Indian NASA scientist, judge lead literacy efforts in this school
PRAYAGRAJ : A National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), US scientist, and an Allahabad high court judge are leading efforts to set up a computer lab at the government-run Abhinav Vidyalaya located at Dandupur in Chaka development block of Prayagraj for the benefit of rural children. Located in the trans-Yamuna region of the district and 20km from Sangam city, the Class VI to Class XII CBSE-affiliated school has around 450 children enrolled in it.
NASA scientist Imdad Alam has committed to donate two computers while the Allahabad high court judge Shabihul Hasnain has promised to gift one, to start the proposed computer lab, said school principal RD Shukla. Shukla was recently awarded the UP state teacher’s award for his outstanding contribution to the field of education.
“It is a welcome step as the computer lab will enable us to start imparting computer education to students, most of whom hail from rural areas and come from economically weak families,” said Shukla.
The principal described how the judge and the scientist — both belonging to Dandupur — had visited the school during Moharram and on hearing about his efforts to set up a computer lab for the children in his school, had volunteered to support the initiative.
“Immediately, Alam promised two computers while justice Hasnain also committed one computer for the lab much to the delight of the children. They have also promised to extend all support in this effort,” said Shukla.
The principal said that that he has also written to the state director (secondary education), requesting funds for a computer lab at the school. The school has been functioning since the 2016-17 academic session after inauguration by the then UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in April 2016.
He said that justice Shabihul Hasnain was a regular visitor to the school and many a time even joined the children in the mid-day meal.
The school saw its first batch appear in the high school board exams in 2018 and registered a 97% pass percentage, while the school received its intermediate affiliation only in July 2018 and has 56 students enrolled in Class 11.
THE PRINCIPAL DESCRIBED HOW THE JUDGE AND THE SCIENTIST — BOTH BELONGING TO DANDUPUR — HAD VISITED THE SCHOOL DURING MOHARRAM AND ON HEARING ABOUT HIS EFFORTS TO SET UP A COMPUTER LAB FOR THE CHILDREN IN HIS SCHOOL, HAD VOLUNTEERED TO SUPPORT THE INITIATIVE.