Indus Towers Sponsors Joy-of-Science Lab Aboard ‘Science Express – Biodiversity Special’ Train

As part of its green initiative, India’s leading tower company sponsors a coach on the iconic train SEBS, which resumes its 2013 journey from 9 April

INDIACSR News Network

NEW DELHI: As a part of its green sustainability initiative, Indus Towers Ltd – India’s leading Tower Company – has collaborated with Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre (VASCSC) for the ‘Science Express – Biodiversity Special’ (SEBS). The SEBS 2013 edition is scheduled to be flagged-off from Delhi Safdarjung on 9 April 2013 and during its journey till 28 October 2013, it will travel to 62 locations across India. At each location, it usually halts for 3-4 days during which the exhibition remains open for visitors.

Commenting on the impending resumption of SEBS’ 2013 journey, BS Shantharaju, CEO, Indus Towers said, “In an era when controlling climate change is imperative, we believe this is an excellent way of inculcating environmental consciousness in our youth. Environmental sustainability should not only be practised by adults but also become a way of life for today’s youth to ensure the legacy we behold today on Earth, is sustained for our future generations to enjoy.”

The Indus Towers-sponsored Joy-of-Science Lab hosted in the SEBS coach will have facilities for students to perform experiments and undertake related activities that help them comprehend different concepts regarding the environment, climate change, water and biodiversity.

SEBS is a novel joint initiative of the Department of Science & Technology (DST) and the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), Government of India. Launched as ‘Science Express’ in October 2007, the innovative mobile exhibition mounted on a specially-designed 16-coach AC train travelled across India in four phases, before it was redesigned as ‘Science Express – Biodiversity Special’. Since its launch in October 2007, the Science Express exhibition train has traveled over 86,000 km across the country. With over 87 lakh visitors at its 270 halts and 1000 exhibition days till date, Science Express is the largest, longest and most visited mobile science exhibition in India and has created several records.

The state-of-the-art exhibition aboard the SEBS aims to create awareness on biodiversity of India, climate change and similar issues among various sections of the society, especially the students. The exhibition, thus, targets a wide range of audience including school and college students as well as teachers.

Dilip Surkar, Executive Director, Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre, said, “We have partnered in this noble cause and have been entrusted with the responsibility to manage The Science Express – Biodiversity Special (SEBS). We believe this is a great concept in educating masses on various issues related to biodiversity and environment and bridge the gap between classroom and practical exposure. We are grateful to our corporate partners like Indus Towers coming forth to support the JOS Lab aboard the Science Express. Specific Outreach Program is being conducted at local schools and institutions associated with the Ministry’s National Environment Awareness Program (NEAC) and National Green Corps (NGC). In addition to this informative take-away, material is being made available for wider distribution among visitors.”

During last year’s journey that culminated in Gandhinagar on 22 December, more than 2.4 million people benefitted directly from the novel train, which included 600,000 students and 32,000 teachers from 7,000 schools, who had visited the train with prior appointments.

In this year’s phase, there will be eight coaches for the Union Ministry of Environment & Forests with an attractive exhibition on the theme of Biodiversity. One coach will house the extremely popular Indus Towers-sponsored Joy-of-Science Lab of VASCSC as well as a Discussion Centre-cum-training facility. The other coaches will showcase several inter-related features and aspects of Climate Change, Biodiversity, Water, Energy Conservation, Environment, Science, and suchlike.

The target groups visiting the train include school and college students, teachers, the general public (rural as well as urban), youth, women, heads of institutions, et al.

School students can participate in the Joy of Science (JOS) Lab in small batches of up to 25 students, by prior registration.

(www.indiacsr.in)