NTPC the largest power utility of the country is introducing Mobile Science Lab (MSL) a vehicle fitted with LCD TV carrying working Science Models emphasizing curiosity based learning for children in rural India. It is an initiative to revolutionize rural education and make hands-on learning accessible amongst underprivileged children. The three Mobile Service Labs were flagged off by Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy, in the presence of P K Sinha, Secretary Ministry of Power, Shri Arup Roy Choudhury , CMD , NTPC , Shri U.P. Pani , Director (HR) and senior officials of Ministry of Power and NTPC.
Speaking to media persons after flagging off the Mobile Labs, Shri Piyush Goyal said “ I am delighted to know that NTPC is supporting Agastya International Foundation to take mobile Science labs to the schools in rural India. It is very innovative concept by which we can ignite spirit scientific learning , open thinking which young boys and girls in rural areas are known for. I am sure this new initiative of Labs on Wheels will further encourage young bright minds in remote parts of India also to think differently and learn better & faster and provide scientists of future.”
Three Mobile Science Labs shall be initially deployed at NTPC's ongoing projects at Darlipalli, Pakri Barwadih and Kahalgaon through Agastya International Foundation. Each Mobile Science Lab will cover a set of about 20 schools around NTPC project generating about 16000 student exposures per year. More than 1,40,000 student exposure will be generated in three years enhancing level of curiosity and creativity among children. The instructors for mobile science lab will be from neighborhood community.
Mobile Science Lab will focus on:
• School visits: Each Mobile Science Lab will travel to doorstep of remote schools with 100+ hands-on science models covering topics in Physics, Chemistry & Math for awareness amongst children upto Secondary school level in line with National Curriculum Framework and NCERT syllabus.
• Young Instructor's Program: Apart from teaching & demonstrating through experiments, students will be trained as Young Instructors to teach their peers.
• Science Fairs: Science Fairs shall be organized for wider participation using simple models, and Young Instructors will demonstrate scientific phenomena such as solar and lunar eclipse, seasonal changes, pressure & volume relationship etc.
• Activity Camps: Emphasis on activity based learning for community during summer & winter vacations. At night, MSL team will visit villages and demonstrate models & experiments in gathering spots of villages, with focus to impart sense of responsibility amongst parents, motivating them to send their children to schools.
• Teacher Training: MSL shall organize Teacher Training programs to diffuse & propagate creative-thinking with problem-solving skills among school teachers. The instructors will work with mixed groups of teachers & children to bridge the gap between teacher training and classroom requirement.