“Everything is theoretically impossible until it is done.”

 – Robert A. Heinlein

The Science and Maths Department of Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram organised their annual Inter-School Math-Science Festival, Sci-π 2.0, on Saturday, December 3, 2022. 

The fest provided a stage for upcoming young scientists and mathematicians to demonstrate their abilities in several challenging engagements. Numerous visionary and productive competitions were planned to enable the students of classes VI to XII to learn, explore and attain creative prospects.

Sci-π 2.0 was organised in a hybrid mode, with two events happening online and four events happening onsite.

The Online category consisted of:

1. Tira Comica: Comic strip designing

For the junior level, the participants were required to design a comic strip on the theme Myths and Misconceptions regarding Science. For the senior level, the theme was Innovative applications related to Science. The event was judged by Ms. Niva Chhonkar, Head, Department of Biology, DPS R.K.Puram and Mr. Amit Rajput, Head, Arts Department, DPS, R.K.Puram. 

2. Math-o-Kalender: Designing a Calendar

It was an opportunity for the participants to showcase their artistic talents and design a calendar illustrating their creative knowledge. The event was judged by Ms. Shreya Kataria from Samsung, an alumna of Delhi Public School R.K.Puram, who was also the President of Maths Society. The event was also judged by Mr. Mrinaal Mittal from The Unity Group, also an alumnus of Delhi Public School R.K.Puram, who was the President of Student Council. 

The Onsite category consisted of:

Science Events

1. The event for the Junior level was Ekphrasis-Poem the Picture, an opportunity for students to explain concepts of Physics, Chemistry and Biology in the form of a poem of 8 lines written by them on-the-spot. The judges were Ms. Debarati Sen, Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Sri Venkateswara college, Dr. Sarika Yadav, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Sri Venkateswara college, Dr. Smriti Sharma Bhatia, Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Miranda House, University of Delhi, and Dr. Ritu Gaur, Professor, Life Sciences and Biotechnology at South Asian University, New Delhi.

2. For the Senior level, the event was Innovatief Leren. The event infused in the students the will to discover, observe, question and explore as they demonstrated the innovative methods of learning any concept of Science through a PPT with a voiceover. Some teams also presented the models that they had created on their respective themes. The event was judged by Ms. Monika Sharma, Professor at Miranda House, Dr. R.K. Wadhwa, Professor and Additional Medical Superintendent at Safdarjung Hospital, Dr. Shivangi Saha, Assistant Professor at AIIMS and Ms. Meena Dhami, Former Head of the Chemistry Department at DPS RK Puram.

Mathematics Events

1. The event for the junior level Modeil Mathematica, was targeted towards young researchers and mathematicians. Participants were asked to make a 3D model based on a given mathematical concept. After the completion of the model, the teams presented their entries to the judges. The judges were Dr. Charu Sharman, Assistant Professor at Shiv Nadar University and Mr. Anshuman Gupta, an alumnus of DPS RK Puram. 

2. For the Senior level, the event was Symphonies of Maths, an event that displayed the musical talent of the students as they captured the hearts of the audience by singing a melodious self-composed song related to Mathematics. The event opened with the welcome address by the Vice Principal, Mr. Anil Kathuria where he emphasised on the importance of observation and learning and drew a parallel between music and mathematics as both of them stand universal. The event was judged by Dr. Bhavneet Kaur, an Assistant Professor at Lady Sriram College, Delhi University and Ms. Mahima Goel, an alumnus of DPS R. K. Puram and a former Head girl.
               

The event successfully ended under the supervision of the Ms. Ritu Nayar, Head, Department of Mathematics; Ms. Niva Chhonkar, Head, Department of Biology; Mr. Ajay Goel, Head, Department of Physics;  Mr. Prem Dhawan, Head, Department of Chemistry, other department members and support staff. 

The closing ceremony commenced with a wonderful rendition of the Ganesh Vandana through Classical Kathak, followed by an exciting medley of songs performed by the School Choir and  a celebratory, vibrant Garba dance performance. The Vice Principal of DPS RK Puram Mr. Anil Kathuria expressed his gratitude to the Principals of all participating schools on behalf of the Principal, Ms. Padma Srinivasan. He added that competitions like these are learning opportunities that students need to avail, saying that ‘never be the smartest person in the room: if you find that you are, change the room’ as learning happens when you step out of your comfort zone. 

Mr. Mukesh Kumar, Vice Principal, DPS RK Puram, said that the integral component of all the events was creative arts, propelling the students towards further innovation. He urged students to move beyond classroom learning, highlighting the intrinsic relationship between performing arts and natural sciences. All four departments released their annual magazines with the names The Mathyard by the Mathematics Club, Biology Matters by the Inquisito Club, Iminium by the Catalyst Club and The Phyzard by PhySoc. Mr. Prem Dhawan gave the vote of thanks where he mentioned that the event was successful particularly because of the large number of participating schools and the effort and quality that each team brought along with them. 

The event successfully concluded under the supervision of Ms. Ritu Nayar, Head, Department of Mathematics; Ms. Niva Chhonkar, Head, Department of Biology; Mr. Ajay Goel, Head, Department of Physics;  Mr. Prem Dhawan, Head, Department of Chemistry, other department members and support staff. The overall champions were DPS Faridabad. The ceremony drew to a close with the singing of the School Anthem and the National Anthem.