JOIN USHubballi startup’s mobile labs reach, teach Ladakh kids
After supplying four mobile science laboratories, designed and integrated by it, to the Ladakh administration for the benefit of students in remote places there including in border areas, a startup which began its journey in Hubballi in 2017, is now preparing to supply two more such vehicles to the Union Territory.
The ‘Tare Zameen Par’ initiative of Varnaaz Technologies here, which is known for its mobile planetariums, also has the credit of providing unique mobile science laboratories to the School Education Department of Ladakh, to make science learning interesting and easier for the children in the highest plateau of the country.
The mobile science lab not just includes apparatus required for science experiments, but also houses a smart TV to show videos and to have interactions with scientists, and charts on different science subjects. The content of education through this facility has been developed based on the CBSE syllabus.
“Four mobile science labs were delivered to Ladakh in April, and two of them are being used exclusively for the benefit of students in Leh’s Changthang region near China border. Now, we have got the order for two more such labs which would be delivered to Ladakh after February, “ noted Varnaaz Technologies founder & CEO Dinesh Badagandi.
Two mobile labs now being built are for fifth to 10th standard students, while previously supplied buses were for eighth to 12th standard students. Rs 50 lakh is the cost for each mobile lab being supplied based on the tender awarded, he said.
Mobile planetariums
‘Tare Zameen Par’ has supplied a total of 11 mobile planetariums to the government in Karnataka, and is operating and maintaining them.
“Seven mobile planetariums are allotted for Kalyana-Karnataka region, while four are for other regions. Demand from schools is very huge, and every district needs one mobile planetarium.
We have also built contents on heritage of Karnataka and human anatomy,” Badagandi said, adding that mobile planetarium initiative has already reached 12 lakh
children.
‘Tare Zameen Par’ has operated its mobile planetariums not just in Karnataka, but also on rental basis in other States including Arunachal Pradesh, and was also a part of Indian Army’s ‘Operation Sadbhavana’ in Jammu & Kashmir areas, he added.