'Science Express' To Cover 19,000 km

The 9^th phase of Science Express Climate Action Special (SECAS) train was flagged off from Safdarjung Railway Station in Delhi on Friday.  

            Addressing the gathering at the time of flagging off, Union Minister Dave said that in future, the Science Express should reach out to 6.5 lakh villages of the country.  He emphasised that till the train is transformed into a peoples’ movement and a vehicle to motivate people to take individual actions and initiatives to fight climate change, it will not succeed in its endeavours on the ground and will only be reduced to becoming a point of discussions in seminars. 

Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu said that Science Express will not just convey the message about climate change, but also generate dialogue and discussion on this burning issue. Science Express will embark on its journey of over 19000 km to cover 68 locations across India till September 8, 2017 and is expected to attract 30 lakh visitors. Climate Action Special will spread awareness on this key issue and augment our efforts to ensure a better future.

            Speaking on the occasion, Dr Harsh Vardhan said that four more such trains must be run in the coming years to develop the train into an even bigger movement.  He added that the role of school students is most critical in making the Science Express a peoples’ movement.  Recounting the statistics, the Minister said over 1.5 crore visitors and students from    33, 801 schools have visited the Science Express till now.

After today’s flagging off, the SECAS will be open for public viewing at Delhi Cantonment Railway Station on February 18-19, following which it will embark upon its journey across the country.  SECAS II will run from February 17 to September 8, 2017 (See Schedule), over 19, 000 km during which it will be exhibited at 68 stations across India. The exhibition will convey a message about Climate Change and will also be a good opportunity to generate dialogue and discussion.

At each halt of SECAS, activities are planned to engage visitors across different age groups to reinforce its message. An exciting and much sought-after Outreach Programme is also conducted in local schools/institutions, along with activities on the railway platforms. In addition, informative take-away material has been made available for wider distribution amongst schools and visitors.

The exhibition is open to all, but primarily targets students and teachers. More information is available on the website www.sciencexpress.in. For visit to the exhibition, an email can be sent to [email protected], or the team aboard the train can be contacted on 09428405407. School students can participate in the JOS Lab in small batches of up to 20 students, by prior registration.

There is no entry fee for visiting the exhibition.  Items such as mobiles, cameras, bags, match-boxes, cigarettes, beedis, tobacco, water bottles, any liquid, and any sharp/ pointed objects.  During its run across the country, the Railway station of the respective city will be the venue for visiting the train.  The timing for visiting the train is from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. 

The broad themes covered in each exhibition of the coaches are:

·         Coach 1: Understanding Climate Change

·         Coach 2: Impact of Climate Change

·         Coach 3 & 4: Adaptation

·         Coach 5 & 6: Mitigation

·         Coach 7: International Negotiations for Climate Change

·         Coach 8: Positive Actions

·         Coach 9&10: Exhibition put up by the Department of Biotechnology

·         Coach 11: Exhibition put up by the National Innovation Foundation

·         Coach 12: A Kids Zone has been set up for children from Std. 4and below to participate in fun-filled activities, games and puzzles in science, mathematics and environment.

·         Coach 13: The Joy of Science (JOS)

·         Solar panels have been installed on the rooftop of Science Express coaches 11-13, as a collaborative effort of DST and CEL, for harnessing solar energy.

Schedule of Science Express Climate Action Special

February 17 - September 8, 2017