Have you lately asked yourself,

“What has Science done for the world?”

Everything!

The progress made by science in recent decades has changed our lives. Science, and its countless applications, now influence and better all aspects of our existence. The resulting innovations are also an opportunity for the development of our societies. They are improving our well-being, facilitating daily life and pushing boundaries in the fields of medicine, transportation, communication and knowledge-sharing. They are an engine of growth and wealth.

Celebrated every year on November 10th, World Science Day for Peace and Development stresses on the role science has played in shaping our world, its importance and the need for its awareness across all sections of our society. The theme for 2018 is “Science, a Human Right”, demonstrating that everyone has a right to participate in and benefit from science.

On this day, let’s look at some significant contributions that have successfully promoted this ideology, made science more accessible and facilitated the creation of a more sustainable society.

100% Digitally Literate Village

Akoli village in Jainad mandal of Adilabad district, Telangana, became one of the first few villages in the country to go 100 percent digitally literate under the Common Service Centre of India (CSCI) programme thanks to the single-handed and untiring effort of a 32-year-old graduate, Nivalkar Gajanan, hailing from nearby Gimma village. Being a computer literate himself, Gajanan is a village level entrepreneur (VLE) who runs a CSC on the NH-44 in the same mandal and was inspired to do something worthwhile. His drive had him organising computer training sessions and spending almost his entire earning on the training programme itself. Now, the village has at least one person in each of its 167 households who is well versed with basic knowledge in computers and can pay electricity bills and access other such services.

Green living – New Plastic streets

Indian scientist, Rajagopalan Vasudevan, solved one of the most grappling problems of plastic disposal in our country by converting the plastic litter into a substitute for bitumen. Bitumen is one of the main elements in asphalt, used for road construction. Popularly known as the ‘Plastic Man of India’, Rajagopalan’s team has already paved 5,000 kilometres of roads in 11 states.

Manovue 

This is the first intelligent device for visually impaired people, which allows them to read printed text without any problem. Created by Roopam Sharma, a 23-year old Indian scientist, Manovue made it possible for the visually impaired to ‘see’ the world through technology. Roopam was awarded with the World Health Summit Startup award, 2018.

Forest Man of Assam

Assam’s Jadav “Molai” Payeng single-handedly created woodland of 1,360 acres of dense forest over several decades. His intention were to save the species of the island that were endangered due to the increasing floods each year and prevent soil erosion. This happened when he witnessed more than a hundred snakes lying lifelessly on the deserted sandbar near the river Brahmaputra after a heavy shower. He was just 15 years old then and decided to save his homeland by planting and tending to trees. Till date, he has planted around ten thousands of plants saplings, thus saving the island from erosion. He was honoured with Padma Shri in 2015 for his contribution towards a better and green earth.

We hope these stories inspire you to not just extract the maximum benefits from science but also do your bit in making it more accessible and sustainable for the people around you 🙂

Like this story? Read similar stories at The Learning Tree.

Tanaya Goswami

Books are Tanaya Goswami’s first love and cheesecakes come a close second. Talking about movies, music, calligraphy, politics, and Elon Musk will get you listed under the friends’ section of her diary. Ever since moving on from her job as an English lecturer, she spends her time at BYJU’S crafting stories filled with emotion and sprinkled with sarcasm. Outside of work, she’s either learning something new (French, most recently!) or is curled up with a book and a cup of coffee. She firmly believes that discovering what you don’t know is the key to knowledge and is constantly working towards improving herself.
Drop in a line at storyweavers@byjus.com if you liked her stories, have something nice to say, or if you have compelling ideas to share!