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. This is his journey.

Born to farmer mother and father within the tribal belt of Chandrapur, Maharashtra, Naitik Charandas Rohane aspires to grow to be 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 day off from my common lessons, I am going to the science park as it is vitally thrilling to be taught a lot concerning the topic. As an example, right here I learnt about parabolic reflectors. On this, my pal and I stand at reverse ends of the reflectors which might be 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 scholar tells The Higher India.

Established in an space unfold throughout 6,500 square-feet, the ‘open science park’ has grow to be the discuss of the city. At the least 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 due to 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 Yr’ 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 hitch the Indian Income Companies the place he labored for 2 years and later joined the Indian Administrative Companies in 2018.

Initially from Malappuram district of Kerala, the 31-year-old was assigned Maharashtra cadre. Through the years, 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. “Once I visited Nagpur, I believed that my college students must also avail the training experiences of an open science park,” the IAS officer tells The Higher India.

“Kids in rural areas normally stay unaware of the scientific discoveries around the globe. We geared toward offering an area the place they might 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 following era of innovators. Past rote studying, the parks are geared toward encouraging the exploration of recent concepts, designing experiments, offering hands-on studying experiences, and fostering a research-oriented surroundings.

“These parks are remodeling the way in which college students interact with science. This may inspire the kids of those rural areas for increased schooling and careers in science and expertise,” 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 major college in Muthara village of the district. 

He tells The Higher India, “The science park is open for kids 24×7. Right here, we have now supplied fashions to know Newton’s legal guidelines, periodic tables, photo voltaic methods, gear wheels, find out how to change the frequency of sound, and chairs to know the workings of gravity. It’s designed for kids learning above Class 6.” 

“We have now observed 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 yr in 2022. “Throughout my discipline visits, I’d meet a number of college students in villages who complained that they lack a devoted area to play so we determined to vary that. I had grown up taking part in so I might 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 interact in bodily actions. Each sports activities complicated has working tracks, basketball and volleyball courts. The initiative’s focus is on growth programmes to faucet into the abilities of rural younger athletes and encourage their wider participation in sports activities.

“For this, we have now utilised MGNREGA and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan funds. We used the quantity for fundamental leveling of the bottom, putting in LED lights, establishing bogs and leisure rooms,” he shares.

“I obtained 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.

“At present, 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 lately awarded the Bal Snehi Award from the Built-in Youngster Improvement Companies (ICDS) division of the Authorities of Maharashtra.

Wanting on the district’s transformation, Vivek says, “I used to be impressed to grow to be an IAS officer in faculty because the canvas of this position is actually huge. We are able to change individuals’s lives. This can be very satisfying to see that as we speak, I’m truly in a position to see that transformation. However this might not have been doable with out the assist of my Zilla Parishad (district council) staff.”

(Edited by Padmashree Pande; All images: Raj Hiware, academic officer, Chandrapur district)