Aequs Foundation opens centre at Hosur govt school
HUBBALLI: This industrialist is giving back to the society not by donating desks or constructing classrooms for the school where he studied, but he played an instrumental role in building a science and technology centre for his alma mater and other government schools, with an intention to make science learning practical, to develop a scientific temperament among students, and to produce scientists in future.
Aequs Group chairman and CEO Aravind Melligeri is the man behind the establishment of Science and Technology Centre at Government Model Kannada Primary School No 16 here at Hosur, a cost of Rs 40 lakh. As a mark of his 60th birthday, Melligeri decided to give back to his alma mater and other government schools. Aequs Foundation, Agastya International Foundation, Hubbali Dharwad Education Department, Public Instruction Department and Hubballi Dharwad Smart City Limited joined hands for a purpose, and after a year of planning and construction, the facility was ready on Saturday.
The science and technology centre was inaugurated on Saturday. It now has a well-equipped modern science centre with modern science experiments and latest equipment to give students a hands-on experience. The centre also has a science park and a library, which are open to students of other government schools as well. Science toys and models will be provided to schools to make learning easier, interesting and conceptualising.
Students of government school are given free access to the centre, and officials are hoping that the move will attract more students to government schools. Authorities concerned have planned to replicate this model in other places also, Melligeri said.
School develop Sri Sutaradya, Legislative Council pro-tem chairman said in the next few years, the State Government has decided to take up the development of government schools in big way, to bring them on par with private schools. He said though government schools are equipped with good teachers, they have less strength as there are no facilities to attract students. However, the State Government has now taken up the task of developing these schools. It has already started the process of improving the infrastructure and MLCs and MLAs have also joined the hands in this task, he added.
In the inaugural programme, Channamma University VC Prof B Thimmegowda, Agastya International Foundation CEO Ramji Raghavan, MD of Tata International Limited A B Lall, Legislator A M Amaranath Patil and others were present.