After a very, very long time, a visit to Scientific Society of Dr. KV Rao brought this writer back to her school days. Not because the expansive three-story space in one of the nooks and crannies of Siddhartha Nagar in Hyderabad (near Madhura Nagar metro station to be appallingly precise) has STEM experiences or models everywhere you go. turned. Literally.

The second floor houses the laboratory while the third floor houses a seminar room with 60 seats and a classroom.

For example, the periodic table welcomes you in a space where it opens with an exhibition of all kinds of models of the figure of Lissajous (sand pendulum) at the cradle of Newton. No, that’s certainly not what sparked the nostalgic comeback of the days when tight braids tied our hair and equally strict “manual” rules tied our heads. After all, most educational institutions are too attached to theory to focus on practice, the latter being, needless to say, what society advocates today. The visit made us mentally scour our textbooks, our courses, anything and everything whose responsibility it was to educate us on local heroes like Dr Kolluri Venkateswara Rao – the scientist known for having created the chemical division of the Geological Survey of India, pioneering work on fluorosis and the effect of SO2 and NOx in terms of environmental pollution by marble, on monuments like the Taj Mahal and Charminar.

Temple of learning

In 2001, he founded the scientific society Dr. KV Rao, with the aim of fulfilling his dream of developing scientific temperament in children. Today, it is a legacy that thrives in the 4,000 square foot premises that were once where the great spirit resided. An inheritance that is now carried by his stepdaughter, Dr K Ratna. But what is important is not that we did not know him before, but that we educate ourselves on him now, in the hope of finding inspiration to ignite in our minds the sense of curiosity for learning. , which is the very breath of life.

Conversations begin
So as we admire Dr KV Rao’s PhD from Banaras Hindu University, his magnifying glass, typewriter and other memorabilia kept in one of the many rooms, we ask Dr K Ratna what was like the man himself and she smiled as she said, “He was a tiger when it came to work, but otherwise he was a gentle giant who felt the urge to encourage children towards science, not just medicine, but also chemistry, physics and biology. ” The lady in question, who holds a PhD from IIT Delhi, and her family members ensured that her vision was implemented.

The scientific innovation laboratory

In fact, to deliver the 21st Annual Memorial Speech, former ISRO President Dr K Kasturirangan was invited and he also opened their Science Innovation Lab, the latest addition to their space. It’s a dream space for any mind that doesn’t just want to read but actually understands scientific concepts using various models – human digestive system, telescope, math puzzles, a sound wave model and a whole bunch of them. various tools that open the mind to the relationship between Science and the world, generously funded by Electronic Arts (EA). But the founding member of society is aware that the Arts and Sciences go hand in hand. Thus, the SMART (Science Meets ART) Awards were launched this year. “On National Science Day (February 2021), we asked students to visualize science and art together in the form of a painting or a drawing. We received over 660 applications from all over India, ”she said, delighted.

Science in motion
What’s also new is that the company understands that its new lab may not be accessible to people living in remote areas. She therefore launched the Mobile Science Lab, funded by the Orange County Community Fund (OCCF) in California. A bus is being converted into a lab that will visit the interior of the state to make pit stops at schools where hands-on learning is in high demand. Anil Kumar Kutty, the president of the company who joins us on a call, shares that as we speak the bus is equipped with standard interiors and experiences. This is how the scientific society of Dr. KV Rao, even after two decades of tireless work with children, continues to reorient itself according to the needs of the hour.

Some of the models presented by students as part of the SPARK Innovation projects are an automatic wheelchair with gestures, a smart lifebuoy, a device to avoid electrocution, a light-powered charger and much more.

Meanwhile, the company’s annual research award, coveted by the scientific community, continues to flourish. This year, among the 235 nominations received (many more than any year), Arvind Kumar of IIT Madras was chosen as the laureate who works on the regularity of the powers of quadratic sequences with applications to binomial ideals. Over the years, the winners have progressed in their fields and still view the award as a milestone. The very first recipient, Dr. Venkat Reddy, is currently working in Cincinnati, USA, on rare diseases. “He shared that after winning the prize, his village had welcomed him with a procession,” said Dr Ratna, coordinator of the Association of Indian Women Scientists, Hyderabad branch.

Anil Kumar Kutty, President, Scientific Society Dr KV Rao

This SPARK has been lit
Anil Kumar Kutty talks in detail about the SPARK Innovation Awards, the tenth edition of which took place this year. This large-scale event encourages children to express their most innovative ideas in the form of working models. “These annual events were organized in various places such as the BM Birla Science Center or the BITS Hyderabad where a galaxy of scientists is also invited,” recalls the president. Of course, this year it was all virtual and they still managed to receive 285 projects from 19 states in India. The focus is on the innovation factor, he says. “Over the years, we have managed to create a culture where only original ideas have surfaced. We have even managed to frame and financially support some very promising ideas, ”said the former deputy secretary of the Indian government’s Department of Energy (2002 Take the example of Nellore’s student working on a robotic hand to paralytic patients and another from Karnataka trying her hand at a fuel-efficient missile.

Welcome to the company

As we prepare to leave the scene, we meet CB Lakshmi, a scientist working at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology in Hyderabad who is also a member of the Society, who goes on to say, “Surely there is. no place like this in Hyderabad city. “And after watching and seeing for ourselves Dr KV Rao’s big dream in action, we have to agree. And let the world know the name of this venerable scientist is secondary because mainly, the large number of students who have benefited from all that society has done has already left an indelible mark.

These are the champions

Joe Daniel, the device and Teja Narasimha Rao | (Photo: Joe Daniel)

Together with Teja Narasimha Rao and Bodhi Satva, I built a Class VII Electronic Safety Braking System (ESBS) for which we won the SPARK Innovation Award last year. Once the device is installed on a vehicle, it identifies human beings in its path and triggers the pause which automatically immobilizes the vehicle. We’ve been working on this for about four years with the goal of doing something for the good of society. It was my father, who is in the Indian Air Force, without whose support I could not have made it and the company, who recognized and supported our work.
Joe Daniel, Class X, SBOA enrollment and upper secondary school

Bhavin Saurabh Gupta and his works of art | (Photo : Bhavin Saurabh Gupta)

Art is my favorite hobby and science is my love. The SMART Awards gave me the opportunity to mix the two. The idea I had was centered on evolution. I described how simple one-celled organisms can turn into a huge tiger, an animal that I love very much. I used colored pencils and alcohol ink markers to represent evolution, a subject that endlessly fascinates me. Once I got the idea, it took me about five days to complete the artwork that won the first SMART Award. I was so happy when I heard the news. I aspire to become a scientist and art is something I would like to continue as a hobby. This is because creativity in the arts helps me visualize science better
Bhavin Saurabh Gupta, Class X, Manthan International School, Hyderabad

Mathematical models you should get with:
– Figure of Lissajous: Represents the different varieties of curves formed by combining two simple harmonic movements which are mutually perpendicular
– Newton’s cradle: it is a device that describes the concepts of conservation of momentum and conservation of energy using oscillating spheres
– Galileo thermometer: It proves the principle on which thermometers are based, that in the proportion of temperature, the density of a liquid has changed
– Balancing the nails: considered a trick with a solid theory to back it up. Find the balance point or center of gravity of a nail to balance the other nails on it

To learn more about them, see kvrss.org