Bengaluru: The ninth edition of Amrita University’s annual science fest called Aarohan received an overwhelming response from school students across Bengaluru, fostering a closer bond between the schools and an institution of higher learning.
More than 1,100 students from 31 schools in Bangalore gained insights over two days into the world of science through amateur science projects, contests and games. The participating schools included Delhi Public School East, The Amaatra Academy, Harvest International School, Freedom International school, Indus International School and Treamis World School.
Inaugurating Aarohan 2017, Dhanraj Swamy, Director, Bengaluru Campus, Amrita University, said: “Aarohan is Bengaluru’s most well-known science fest. It received an awe-inspiring response this year, which signifies the ever-growing nature of this gargantuan celebration of science. The young minds in attendance set out to acquaint themselves with the world of science through a plethora of events and fun games. Every year, we are pleasantly surprised by the curiosity of students into various aspects of science and the innovative projects they showcase.”
The registration app for Aarohan was designed by students of Amrita Institute of Engineering. QR codes were pasted on the passports given to the participants and were scanned at every event, giving the organizers a real-time update.
The flagship event was the Project Exhibition in which students had to present their projects and showcase their creativity and knowledge in finding innovative and practical solutions for current world problems. A total of 27 projects around the theme of ‘social well-being’ were exhibited. Some prominent ones included drones fitted with special HD and thermal cameras to help rescue people during natural calamities, efficient traffic-control methods, and economical ways of producing fuel.
A hands-on workshop aimed at educating students about the design and fabrication of an ornithopter (an aircraft that flies by flapping its wings) generated great interest, with more than 100 students attending. The participants were coached by experienced engineering students who explained the basics and helped them through the construction of the aircraft.
Among the 18 fun games, ‘The Quest’ tested the aptitude and analytical skills of students, while ‘Technical Hunt’ and ‘Circuitricks’ honed their circuit-debugging skills. ‘Castle Wars’ put construction skills of students to test by building a castle using cardboard boxes. They had to exhibit their coordination by attacking the enemy castle with five tennis balls, while defending their own.
‘Mathemmentum Contour’ brought out the inner mathematicians of students as they worked their way through Sudoku challengs and riddles, as well as a combination of Pictionary and JAM. ‘Game of Sprites’ was the ultimate battle of gamers that provided the participants a platform to develop their own game with boundless dimensions. “Glideator,” a major crowd puller, tested the basics application of aerodynamics. Teams had to solve a set of riddles to obtain a set of data and build the best performing glider which was put through an actual test flight.
A cultural fiesta of music and dance performances was followed by the valedictory ceremony where prizes worth Rs 4 lakhs were distributed to winning students. The overall championship trophy of Aarohan’17 was bagged by Delhi Public School, Bangalore East. The second and third places were won by Freedom International School, Bangalore, and Amrita Vidyalayam, Bengaluru, respectively.
The Chief Guest Jayanthi Prabhakar, Principal, Freedom International School, addressed the students and emphasized the role that science fests like Aarohan play in highlighting the genius of young minds.
