Inspired by Kalam, MSL popularising science in rural Bihar

Inspired by former President A P J Abdul Kalam, an NGO is imparting science classes to children in rural north Bihar through innovative laboratory on wheels.

Run by M B Verma, former Project Director General System of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Mobile Science Laboratory vans carrying over 100 science models move around the rural areas of Darbhanga, Supaul and Madhubani to motivate children towards science.

Kalam, who had come to Darbhanga last week to inaugurate a science fair, had praised the effort and asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to popularise the concept across the state.

"Children flock around the MSL vans for entertainment and in the process learn about science through visualising models," Verma, the head of a non-governmental body 'Viksit Bharat Foundation' which runs the project, told PTI.

Presently, three MSL vehicles move around in schools in rural areas of the three districts in Kosi region, he said.

"We are trying to increase the number of vehicle to 10 in 2013," said Verma who was born in Mowar village of Darbhanga district.

The project launched in 2010 has caught the imagination of the people in these areas.

Over 54,000 students have benefited from the project so far through visit of the MSL vehicles in 2,100 villages, Verma said, adding, over 758 teachers have also been trained by volunteers.

He said keeping in view the potential of students of class VI to XII, a total of 160 models based on NCERT syllabus have been developed and displayed to the children.

The Foundation chairman claimed that the schools visited by MSL have witnessed increase in attendance of students.

Verma, who has worked with Kalam in the Integrated Missile Programme, said he was inspired by the former President to run the project.

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