MGNREGA workers create science park on Suvarna Soudha grounds

MGNREGA workers create open-air science park at Suvarna Soudha with interactive models promoting activity-based learning for children.

MGNREGA workers from villages near the Suvarna Soudha have toiled for days to create an open air science park in front of the Winter Session venue.

The open-to-air science park, located on the western side of the Suvarna Soudha, has been developed at a cost of ₹40 lakh.

It has 22 interactive models that demonstrate key concepts in mathematics, physics, biology and geography designed to spark children’s curiosity and address various scientific inquiries.

Additionally, the science park aims to promote activity-based learning, Belagavi ZP CEO Rahul Shinde has said.

“We received instructions to start a facility to engage children who come to witness the Winter Session. We decided to engage MGNREGA workers for the purpose. We chose volunteers from Halaga and Bastawada villages. They worked hard to meet a short deadline,” Mr. Shinde said.

He said that a Bengaluru-based education agency Gyan Pro provided the designs for the park.

The park has working models to demonstrate principles developed by Newton and Archimedes, methods for measuring time using shadows, instruments for gauging rain and humidity, explanations of vehicle motion, various light experiments, a periscope, lens models, mirror play, kinetic energy experiments utilizing gravitational force, sympathetic swings, Pythagorean theorem applications, simple cameras, gravitational balls, echo demonstrations, centripetal force experiments, hydropower generation, a square wheel cycle for solar water heating, diverse gear models, a three-dimensional pendulum, genetic models, among others.