Class 11 5 day Internship camp with DST

11 students attended the Inspire Camp, held at Ramjas College from 4th to 8th July 2017. The camp was sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). INSPIRE or Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research is an initiative to orient and expose students like us to creative pursuits in the arena of science. The following students participated in the camp:

1. Anisha Mathur (XI-A) 2. GitanshSatija (XI-A) 3. Samarth Saxena (XI-A) 4. Vidhu Verma (XI-A) 5. Utkarsh Pandey (XI-A) 6. Himani Arora (XI-B) 7. Aatif Hussain (XI-B) 8. Navyaa Singh (XI-B) 9. Priyansh Agarwal (XI-B) 10. Nitya Soni (XI-B) 11. Jasmine Kaur Sarna (XI-B)

DAY 1 The students were accompanied by their teacher, Mr. Pallab Roy.

After the inauguration, we proceeded to attend two lectures. The first lecture was by Professor M.K Pandit, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi. The lecture focused upon the different agricultural forms practised in different parts of India, the uses of agriculture, the contribution of agriculture to our economy and the techniques for practising sustainable agriculture, without damaging the environment. The second lecture was by Professor R.P Bapat, Statistical Mathematics Unit, Indian Statistical Unit, Delhi. He spoke about the different types of statistical data, the use of statistics, the evolution of new policies and the different modes of organising raw data.

After lunch, we attended the Maths Lab session. We learnt about the different kinds of functions and were taught how to plot them. After an introduction, we were introduced to a software named MATHEMATICA, with the help of which we were able to plot graphs by simply typing the commands.

DAY 2

We were again accompanied by Mr. Pallab Roy and we started the day with a lecture by Professor H.B Bohinder, School of Physical Sciences and Special Centre for Nano sciences. He talked about nano science as a tool, nano particles in cosmetics, the nano system and much more. We interacted with our mentor and asked various questions.

After a tea break, we attended a lecture by Professor D.S Rawat, Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi. He spoke of of Chemistry and Sustainable Development. He talked about scientists like Wohler, Kekule, Van Hoff and Le Bel and their works in their respective specialisations. He also talked about the 'downside' of Chemistry.

A practical session awaited us after lunch. That day, we were made to attempt experiments relating to Zoology. First, we were taught about culturing bacteria in a lab and the steps involved therein. We were taught about gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and we learnt to extract stain bacteria from curd. We then prepared slides ourselves with the help of senior students of Ramjas College and observed them under a microscope. It was a day filled with fun as well as learning.

DAY 3

Our teacher, Ms. Nausheen Wasi accompanied us. We had a very interesting session on mathematics by Professor Ajay Kumar, Department of Mathematics, University of Delhi. The talk focussed on 'math beyond imagination'. We were familiarised with hidden concepts in the various number systems. After our interaction with our mentor, 4 students of our School, Gitansh, Navyaa, Samarth and Utkarsh participated in an essay writing competition where they wrote their views on the themes given, 'Make in India and the Second Green Revolution.

After lunch, we attended a lecture by Professor Anil Grover, Department of Molecular Biology, University of Delhi. We also attended a lab session on Botany. We had to prepare our own slides after extracting DNA from an onion root tip and observe it under the microscope. We were appreciated for our precise slides! The hands'-on session also included a taster vs non-taster challenge, where we were given to sample the bitterness of different paper strips based on their concentration level. While some of us found the least diluted strip extremely bitter, others found even the most diluted strips tasteless! By this, we learnt about genetic science. The day was a memorable one. We learned many new and exciting things which are bound to greatly help us in the future.

DAY 4

We were accompanied by Ms. Namrata Jit Kaur. Our fourth day began with a lecture by Professor V. V. Ramamurthy, Division of Entomology, Indian Agriculture Research Institute. He talked about insects, how we can identify the various species and the difference between insects and arachnids. This was accompanied by an interactive session with our mentor. We attended another lecture that day by Professor Arvind from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali. He spoke on various topics relating to Physics. The students asked questions and it was a very interactive learning session. After the lectures, we went for lunch and then proceeded for lab activities. We performed an experiment relating to chemistry, about the synthesis of Copper (II) Acetylacetone. We were first introduced to the process of synthesis of a complex and told about different processes involved in the experiment. We were told about techniques like refluxing and recrystallisation. We also performed the experiment in the lab where some teachers and senior students assistance. We prepared crystals of the given sample and calculated the percentage yield.

We also posed for a group picture with all the other participating schools and the faculty of Ramjas College.

DAY 5

We were again accompanied by Ms. Namrata Jit Kaur.

Our fifth day at the Inspire Internship began with a lecture by Professor S.K Dogra, Dean Academics Affairs, Indian institute of Science Education and Research. We also attended another lecture by Professor Santosh Kumar, Dean, Faculty of Science, Kumaun University. The students asked various questions which made the session very lively. After the lectures, we went for lunch and then proceeded for lab activities. All participants were awarded certificates post-lunch.

The camp taught us a lot. The lectures, hands'-on training sessions and educational trips, convinces us that discovery and exploration is a seamless and invaluable enrichment. It was an incredible and unforgettable experience where we met immensely talented and learned people from the physical sciences.

Compiled by Navyaa Singh.