THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Far away from the hassles of the city, around 200 students from all over the state gathered at the serene environs of Agricultural College at Vellayani, where they joined together for the Balasasthra Congress.
Organised by the Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishat (KSSP), the students who participated in the Congress presented projects mainly on farming. They also interacted with the professors and other faculty of the college and got a first-hand experience on various topics of agriculture. The KSSP had chosen farming as the subject for the projects as part of the celebrations of the International Year of Family Farming.
Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) Executive Vice President V N Rajashekharan Pillai inaugurated the Congress on May 19. On the concluding day on Tuesday, Dean of Agricultural College Swarup John distributed the certificates.
The children were very much enthusiastic at the Balasasthra Congress, which has given them new experiences in science. Darvish S, a student of St Mary’s Higher Secondary school, Ernakulam, feels that he could take home valuable lessons from the Congress. “I am very much thrilled in coming here. It was for the first time that I was able to do a detailed project on insects at the school-level itself,’’ he said.
Most of the students at the Congress from other districts also shared the same feelings. Some of them were participating for the first time at the Congress, which they said was a different experience from the routine classes.
Even the parents who accompanied their children felt that this Congress was just what their kids needed. “This Congress is not only useful for children but also for parents. We can learn a lot from the projects that the children have submitted,’’ said Gautami P from Thrissur.
Balashastra Congress coordinator V Harilal said that the aim of such an event was to inculcate a scientific temper in every child. ‘’It is necessary to have a scientific approach to life. Through events like these we are able to create an awareness in schools across Kerala,’’ he said.