Students and faculty in the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) are teaching rural students of classes 8 to 11 scientific concepts. Classes on advanced science principles are given to the young students to inculcate in them out-of-the-box thinking.
Under a project called ‘Device Engineering Lab’ (DEL), the students learn how devices, such as cycle bells, electric irons and geysers, microwaves, and calling bells work, besides making objects using 3D printing technology.
DEL facilities have been established in 13 schools in Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Krishnagiri districts. The project benefits 1,000 students directly and another 2,500 indirectly.
DELs was launched by Pijush Ghosh, who is the founder of ‘Teach to Learn’. He is also the project lead and is from the Department of Applied Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering at the institute. The institute was reaching out to build the ‘Make in India’ concept at the school level, he said.
The students learn to apply the concepts and 3D printing to fabricate or make toys and other household objects.
DEL has been designed as a capacity building platform with a three-year curriculum. The objective is to inculcate entrepreneurial mindset at the school level and enhance the students’ fabrication skills so that they could find possible livelihood opportunities as well.
The institute is looking for partnership with non-governmental organisations, other institutes and corporate houses to set up more such labs, including in northeastern States.
Around 200 postgraduate students from 25 research labs prepared the content for about 30 devices for DEL facilities. They also built the teaching modules. As a part of this project, recently, 30 PG students directly taught these device-related concepts to rural students.
Also, 25 students have worked on building devices repositories complying with the school syllabus. Around 60 research scholars from the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship programme are working on making different hands on models.
