Mobile science labs rolled out for 5 blocks of South Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Chief Secretary A P Padhi on Thursday flagged off mobile school and community science laboratories for five blocks of South Odisha. The five blocks are Muniguda, Bissamcuttack, Thuamul Rampur, Lanjigarh and Kothgarh.

“The initiative aims at creating an environment of excellence in learning by engaging community, school, teachers and students,” Padhi said.

The government has started the mobile labs in collaboration with TCS foundation and Tata Trusts, he added.

Regional Manager, Tata Trusts, Jitendra Nayak said the vehicles have been designed as multi-purpose mobile labs and would cover all primary and secondary schools in these five blocks.

According to sources, these vehicles carry application models and charts in accordance with the curricular needs of the schools. On board are audio-visual apparatus like television, projector, audio amplifier and solar power back-ups to support science and math learning through audio-visual communication and simulation experiments. The vehicles have been fitted with GPS trackers to provide real time data on movement of the labs. Teachers, NGOs and community members have been involved in the programme to make it broad-based and outcome-oriented.

These vehicles will allow around 25,000 students of 250 elementary and secondary schools exciting learning experiences, the sources added.

Khandapa MLA Anubhav Pattaniak, School & Mass Education Secretary Ranjana Chopra Panchayati Raj Secretary Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh, Health and Family Welfare Secretary Dr Pramod Kumar Meherda and Science & Technology Secretary Vir Vikram Yadav were guests of honour on the occasion.