Science drama fest ends

BANGALORE: Curtains came down on the two-day National Science Drama Festival organised at the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological museum on Saturday evening. The festival communicated science by tapping the creative young minds to convey the wonders of this subject through the medium of theatre organised by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), whose main objective is to spread the message of science and technology to people at different levels using latest science techniques. Eight schools from across the country, two from each zone (North, South, East and West) presented theme-based dramas on issues pertinent to everyday life such as the importance of science and technology, water resources, trees, astronomy to name a few. Delivering the valedictory address, former ISRO chairman U R Rao  laid emphasis on how children should be encouraged to do what they enjoy and not let their career paths be chosen by their parents. “Children are the beacons of lights and should be given an opportunity to pursue what their hearts desire,” he observed.The National Science Drama Festival concluded with the distribution of awards and mementos to the children who participated. The best script was awarded to Pramod, Children’s Academy, Mumbai, for the play Vikram and Betaal which focussed on spreading scientific knowledge on purification of water, protection of ozone layer etc. The best director award was bagged by Sunil G Vakkam, Memunda Higher Secondary school, Kozhikode, Kerala for the play ‘Ezham Janmam’ (The Seventh Genesis of Life). The best actor award went to Arya A and Sanjeet for this play.Students were adjudged on the scientific content, fluency in acting, language and  the particular message they wanted to convey through the play, said prof Suchitra Gupta, Hindu College, University of Delhi.Sunny Mahato of Bubbling Buds School, Purulia, West Bengal, who acted in the play ‘Pidhir Pidhi Ekoi Sidhi’,  said “Through the play, I realised the importance of trees and how we need to protect our environment.”