Impressed by a go to to Nagpur’s open science parks, IAS officer Vivek Johnson took it upon himself to construct such facilities for the scholars of Chandrapur district in Maharashtra with hopes of instilling a love for science and play in them. Here is his journey.
Born to farmer mother and father within the tribal belt of Chandrapur, Maharashtra, Naitik Charandas Rohane aspires to develop into a scientist. Just lately, the 13-year-old found his fascination for science when he began frequenting his college’s ‘open science park’.
Throughout lunch breaks and after college, he hurries to the science park the place he not solely enjoys taking part in on the swings but additionally engages himself in scientific video games.
“As and once I get time without work from my common courses, I’m going to the science park as it is rather thrilling to be taught a lot in regards to the topic. As an example, right here I learnt about parabolic reflectors. On this, my good friend and I stand at reverse ends of the reflectors which are 20 m far off. When he speaks at one finish, the sound waves propagate to the opposite finish the place I hearken to a high-frequency sound,” the category 6 pupil tells The Higher India.
Established in an space unfold throughout 6,500 square-feet, the ‘open science park’ has develop into the discuss of the city. Not less than 28 such open science parks have been arrange throughout Chandrapur district in a bid to spice up curiosity in science amongst rural kids.
Aside from this, 75 sports activities complexes have additionally been opened to faucet into the potential of rural kids in sports activities. All of this has been doable because of the district’s chief government officer, Vivek Johnson.
Just lately, the IAS officer was recognised for his exceptional efforts to remodel the Chandrapur district. He was bestowed with the ‘Lokmat Maharashtrian of the 12 months’ award within the ‘IAS Promising’ class. We sat down with the IAS officer to be taught extra about his distinctive initiatives.
A transfer to get innovators from tribal areas
After finishing mechanical engineering in 2014, Vivek went on to pursue a profession in civil companies. This quest led him to affix the Indian Income Providers the place he labored for 2 years and later joined the Indian Administrative Providers in 2018.
Initially from Malappuram district of Kerala, the 31-year-old was assigned Maharashtra cadre. Over time, he labored within the Yavatmal district as an assistant collector and in October 2022, he joined the Chandrapur district as chief government officer.
It was throughout his go to to Nagpur that he first noticed the success of a science park. This impressed him to open comparable science parks in his district. “After I visited Nagpur, I assumed that my college students also needs to avail the educational experiences of an open science park,” the IAS officer tells The Higher India.
“Youngsters in rural areas often stay unaware of the scientific discoveries all over the world. We aimed toward offering an area the place they may enhance their scientific data,” he provides.
Practically a month after his posting, Vivek launched the Open Science Park initiative in Chandrapur to ignite a ardour for science and nurture the subsequent era of innovators. Past rote studying, the parks are aimed toward encouraging the exploration of latest concepts, designing experiments, offering hands-on studying experiences, and fostering a research-oriented setting.
“These parks are reworking the way in which college students have interaction with science. This can inspire the kids of those rural areas for greater schooling and careers in science and know-how,” says Vivek.
As of now, at the least 28 open science parks are operational throughout the district and 50 are extra within the pipeline. Every park has a devoted staff of lecturers who help college students.
One such instructor is Sudhir Zade, who teaches science at an higher main college in Muthara village of the district.
He tells The Higher India, “The science park is open for kids 24×7. Right here, we’ve got offered fashions to grasp Newton’s legal guidelines, periodic tables, photo voltaic programs, gear wheels, the way to change the frequency of sound, and chairs to grasp the workings of gravity. It’s designed for kids learning above Class 6.”
“We have now seen that kids have began discovering ideas fascinating with sensible classes on the open science park,” he provides.
Tapping rural expertise in sports activities
Apart from open science parks, Vivek launched Khelo Chanda Sports activities Complexes the identical 12 months in 2022. “Throughout my discipline visits, I might meet a number of college students in villages who complained that they lack a devoted house to play so we determined to alter that. I had grown up taking part in so I may perceive the place they got here from,” he provides.
As a part of the initiative, 75 sports activities complexes have been constructed throughout 15 talukas of the district. These sports activities complexes present available areas for rural college kids to have interaction in bodily actions. Each sports activities complicated has operating tracks, basketball and volleyball courts. The initiative’s focus is on improvement programmes to faucet into the abilities of rural younger athletes and encourage their wider participation in sports activities.
“For this, we’ve got utilised MGNREGA and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan funds. We used the quantity for primary leveling of the bottom, putting in LED lights, establishing bogs and leisure rooms,” he shares.
“I acquired good suggestions on the complexes as they’re constructed close to the colleges. Many college students have began taking part in basketball and volleyball for the primary time of their lives. Numerous these tribal college students didn’t even know the names of those sports activities initially,” he mentioned.
“Right now, they’re getting ready for the Khelo Chand Match India competitors,” he informs.
In all, the district utilised at the least Rs 25 lakhs to arrange every playground. It’s estimated that at the least 10,000 rural college students are availing these sports activities complexes and open science parks.
For his exceptional works, the IAS officer was just lately awarded the Bal Snehi Award from the Built-in Youngster Improvement Providers (ICDS) division of the Authorities of Maharashtra.
Trying on the district’s transformation, Vivek says, “I used to be impressed to develop into an IAS officer in faculty because the canvas of this function is basically huge. We are able to change individuals’s lives. This can be very satisfying to see that right this moment, I’m really capable of see that transformation. However this might not have been doable with out the help of my Zilla Parishad (district council) staff.”
(Edited by Padmashree Pande; All images: Raj Hiware, instructional officer, Chandrapur district)