur is known as ‘Land of Looms and Lores’. It was known by the name of ‘Cannanore’, which is still in fairly common usage. It is famous for its pristine beaches, its native performing art ‘Theyyam’ and its handloom industry. Kannur was an important port on the Arabian Sea and carried out trade with Persia and Arabia in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. It is the current seat of the Defence Security Corps. The Ezhimala Naval Academy, Asia's biggest naval academy is located at Ezhimala, about 38 km from Kannur.

Some educational institutes in and around Kannur include Kannur University; Govt. College of Engineering, Kannur; Brennen College; Sir Syed College; Payyannur College; Sree Narayana College; Krishna Menon College; N. A. M. College; Nirmalagiri College; M. G. College; PRNSS College; Chinmaya Institute of Technology; Vimaljyothi Engineering College; Sree Narayana Guru College of Engineering & Technology; N.T.T.F; Govt. Ayurveda College; Govt. College of Teacher Education; Pariyaram Medical College; Kannur Medical College; etc.

19th March 09
Station: Palakkad
State: Kerala
Exhibition dates: 11.03.09 to 14.03.09
Visitors: 12490

Palakkad, also known as Palghat, is a municipality in the state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District. At this station, the Sciencexpress was inaugurated by Mr. U. F. Kujur, ADRM by cutting the ceremonial ribbon. He gave the feedback: “A very high standard of presentation of science and technology (in the exhibition)…”

The exhibition’s halt at Palakkad coincided with the ‘Festival of Colours’ - Holi; which was celebrated with gaiety and colours by the team. Another feature here was the training sessions on ‘Soft Skill Development’ conducted by management trainer Ms. Suparna Dutta during 12-13 March, to hone the communication skills of the Science Communicators on board. Mr. Chander Mohan, Director, NCSTC and Mr. Dilip Surkar, Executive Director, VASCSC joined the team at Palakkad and motivated them.

The Joy of Science lab received an overwhelming 899 students and 22 teachers, who participated in the hands-on activities of the lab. Interactive Sky Programme was conducted at Vasavi Vidyalaya in which 85 students and 6 teachers participated and at S. N. R. Sons College, Coimbatore with participation of 100 students and 15 teachers, who learnt about sky watching, planets, constellations, etc. Science hands-on activity was conducted at Vasavi Vidyalaya in which 85 students and 6 teachers participated.

The district of Palakkad has 931 schools, 55 higher secondary schools and 24 vocational higher secondary schools. Some of the educational institutions in Palakkad are Government College, Chittoor; Government Samskrita College, Pattambi; Government Victoria College; N. S. S. Engineering College; College of Applied Sciences, Vadakkancherry; and V. V. College of Applied Science, Palakkad.

16th March 09
Station: Alappuzha
State: Kerala
Exhibition dates: 08.03.09 to 10.03.09
Visitors: 9270

Alappuzha, also known as Alleppey, was the Sciencexpress’ first halt in ‘God’s own country’, the state of Kerala. A town with picturesque canals, backwaters, beaches and lagoons, Alleppey was known as ‘Venice of the East’. Sciencexpress was welcomed by Mr. Robinson John, Station Manager and Mr. Radhakrishnan Nair, Sr. Section Engineer at Alappuzha railway station.

The Joy of Science lab witnessed an overwhelming response with 479 students participating in its activities. A Science Quiz was conducted for the visitors to the exhibition and prizes were distributed among the winners. Ms. P. S. Vidya, a college student visiting the Sciencexpress said, “It was very interesting and informative, even to the advanced researcher and to the small children.” The Sciencexpress team had a refreshing time at Alleppey, visiting the backwaters and beach off the Arabian Sea.

14th March 09
Station: Nagercoil
State: Tamil Nadu
Exhibition dates: 05.03.09 to 07.03.09
Visitors: 6044

The Sciencexpress was welcomed by Mr. J. Sudharwan, Asst. Divisional Engineer and Mr. S. Sesikumar, Station Manager at Nagercoil. Mr. H. Angiras (Mamaji) from Vivekanand Kendra, Kanyakumari visited the exhibition and gave the encouraged the team with the words: "Very inspiring! A great work! The need of the hour is to make science popular, and use it for man's benefit - And we found the Centre doing just that. The demonstrators are learned and helpful. May this Express expedite the use of the science in India!" The Joy of Science lab recorded 167 students and 9 teachers, who participated in its activities. During the halt at Nagercoil, the team members visited the nearby tourist town of Kanyakumari, surrounded by the three seas: Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean.

Nagercoil is situated close to the tip of the Indian peninsula. The town is the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District. Nagercoil derives its name from a famous old temple called the ‘Naga Raja’ temple meaning ‘Temple of the Serpent King’ which still exists in the central part of the town. Nagercoil has the regional office of the Central Rubber Board. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has a major testing facility for Cryogenic and Liquid Propulsion rocket engines called the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at Mahendragiri near Nagercoil.

Some colleges in Nagercoil are Scott Christian College, Kanyakumari Medical College, ST Hindu College, Ayappa College for Women, The Muslim Arts College, Noorul Islam College of Engineering, St. Xavier's Catholic College of Engineering, St. Xavier's Catholic College of Nursing, CSI Institute of Technology, James College of Engineering and Technology and Holy Cross College.

10th March 09
Station: Madurai
State: Tamil Nadu
Exhibition dates: 01.03.09 to 04.03.09
Visitors: 22147

Madurai is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the Indian peninsula. The city is also referred to as the ‘Temple City’. Madurai was the capital city of ancient southern civilization.

The Sciencexpress recorded a high number of visitors including school students during its halt at Madurai. Mr. Anil Singhal, Divisional Railway Manager, Madurai and Mr. A.K. Agrawal, IRS, Madurai, visited the exhibition.

The JOS lab also witnessed an overwhelming response with the participation of 416 students and 64 teachers from different schools. Science Hands-on and Interactive Sky Programme activities were conducted at Yennarkay R. Ravindran Thilagavathy Vidhyasala Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Sivakasi and  Lakshmi School, Madurai. 200 students, 10 teachers and 89 students, 10 teachers participated in these activities respectively.

A mathematics training session was conducted for the Sciencexpress team on board. This session titled ‘Teaching Mathematics by Innovative Methods - Fun Maths and Mind Games’ was conducted by Mr. T. R. Jothilingam, Station Master, Manamadurai Junction in which all the team members actively participated. The team organized a party to celebrate Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre’s winning of the National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Science & Technology Communication for the year 2008. The entire team gathered and had a fun-filled evening followed by dinner.

Some educational institutions of Madurai are Madurai Kamaraj University, The American College in Madurai, Tamilnadu Polytechnic, Lady Doak College, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, SACS M. A. V. M. M. Engineering College, Sethu Institute of Technology, K. L. N. College of Engineering, K. L. N. College of Information Technology, Raja College of Engineering and Technology, PTR College of Engineering and Technology, Vickram College of Engineering, Madura College, Madurai Medical College, Fatima College, SVN College , Wakf Board College, Mannar College, Ambika College, Yadava College, EMG Yadava Womens College, Meenakshi College, Sermathai Vasan College, Sourashtra College, K. L. N. Polytechnic College, Arul Anandar College and Velammal College of Engineering and Technology.

8th March 09
Station: Tiruchchirappalli
State: Tamil Nadu
Exhibition dates: 26.02.09 to 28.02.09
Visitors: 21789

Tiruchchirappalli, commonly known as Tiruchi or Trichy, is situated on the banks of the Cauvery River. Trichy is a Municipal Corporation and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirapalli District.

The Sciencexpress halted at Tiruchchirappalli Fort railway station in Trichy. Mr. T. Soundih, District Collector, Trichy inaugurated the Sciencexpress exhibition. Mr. S. Subramanyam, IRAS, DRM, Trichy and Mr. S. Balaji Arunkumar, IRTS, Senior Divisional Operational Manager, Railways, Trichy Division, were also present at the ceremony. Other dignitaries who attended the exhibition were Mr. S. Ramasubbu, Additional Divisional Manager; Dr. P. Veluswami, Chief Medical Superintendent and Mr. S. Jaykrishanan, Senior DEE-TPJ - S.Rly, Trichy.

The Joy of Science lab registered 225 students and 19 teachers. Interactive sky programme was conducted at St. Joseph Anglo-Indian Girls Higher Secondary School, in which 150 students participated. Science hands-on activity was conducted at the following institutes:

The most famous landmark of Trichy is the Rock fort temple. Notable educational institutions from the city include the National Institute of Technology, Anna University , K.A.P.V. Govt. Medical College, Bharathidasan University, Bharathidasan Institute of Management , Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College, St. Joseph's College, National College, Jamal Mohammed College, Bishop Heber College, Urmu Dhanalakshmi College, Chettinad College of Arts & Science, Periyar College of Pharmacy, Institute of Ophthalmology, Holy Cross College and Shrimathi Indira Gandhi College.

3rd March 09
Station: Vriddhachalam
State: Tamil Nadu
Exhibition dates: 23.02.09 to 25.02.09
Visitors: 12715

Vriddhachalam marked the beginning of the Sciencexpress’ tour of Tamil Nadu. Vriddhachalam, also known as ‘Virudhachalam’, is a municipality and taluka headquarter in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu. The name ‘Vriddhachalam’ means 'old mountain'; it is also referred to as ‘Thirumudhukundram’.

Mr. B. Ramamoorthy, Station Manager, Vriddhachalam inaugurated the Sciencexpress here, by cutting the ceremonial ribbon. He wrote, “I have seen our exhibition and I am very much proud of the development of science and technology of our country. This Sciencexpress will be very helpful for students…”