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oday's Paper FEATURES EDUCATION PLUS

Published: May 13, 2013 00:00 IST | Updated: May 13, 2013 06:01 IST

Sunday, science and success

r. Satyanarayana has inspired many with his approach to learning and teaching.

Momeen Ummal who is now doing her post-doctoral research in Pittsburgh remembers the classes she used to attendn Chennai which helped her take the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) exam. In 2003, she used to

ravel six kilometers to attend the class, but her teacher would come all the way from Kalpakkam. And that tooithout any fee or restriction on the students. These Sunday classes have helped many others

The classes started in 1996 when I was in IGCAR Kalpakkam. I was approached by some M.Sc students to help themolve problems and give them some tips on how to tackle competitive exams. We started in 1996 with strength ofbout 10 students, says Dr. S.V.M. Satyanarayana, assistant professor from Pondicherry University. He conductslasses every Sunday at the Nuclear Physics Department, University of Madras. He travels from Puducherry to

Chennai to train his batch of students in physics so that they may ace the competitive exams. Dr. Satyanarayanaeems to invigorate in his students an interest for learning physics and also inculcate a method of learning it and it isot just memorising and going by formulae.

Some of his students clear the State-level Eligibility Test (SLET) or GATE with ease.

Every year a couple of his students also clear the CSIR exam for lecturership. This year six students from the class

ave cleared SLET, three have cleared Joint Entrance Screening Test (JEST) with good ranks and two have clearedGATE and one has passed the National Eligibility Test (NET). But this is not what Dr Satyanarayana counts asuccess. People come from outskirts, suburban areas, as far as Madurai and Dindigul to study here. In fact they haveeen more regular than the Chennai students. This I consider a success more than someone clearing CSIR,omeone travelling 400-500 km every weekend for a year, just to attend the class, is a sign of success.

hen they start every year, on the third Sunday of July, after announcment in all colleges, about a 100 students joinnd the number dwindles and at the end of the year about 25 remain. Dr Satyanarayanas initiative is supported byis friends Prof. Rajasekaran of Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Prof. H. S. Mani of Chennai Mathematical

Institute, who also take turns to teach on Sundays.

Over here, the students are not just coached We are trying to teach our students how to learn They learn theechniques and then they can learn on their own. It is hard to say they have to get it in one year or two years. Some get

t in one month, some take six, some others two years, says Dr Satyanarayana.

hen we talk about his students, Dr Satyanarayanas face shines with pride. His students who had taken up teachings career have emerged as really good teachers. He mentions Nainar Mohammed, who is presently working in

Government Arts College, Udumalpet. Wherever he goes, he is a change by himself. He is so dedicated andotivated. He has started a similar class on Sundays in Udumalpet. I have a job to sustain myself, says Dr.

Facili tating:H.S. Mani, Professor, Chennai Mathematical Institute, IMSc, at theSunday science class.Photos: S. S. Kumar

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Satyanarayana adding that, and teaching gives me its own energy.

Students develop an interest for learning physics and also inculcate a method of learning it, and it isnot just memorising and going by formulae.

Students develop an interest for learning physics and also inculcate a method of learning it and it isnot just memorizing and going by formulae.

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