Annual Exhibition 2015, 14 August.

As customary at our School, the Annual Science Exhibition was held on 14 August, 2015 on the occasion of Independence Day. This is in line with our belief that freedom can fully become ours only by the advance of science and technology and thereby it is imperative to ignite a scientific temper in our young students, the citizens of tomorrow. The theme for the exhibition this year was Health and Wellness.

Our chief guest on the occasion was Mr. Lov Verma, Secretary, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. He was accorded a traditional welcome with a tikka and flower petals by the students. Mr. Verma unfurled the national flag as the School choir led the singing of the national anthem. Ms. Renu Sharma, Deputy Director of Education, ( south ) was guest of honour on the occasion.

Distinct venues were allotted to the different disciplines ( Sciences, Languages, Social Sciences), for the display of projects made by the students. The reception area itself, was filled with a palpable pulse of energy! The entire School was abuzz with activity.

Mr. Verma viewed the exhibits displayed by the Science department and keenly interacted with the students who exuded confidence while articulating the various concepts behind the displays.

A special assembly was conducted on the occasion in the Foundation Hall. A highlight of the exhibition this year was a specially created display of a modular smart city laid out across the floor of the auditorium. Handmade by the children, part by part, the display was profuse with green buildings, modern connectivities, alternate power etc, etc., all the essential features of the so-called smart city.

By School tradition, Mr. Verma was presented a luscious plant from the School nursery. It is important to remember here that, Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan are celebrated together at our School alongwith the science exhibition every year. Boys tie rakhis on the girls and vica versa, as a mark of our belief in gender equality. Junior Head Girl, Aditi Gaur spoke eloquently on the significance of observing Raksha Bandhan in this special way on the occasion of Independence Day at our School. She also reminded the audience that Gurudev Rabindranath first used Raksha Bandhan in Calcutta, as a symbol of brotherhood to resist British imperialism. This was warmly appreciated by the Chief Guest in his speech.

A delightful medley of patriotic tunes were beautifully rendered by the large School orchestra. Our musicians at home, as it were, crowded the stage to get a chance to play on the occasion. Violinists, drummers, the tabla-players , guitarists, flutists, etc magically merged music to passionately produce profuse pangs of patriotism,a sit were, amongst those in the audience. An inspirational song was also rendered vigorously by the students of the junior choir. A PPT presentation on the concept of smart cities was discussed by Jivesh Malawaliya and Soumya Saxena of class X.

Our special guests released Science Musings by an Indianite, our in-house science magazine. This is the proud resonance of the Indianites' exciting journey into the world of science, created by the children themselves.

In his address, Mr. Verma emphasised the importance of asking questions and suggested that the children must always keep a small notebook to jot down little gems of information which they come across in daily life. He cited stories of the perseverance of people with disabilities to put across the point that we need to work with grit and determination to achieve our goals.

Ms. Renu Sharma expressed happiness to be present on the occasion. She said that the exposure the children get during these events are them stronger citizens. She was very appreciative of the novel ideas and efforts invested by the teachers and the children at The Indian School.

The Exhibition was thrown open to the parents and other visitors at 10 am. Parents lent support to the exhibition by coming in large numbers. They spontaneously appreciated the projects displayed aesthetically and enthusiastically by the students.

The first floor was the venue for the holiday homework projects of classes I to V. Innovative projects relating to the theme of our School this year States Along the Western Coast were lined. A riot of colours could be seen on flashcards and calendars that depicted the culture and cuisine of these states.

Science Department

The middle level demonstrated projects and working models on the significance of health and wellness in our daily lives. One interesting working model was that of an eye and its defects. There were interesting projects on metals that cause diseases and also papers with research on the prevention of these diseases. Benefits of raw milk over pasteurised milk, a comparison of nutrition values of healthy and fast food was depicted in an interesting project.

The concept behind a model of a disaster-resistant building, which won the award at the Scindia School Science Fest 2015 was articulated to the parents. Other interesting models included an electronic precipitator, brain wave, natural mosquito repellants, finding the content in different samples of milk, the quality of air in Delhi, optical fibre communication, a sewage water treatment plant etc caught the attention of everyone. Food adulteration being a serious cause of diseases these days, the students of class XI demonstrated the testing of adulterants in food items.

Life style disorders relating to the respiratory and excretory systems were demonstrated using models of the Excretory and Respiratory systems made by the children. Awareness on the spread, prevention and symptoms of the Ebola Virus , a model of an eco-friendly chullah for the Smart City, a model of a bio-digester, which digests solid wastes from toilets to produce a useful biogas; methane by anaerobic respiration was highly appreciated by all.

Mathematics Department

This year's Mathematics exhibition showcased the multiple facets of the subject in the states along western coast of India. The Primary displayed symmetry through the charkha, coasters and rangoli, all designed with geometrical patterns, file covers with Warli art. They also discussed the angles demonstrated through dance forms in Karnataka. Students also researched the distances between these states drawing a comparative table.

Middle School showcased crossword puzzles incorporating the names and famous works of important mathematicians of these states. Also mathematical board games and tessellations. Techniques of vedic math took visitors by surprise and the highlight was the travel itinerary to the western coastal states incorporating varying budgets! They even provided handmade brochures, suggesting the most economical ways of planning holidays with math! Exhibits of dams flocked the space discussing their statistics, patterns and drawing comparative analyses between them.

Senior School demonstrated tricks to create a square root spiral and Fibonacci sequences. Facsimiles of Goan architecture could be seen through a variety of temples, churches and other buildings depicting math behind them. Four-colour theorems were explained with models and charts. A comparative study of Goa and Kerala using statistical tools was also featured. The children also created an opinion poll for the visitors to testify the better of the two states in terms of tourism! The application of non-euclidean geometry in the human eye, in bridges, in a dish antenna and movements of a whale were put across marvellously through exhibits.

The math behind the global position system was beautifully illustrated citing various examples. Short movies on Fibonacci, the Life of Ramanujan, the number system and Calculus by Vigyaan Prasar were featured, which left both the children and the parents quick awestruck!

Social Science Department

The Social Science department displayed the beautiful and creative summer holiday homework in the form of tribal artefacts and huts of India with a special focus on the western coastal states. Colourful masks and jewellery, hand made by the children were heartily appreciated by the guests who also lauded the effort.

Senior students enacted characters from the short story, Toba Tek Singh by Saadat Hassan Manto with fantastic ease and finesse that won the hearts of all. The Psychology students assessed the health and wellness of visitors through a specially designed questionnaire that evaluated their physical, mental and emotional health! A useful advice for improving 'health' was offered by the young counsellors from class XII!

The cooperative movement and its growth in India e.g., Amul, Lijjat, IFFCO,etc were portrayed with beautifully made posters and scrolls. The economic growth along the western coastal states was traced through bar graphs and pie charts.

Commerce students attracted parents and students with their new games, the Spin and Win and Light the Bulb, which tested the business awareness of visitors!

The functioning and significance of the judiciary in India as well as the might of democracy was amply displayed by the Legal Studies department through role play involving a court scene.

The Department of English exhibited projects prepared by the students as part of their summer holiday home work. The students of class XI, inspired by memorable anecdotes from their own lives, wrote moving scripts. Some of the English projects that were on display were short skits based on Health and Wellness, The White Revolution, A Conversation among friends discussing the Bhil Tribe of the West Coast of India, an interview with a craftsperson at the Crafts' Museum and an assortment of delectable recipes from the states along the west coast, presented in alluring handcrafted booklets.

Enthusiasm overflowed among three students who dressed as Peter Pan and Oliver Twist and role played their parts confidently! In Hal- mischief they quizzed the guests to guess their characters! The students graciously guided guests through a maze of displayed projects. Avantika Choda of class IXA recited A Song For My Country by Vinayak Krishna Gokak and Saruby Sharma of class XD presented her own composition Ancestral Pride in which she paid rich tributes to her forefathers. Th guests were inspired to test their vocabulary skills by playing scrabble and word power!

The students learning French explained the displayed projects on the culture and cuisine of Paris, French myths, the seasons in France , the architecture of a typical French home, books and movie reviews, all rranged in a colourful collage. French muffins were also displayed in the colours of the French flag flag with French songs softly played in the background.

Projects displayed in Hindi and Sanskrit were from a wide range of subjects. From stories based on famous Hindi proverbs to one of the greatest inventions of mankind, the mobile phone and how early telephones transformed into todays smartphones! Also exhibited were innovative slogans inspired by the states of India by class 7. The arrival of the British in India was highlighted by class 8. Parents and students took great delight in sharing creativity and knowledge in a free-flowing ambience of discovery.

Dr. Anu Singh.