Institute Distinctiveness

The Institute has been mentoring a sister institute Bajaj Science Education Center since 2017 located nearby the institute where around 500 school students across Wardha district are getting trained for experiential learning practices in science and mathematics. Bajaj Science Education Center was established in 2007 to promote basic science education among school students in Wardha district. It is a place for children to learn science through exploration and play. The goal is to spark curiosity in their minds and to inculcate a sense of excitement in studying science. The center strives to nurture creativity and innovation through hands-on experimentation, which is largely missing in school curricula. It does this through laboratory sessions held in five laboratories, each dedicated to a different branch of science. Every year, the centre facilitates about 500 school students of Wardha city in carrying out concept-oriented experiments and demonstrations, which stimulate their curiosity and introduces them to the methods of science. Students are encouraged to ask questions, explain concepts, and undertake projects – all of which help them to learn. Some of them are trained to participate in National-level competitive examinations and other competitions. The Center has its own academic and administrative structure with permanent staff. Dr. Govinda Lakhotiya of the Department of Physics served as an honorary director from November 2017-May 2022 for the academic planning of the center. Presently, Dr. Saikat Biswas of the Department of Zoology is serving as the honorary director of the center. Faculties of the college mentored students for their projects and competitive examinations at the National level.

During 2017-2022, the yearly academic plan of the institute was meticulously framed and executed by an honorary director (appointed by the college) that includes the organization of regular sessions, workshops, teacher’s training programmes, science shows, science exhibition, school level competitions, public outreach programmes etc.

Laboratories of the center are mentored by the faculties of the college where the mentors discuss and contribute to the academic plan for each grade with the appointed teachers of the center in five different laboratories.

 

Dr Homi Bhabha Balvaidyanik Competition is a renowned competition of the state at the school level where students are challenged for theory, practicals and projects. In its third phase, students need to undertake a project on the given topic and work for a couple of months under the guidance of faculties of the college. One of the students in 8th grade has published his project work in the International Journal of High School.

The 8th and 9th-grade students are trained in different topics in science for the International Junior Science Olympiad programme. In 2022, one of the students reached the second stage of this programme and was the only student from the Vidarbha region.

Associated Faculties: Prof. Pradeep Tekade, Dr. Saikat Biswas, Dr. Dhiraj Naik, Mr. Nakul Barwat, Dr. Akhil Nakhate, Dr. Mahejabeen Haque, Dr. Abhimanyu Maheshwari, Dr. Mangesh Yerpude, Dr. Parvez Saudagar.

Teachers’ training programmes were organized to train the school teachers where trainers were invited from New Delhi (Anveshika), Chennai (Association of Mathematics Teachers of India) and Bangalore (Teacher Trainer of Royal Society of Chemistry).

During the lockdown, the center had started a series of virtual weekend science activities where the experts working in the field of science education across the country were invited for some popular talks/demonstrations on interesting topics in science. This programme was broadcast through our social media platforms and was accessible to all science lovers across the globe. To date, 3838-weekend science talks have been broadcast through the youtube channel and have touched many global screens. Details of the sessions can be accessed through the link: Click Here 

With the help of Astro Club of the college, several programmes are arranged in the center for students and parents on astronomical events like annular solar eclipses, lunar eclipses, zero shadow day, planet conjunction etc. Dr. Sudhir Tiple, Faculty Incharge of Astro Club provides his services in guiding the teacher at the center for sky-watching events.

With the help of the faculties of the college, a compendium of 75 Indian scientists, mathematicians, technologists and engineers to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence has been released by Bajaj Science Education Center, Wardha. This collection provides a glimpse of how Indians have contributed to advances in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through the ages. The objective of bringing out this compendium is to make students proud of these countrymen and countrywomen. Booklets have been distributed to the science educators associated with the center across the country and can be made available on request to science lovers in lieu of its printing cost.

The Center is mentoring 14 Adarsha Shalasof Zila Parishad (ZP) through regular visits to the school and teacher training programmes in collaboration with the Bajaj group’s JBGVS. Five offline Teachers’ training programmes on different topics for ZP Aadarsha Shala of Wardha district have been conducted where faculties of the college have shared their essence of teaching with the teachers of ZP schools.