New school

A branch of St Xavier Group Schools was inaugurated at Athgarh, 40km from Cuttack, on March 8. The inauguration event began with a captivating performance by the students of Cuttack Xavier School followed by Odissi dance, song and other presentations. High court judge Amitabh Dash, who was present at the event, emphasised on the uplift of creative exposure among students in his speech.

Amrit Sahu (left), Class IX student of DAV Public School, Unit-VIII, who won a gold medal at the Initiative for Research and Innovation in Science, 2013

National award

Amrit Sahu, a Class IX student of DAV Public School, Unit-VIII, has won a gold medal at the Initiative for Research and Innovation in Science (IRIS), 2013, a competition of scientific temper.

Amrit developed a device called voiconator, which helps mute persons to speak. The device has two sensors fixed on the tongue and lip of the speech-impaired person. Whenever the person moves his or her mouth, a micro controller will process the information and create sounds. In this way, the device can help thousands of people to speak.

At IRIS, a carnival of innovations jointly organised by the Centre’s department of science and technology, Intel & Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), 200 schoolchildren from across the country showcased their projects after a gruelling selection process.

Of the 200, 17 will take part in the International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF), to be held in May, at Los Angeles. Amrit is one of the 17 and the only one from Odisha. There, he will interact and compete with participants from various countries.

A cultural programme for schoolchildren organised by NTPC, Talcher Thermal, in association with SpicMacay

Cultural programme

A two-day cultural programme was organised for students of various schools, in association with SpicMacay(Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth).

The cultural programmes were organised at Panchayat high School, Padiabhanga, Kanadurga High School, Santhapada, Kukudula High School, Kukudula, and Shree Jagannath High School, Jagannathpur, where Odissi dancer Aruna Mohanty and Guru Bijay kumar Barik took part.

Mohanty explained to the students the different cultural aspects of Odissi and its importance in the Indian context. They also shared knowledge about “mudra”, “bhangi” and “abhinaya” of Odissi dance.

The objective of the programme was to conserve and promote an awareness of the rich and heterogeneous cultural tapestry amongst the youth of the country through focus on classical art and to facilitate an awareness of their deeper and subtler values.

Drawing competition

An art and story writing competition was recently organised for students of Pathani Samanta Shiksha Kendra.

More than 70 students took part in the contest by writing stories and drawing pictures on various topics such as family and landscape. Later the students were distributed certificates and presents.

Students’ demands

A group of students recently presented a “Children’s manifesto-cum-charter of demand” to political parties at a programme organised by the National Campaign Humara Bachpan and CACL (Campaign Against Child Labour). Around 50 children raised the issues that most parties ignore in their poll agenda.

Odia litterateur Prativa Satapathy addresses the students of DAV Chandrashekharpur on International Women’s Day. Telegraph pictures

Women’s Day

Students and staff of DAV Public School, Chandrasekharpur, celebrated International Women’s Day last week.

Eminent Odia Litterateur Prativa Satapathy spoke on the empowerment and equity of women and stressed on the importance of women getting equal opportunity in every sphere. The students felicitated Satapathy on the occasion.