Primary Country (Mandatory)

United States

Other Country (Optional)

Set News Language for United States

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language[s] (Optional)
No other language available

Set News Language for World

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language(s) (Optional)

Set News Source for United States

Primary Source (Mandatory)
CNN
Other Source[s] (Optional)

Set News Source for World

Primary Source (Mandatory)
AajTak
Other Source(s) (Optional)
  • Countries
    • India
    • United States
    • Qatar
    • Germany
    • China
    • Canada
    • World
  • Categories
    • National
    • International
    • Business
    • Entertainment
    • Sports
    • Special
    • All Categories
  • Available Languages for United States
    • English
  • All Languages
    • English
    • Hindi
    • Arabic
    • German
    • Chinese
    • French
  • Sources
    • India
      • AajTak
      • NDTV India
      • The Hindu
      • India Today
      • Zee News
      • NDTV
      • BBC
      • The Wire
      • News18
      • News 24
      • The Quint
      • ABP News
      • Zee News
      • News 24
    • United States
      • CNN
      • Fox News
      • Al Jazeera
      • CBSN
      • NY Post
      • Voice of America
      • The New York Times
      • HuffPost
      • ABC News
      • Newsy
    • Qatar
      • Al Jazeera
      • Al Arab
      • The Peninsula
      • Gulf Times
      • Al Sharq
      • Qatar Tribune
      • Al Raya
      • Lusail
    • Germany
      • DW
      • ZDF
      • ProSieben
      • RTL
      • n-tv
      • Die Welt
      • Süddeutsche Zeitung
      • Frankfurter Rundschau
    • China
      • China Daily
      • BBC
      • The New York Times
      • Voice of America
      • Beijing Daily
      • The Epoch Times
      • Ta Kung Pao
      • Xinmin Evening News
    • Canada
      • CBC
      • Radio-Canada
      • CTV
      • TVA Nouvelles
      • Le Journal de Montréal
      • Global News
      • BNN Bloomberg
      • Métro
Northwest Batman Cloud Pillow Buy Now
Amazon Essentials Maxi Dress Buy Now
Blazer Casual Sport Coats Buy Now
Stanley The IceFlow Buy Now
AUROLA Seamless Scrunch Leggings Buy Now
Linen Wide Leg Pants Buy Now
Pioneer Men's Slim Fit Cardigan Sweater Buy Now
ODODOS Women's Sweat Shorts with Pockets Buy Now
Viking Revolution Sea Salt Hair Spray Buy Now
Levi's Slim Fit Gold Jeans Buy Now
Ninja BL660 Blender Buy Now
Y2K Crop Tops Buy Now
Women's Tote Bag: Work, Travel, Gym Buy Now
Men's Bomber Jacket Buy Now
Amazon Essentials Women's Heeled Sandals Buy Now
Women's Satin Pajama Set Buy Now
Instant Hijab Scarf For Women Buy Now
Midi & Maxi Skirts Buy Now
Shark FlexBreeze Fan Buy Now
Silk Satin Floral Shirt Buy Now
Northwest Batman Cloud Pillow Buy Now
Amazon Essentials Maxi Dress Buy Now
Blazer Casual Sport Coats Buy Now
Stanley The IceFlow Buy Now
AUROLA Seamless Scrunch Leggings Buy Now
Linen Wide Leg Pants Buy Now
Pioneer Men's Slim Fit Cardigan Sweater Buy Now
ODODOS Women's Sweat Shorts with Pockets Buy Now
Viking Revolution Sea Salt Hair Spray Buy Now
Levi's Slim Fit Gold Jeans Buy Now
MoreBack to News Headlines
‘The best thing a child can do with a toy is to break it’
Premium

‘The best thing a child can do with a toy is to break it’ Premium

The Hindu
Friday, March 22, 2024 3:35 AM GMT

Arvind Gupta rummages through a large plastic box, offering one delightful innovation after another, all made of commonplace objects, to an enthralled audience. A simple straw experiment offers insights into how the pitch of sound is affected by the size of the object producing it, pins and wires are fashioned into a motor, a balloon is used to make a pump, while a glass of water is transformed into a fun fountain with the addition of a straw.

Arvind Gupta rummages through a large plastic box, offering one delightful innovation after another, all made of commonplace objects, to an enthralled audience. A simple straw experiment offers insights into how the pitch of sound is affected by the size of the object producing it, pins and wires are fashioned into a motor, a balloon is used to make a pump, while a glass of water is transformed into a fun fountain with the addition of a straw.

“You can only buy stupid toys. Clever toys are made with hands,” Gupta, science educator and inventor, says with a laugh at a recent lecture titled Making Things, Doing Science that he gave at the Archives at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS).

At the talk, Gupta, who did a B. Tech from IIT, Kanpur, reveals an incident which inspired him to get into science education. He was in the second year of college, “very much a backbencher” when he heard a talk by the educationist and activist Dr. Anil Sadgopal, who played an instrumental role in setting up the Hoshangabad Science Teaching Programme (HSTP), an initiative aimed at improving science learning in multiple schools located in this district in Madhya Pradesh. “Many people say that they have covered so much area, so many schools etc,” he recalls.  

However, Sadgopal, who had been working in Hoshangabad for around five years by then, said this, according to Gupta, “From a city, we have a very romantic image of a village. But once you go to a village, you encounter class, caste, gender. It is very very difficult.” The talk by Sadgopal helped Gupta find his calling. “That became a sort of intellectual pursuit. A person with such sterling qualities, qualifications tried his best and was still not able to. I mulled over it for years.”

Sadgopal, a molecular biologist with a PhD from California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, had moved back to India after his PhD in 1968 and joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai soon after.

Here, in response to “the horrendous way science is taught in schools”, Sadgopal along with his colleague Dr. Yash Pal, the well-known scientist and educationist, started working with municipal schools in Bombay (now Mumbai), trying out small, simple sets of experiments with the children here.

“They could see smiles on the faces of the children; their eyes lit up with the experiments,” says Gupta, adding that this reaction greatly inspired Sadgopal who went on to quit TIFR and start the NGO Kishore Bharti, which, in turn, set up the Hoshangabad Science Teaching Programme in the early 1970s. “It was the only experiment (in science education among under-privileged children) in the country post-independence, where an NGO worked for almost 25 years with over 12,000 schools.”  

Read full story on The Hindu
Share this story on:-
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running GamePlay Run 3, the ultimate space tunnel running game with 300+ challenging levels!Adv.
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing GameTraffic Jam 3D is a game where you’ll be driving through heavy traffic.Adv.
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic GamePlay the classic 1984 light gun shooter game Duck Hunt on your browser.Adv.
More Related News
UN chief urges AI companies to focus on renewable energy

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said a typical AI data centre, sites where data is processed, uses the same amount of electricity as 100,000 regular homes.

Manipur theatre personality Ratan Thiyam passes away

Ratan Thiyam, pioneer of Theatre of Roots movement in India, known for blending ancient traditions with modern themes.

Trump says China trip is 'not too distant' as trade tensions ease

Trump hints at potential China visit to reset relations amid trade war, with leaders expected to meet soon.

Uditaa Goswami celebrates husband Mohit Suri’s success as ‘Saiyaara’ soars past ₹130 crore

Filmmaker Mohit Suri's wife praises his dedication to successful film Saiyaara, marking another hit for the couple.

Karnataka proposes a new Devadasi legislation with clauses on paternity test, right to property

Karnataka government working on new law to abolish Devadasi system, recognizing children's rights and providing comprehensive rehabilitation.

UK court awards £700 million to HP in late tycoon Mike Lynch’s fraud case

A UK court Tuesday awarded £700 million ($946 million) compensation to IT firm Hewlett Packard in a fraud case involving late British tech tycoon Mike Lynch

Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan sworn in as Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court

Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan sworn in as Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court, with extensive legal experience and international involvement.

Trump reaches silver jubilee of India-Pakistan ceasefire claim, PM totally quiet: Congress

Trump claims to have stopped wars between India and Pakistan, Iran, Kosovo, and Serbia through trade agreements.

U.S. nuclear weapons agency breached in Microsoft SharePoint hack: Report

The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration was among those breached by a hack of Microsoft’s SharePoint document management software, Bloomberg News reported.

Parliament Monsoon Session Day LIVE: Both houses to convene at 11 a.m.

Parliament Monsoon Session Day LIVE updates: Follow The Hindu’s live updates on the parliament proceedings on July 23, 2025.

Rain lashes parts of Delhi; IMD issues red, orange alerts

Heavy rains in Delhi cause waterlogging, traffic jams, and temperature drop, prompting red and orange weather alerts. Stay safe indoors.

Alibaba launches open-source AI coding model, touted as its most advanced to date

Alibaba Group announced on Wednesday the launch of Qwen3-Coder, an open-source artificial intelligence model for software development.

OpenAI, Oracle deepen AI data center push with 4.5 gigawatt Stargate expansion

OpenAI and Oracle will develop another 4.5 gigawatts of data center capacity, expanding their partnership under the Stargate project.

Parking Slot | Free Parking GamePlay Parking Slot, the best online 3D car driving and parking game.Adv.
Slope Ball Run - Play OnlineSlope Game takes you on an exciting journey of a ball on special paths.Adv.
ED issues fresh summons to Rana Daggubati

Enforcement Directorate issues fresh summons to actor Rana Daggubati, as part of its investigation into illegal online betting platforms

From classrooms to boardrooms: The missing women in India’s tech revolution Premium

Breaking down barriers for women in India's tech industry through English and digital skills training and gender equality initiatives.

Over 1,000 waterbird nests observed in Thiruvananthapuram during heronry count

Heronry Count 2025 is an annual citizen science initiative

Hyderabad | Rain disrupts Wednesday morning traffic, Cyberabad police advise work from home for second consecutive day

Heavy rainfall in Hyderabad causes traffic congestion, prompting Cyberabad Police to advise work from home to reduce traffic.

Visually challenged minor girl murder: Life sentence for accused in Andhra Pradesh

POCSO Special Court in Guntur sentences Kukkala Raju to life imprisonment for murder of visually challenged girl.

23-year-old Indian student brutally assaulted in Adelaide; suffers brain trauma, facial fracture

Indian student brutally assaulted in Adelaide, sparking outrage and concerns about safety of immigrants in Australia.

Two men die as landslip hits tent in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi

Two men killed in landslip near Lord Shiva shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, bodies recovered, families informed.

Supreme Court allows man, estranged IPS wife to part ways

Supreme Court grants divorce to IPS officer and husband, orders apology, child custody, and quashes legal battles.

Heavy overnight rain drenches Telangana, Mulugu records highest rainfall of 25.5 cm

Telangana districts experience heavy rainfall, with Venkatapuram in Mulugu receiving highest at 25.5 cm. IMD issues yellow alert for Hyderabad.

Parliament Monsoon Session: Both Houses continue to remain in deadlock over Opposition protests

Opposition protests disrupt Parliament proceedings over SIR in Bihar, air safety incidents, and discrimination against Bengali workers.

When V.S. Achuthanandan found refuge in Attappady’s hills

Attappady's tribal community sheltered and cherished veteran communist leader V.S. Achuthanandan during the Emergency in Kerala.

Eyeing aspiring farmers, agriculture university in Bengaluru to launch paid consultancy service

University of Agricultural Sciences-Bengaluru came up with the idea following feedback from the monthly santhes (shandies) being organised on its GKVK campus in Bengaluru.

© 2008 - 2025 Webjosh  |  News Archive  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us