Young ‘scientists’ at some serious work

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 25

The two-day District-level Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) award exhibition commenced at Ramgarhia Senior Secondary School (Boys) here on Friday. 

As many as 55 students from Ludhiana and three students from Sangrur participated in the event.

All 58 students, who participated in the event, were paid Rs 10,000 to prepare the models for the Inspire award. Swati Parihar came from Delhi as an observer and evaluator. Jyoti Soni was the state nodal officer (SNO).

District Science Supervisor (DSS) Balwinder Kaur said: "Some models were really good and innovative. Students explained the models really well. Inspire is a platform, where students get a chance to showcase their scientific temperament. We will select 10 per cent of the total students for the state-level participation."

Growing fish, plants in one integrated system 

Anjali Rana (14) of Government Senior Secondary School (Girls), Gill, designed 'Aquaponic', which is contrary to traditional soil-based gardening. It grows fish and plants in one integrated system by uniting aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (the soil-less growing of plants). Anjali explained that the fish waste was rich in ammonia, which is converted into nitrates (a form of nitrogen). Maximum plants require nitrogen to grow that they use from nitrates. "The plants can grow in soil-less culture. Vegetables can also grow with this method. Soil-based gardening has lots of drawbacks that aquaponic eliminates," she said.

Bamboo house which can resist earthquakes

To show evidence of materials that can be used in future owing to its 'sustainability', Ravi Roshan (18) of Government Senior Secondary School, Basti Jodhewal, designed an eco-friendly bamboo house without bricks, cement and steel. "A bamboo house is sustainable and has a higher tensile strength than steel," said Ravi. He designed a 'Geodesic dome' above the bamboo house. It is a hemispherical structure composed of triangles. Ravi said: "The structure can resist earthquakes and high winds. Triangle keeps its shape by nature as the pressure applied to it is distributed evenly. Similarly, domes are safest havens on earth and require less building material. They have large space as well."

Treating sewage

A 'Sewage Treatment Plant' was designed by Harsh Aggarwal (14) of GSSS, Dhandra. In it, he explained the various stages of treatment plant from receiving chamber to disinfecting chamber. Harsh explained how water is purified through a physical, chemical and biological process in the plant.

‘Smart City Ludhiana’

A model of 'Smart City Ludhiana' was designed by Vicky Kumar (17) of GSSS, Dhandra. He projected how metro can operate in the city with the help of electricity generated from solar panel. The model had a flyover, multi-story parking and CCTV camera. He also showed how, with the help of optical pipe installed in the building, natural light can be transmitted and distributed in the areas, where it is required and thus save electricity.

Passion for science

Suchit, now a student of GSSS, Threeke, had designed a  'Piezoelectricity' model in Class IX. He shifted to Government Senior Secondary School, Pamal, to pursue non-medical in Class XI. In the model, he attempted to generate electricity with mechanical force. The electricity can be generated when even a man climbs stairs or walks. The piezoelectric crystals or material are able to convert mechanical pressure into electrical voltage. The crystals are laid underneath the roads or stairs to generate electricity.