Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram was the proud host of the Annual Inter DPS Science Festival held on 4th December 2015 under the aegis of the DPS Society. It included various inter-school competitions. 43 DPS schools across the nation actively participated in various activities in the diverse field of science.
The inaugural function commenced with the lighting of the lamp by Rear Admiral M.M. Chopra, Vice Chairman, DPS Society and Mrs. Renu Mital, Director, DPS Society. The Guest of Honour was Prof. Harish Chaudhary from IIT Delhi. The Chief Guest for the valedictory function was Mr. Pramod Grover, Vice Chairman, DPS R.K.Puram Managing Committee and Honorary Treasurer of the DPS Society. The judges for the various events were Dr. Geetu Gambhir, Prof. Debal Singharoy, Mr. Rajesh Tiwari, Mrs. Meenakshi Mishra, Mr. Karmanye Thadani and Mrs. Suman Sagar. Also present were the Principal, Dr. D.R. Saini; Vice Principals; Mrs. Shobha Mehta, Ms. Vanita Sehgal, Dr. Renu Nayar and Ms. Padma Srinivasan along with the coordinators of the event, Mr. J.S. Virdi, Head of Department of Physics and Mr. Prem Dhawan, Head of Department of Chemistry; and their team of teachers.
The cultural programme consisted of a ‘Ganesh Vandana’ followed by a mesmerising recitation of Sanskrit Shlokas. The Vice Principal, Mrs. Shobha Mehta welcomed the guests and students and highlighted the importance of teaching as well as learning science. The Guest of Honour, Prof. Harish Chaudhary addressed the gathering talking about his experience in the field of science and how a scientific temperament needs to be inculcated in students.
There were two online and four onsite events. The online activities comprised “Scientific Fun Game” in which the students had to design and create a game to explain a basic principle of science and “A Book of Ideas” where the participants shared ideas regarding nutritious food, volunteer and distribution programs in the effective management of school canteens. The onsite events included “Sci-Quiz” which saw teams answering questions on ‘The Importance of Food Quality’ and ‘Safety in our lives’; ”Science App – Fun With Chemicals” in which students were shown experimental setups and were asked questions on them; “JAM” (Just A Minute) which included topics such as natural calamities, food processing, natural resources and how to solve issues of illiteracy and poverty and “Creative Xpression” showcased topics like Chemistry in the Kitchen, Space Tourism and Nanotechnology through advertisements enacted by the students.
The valedictory function began with the felicitation of the guests. The Principal, Dr. D.R. Saini addressed the audience and welcomed the chief guest for the evening. Soon after, a kathak dance performance ‘Tarana’ enthralled the audience. A video was presented providing a glimpse of the events held during the day. The chief guest, Mr. Pramod Grover, rekindled his fond memories and association with DPS Schools and emphasised on the importance of interaction among students through such programmes.
The prize distribution ceremony was conducted by Mr. Grover, Dr. Saini, Mrs. Shobha Mehta, Ms. Vanita Sehgal and Ms. Padma Srinivasan. The winners of all the events were awarded certificates and trophies.
“JAM – Just A Minute” was won by DPS Rohini, while DPS Jalandhar came second and DPS Indirapuram came third. DPS Moradabad won the first prize in the “Science App – Fun With Chemicals ”, followed by DPS Jalandhar and DPS Rohini in the second and third places respectively. “Sci-Quiz” was bagged by DPS R.K. Puram, the second position by DPS Dwarka while the third prize went to DPS Mathura Road. DPS Greater Noida secured the first position in “Creative Xpression”, DPS Gurgaon came second while DPS Rohini won third position. “Scientific Fun Games” was won by DPS Hyderabad followed by DPS Greater Noida and DPS Chandigarh in second and third position respectively. DPS Vasant Kunj came first in “A Book of Ideas” while DPS Noida came second and DPS R.K. Puram third. The overall winner was DPS Rohini.
The vote of thanks was delivered by Vice Principal, Mrs. Shobha Mehta. Students uncovered their scientific abilities by exploring the various realms of the subject in the events. The Annual Inter-DPS Science Festival proved to be an enlightening and inspiring event for all its participants and spectators.