VOICE 2019 AT PHYSICS RESEARCH LABORATORY, AHMEDABAD

VOICE 2019, Vikram Sarabhai Competition for Concept-Essay Writing 2019 is an Initiative by the Physics Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad to mark the Birth Centenary Year (2019) of  Dr. Vikram A. Sarabhai, the father of Indian Space Programme.

Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) conducted a Pan India (level) Essay competition for the students of std. VIII – XII.

The competition was held in two different categories i.e. Junior i.e. Std. VIII – X and Senior Std. XI and XII. The Junior category was assigned the topic ‘Home at a Distant Planet’ and the Seniors ‘Design Innovative Experiments for Space Station’.

More than 40 students of our school participated in this  contest. From amongst the thousands of essays received from over 24 states,an elite panel of judges shortlisted the essays of Mukundan Alexander, Std. XII and Amrutha Darshiny C.S., Std. IX. Mukundan worked on “Exploring the role of therapeutic hypothermia induced hypometabolic stasis (temporary human hibernation) in promoting affordable, safer, long-duration manned space flight” while Amruta worked on “Mangal Nivas: Home at a Distant Planet”. The selected candidates  were invited to present their papers at PRL’s main campus in Navrangpura, Ahmedabad on 11th August 2019.

The Inaugural Session was presided over by Dr.Anil Bharadwaj, Director, PRL,and joined by Dr.Kinshuk Acharya and Dr.Gautham Samant, coordinators for VOICE 2019. Separate venues were allocated for the categories. While the Junior Category had 20 paper presenters and 9 judges in the Conference Hall, the Senior Category had 30 paper presenters locking horns at the Nano SIMS hall with 11 Panellists. The paper presentation opened up a treasure trove of information on Astrophysics, Astrobiology, Communication and Satellite Networking and other interesting fields.

On the second day of the programme the students were given the rare opportunity to be part of the Birth Centenary Celebrations of Dr.Vikram A. Sarabhai at the GMDC Convention Centre.  The  event  was  graced  by  the  eminent  presence  of  Astrophysics  luminaries  like  ISRO  Chairman  Dr. K. Sivan  and  the  Sarabhai  family  led  by Dr. Karthikeya Sarabhai, one of the world’s leading environmentalists.  The students were also addressed by the Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi via a pre-recorded video. All the luminaries encouraged the students to follow the late Dr. Sarabhai’s example and make the progress of mankind the primary objective of their future research endeavours.

The valedictory ceremony was organised in a very modest manner.

It was an ecstatic moment for our school to be declared the  National Winner in the Senior Category.

Mukundan Alexander bagged the first prize and a cash award of Rs.25,000 for his remarkable work on innovative experiments for space station.

                     Mukundan Alexander Presenting his                                                       Amrutha Darshiny Presenting her Idea of 

          ‘Design Innovative Experiments for Space Station’                                       ‘Mangal Nivas’- Home at a Distant Planet (Mars)

                         Contestants of  VOICE-2019 during                                                          Mukundan Alexander with PRL Director 

               Vikram A. Sarabhai Birth Centenary Celebration                                                      and VOICE -2019 Co-ordinators

  The Organising Committee of  VOICE - 2019 with the Winners       The Proud 25 K Cash Prize Winner,  Mukundan Alexander giving the

                                                                                                            Victory Talk after being adjudged the National Winner in the Senior Category