3 Apeejay School, Nerul students win silver medals at Homi Bhabha Balvaidnyanik Exam

Driven by scientific temper and knowledge, students from Apeejay School, Nerul have brought laurels to the school by receiving three silver medals in the Dr. Homi Bhabha Balvaidnyanik Competition (DHBBC). More than 40,000 students appeared for the examination and only the top 0.75% received medals. Annika Anand, Satyajit Singh Dua, and Somesh Jitendra Nikhare were awarded e-merit certificates in the online ceremony as they provided rationale on how to help save the environment in the current times.

Following a unique and rigorous four-stage process, the competition held on June 8 was open to students from classes 6-9 comprising a written test, practical examination and extensive project followed by an interview about a relevant environmental issue. The competition was aimed at piquing curiosity and developing a problem-solving attitude, along with development of precision in observational and motor skills for young scientists.

Annika Anand of class 7 presented a project aboutmoral plastic, providing a sustainable alternative to common-use plastic by suggesting bio-plastic packaging as an actionable resource. Her study involved finding methods to avoid wastage by eliminating thin plastics and wrappers used for packaging vermicelli, wafers, biscuits, dry fruits, instant noodles etc. “I zeroed down on Agar Powder obtained from seaweed to carry out my experiment to make bioplastics. During my research, I found that it could be a very useful alternative for packaging. I further look forward to a day when no plastic waste would go out of my home,” says Anand who is passionate about conserving the environment.

For his project,  Satyajit Singh Duachose to study the effects of packaging waste and ways to minimise the same. To begin with, he collected data regarding packaging waste from various households near to his home in Mumbai. “As we were at the peak of the pandemic, I conducted surveys and interviews with the help of G-forms and Zoom meetings. After collecting the data, I tried to look for solutions, starting from my house itself,” says Dua.

He worked on a prototype created by bagasse (sugarcane waste), and took 2-3 weeks to create a biodegradable, fungus resistant and cost-effective packaging solution. “The Homi Bhabha Balvaidnyanik competition enriched and developed my problem-solving skills. It taught me not to give up and analyse my mistake to start all over again,” he says.

Somesh Jitendra Nikhare, class 10 student,took an initiative to promote Covid-appropriate behaviour in his neighbourhood in Mumbai. “As several people were found Covid-positive in and around my apartment complex, I thought about working towards the betterment of people. I realised that we could reduce the severity of the third wave only by educating people and hence slowing down its impact,” says Nikhare. He conducted online meetings with fellow students of his age-group to educate them about how senior citizens could be helped and protected during the pandemic. Inspired by Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton in the field of science, Nikhare aspires to be an engineer in future.

“Students at Apeejay School, Nerul, are encouraged to innovate and experiment. It is indeed a matter of pride for us that our students have won a silver medal at the Homi Bhabha Balvaidnyanik Exam this year. This is the result of our sharp focus on the development of scientific temperament amongst our children. I congratulate the ever-dedicated staff and our brilliant student achievers.”

-Monika Arora, Principal, Apeejay School, Nerul