By Y. S. Rana , CHANDIGARH: In a government school laboratory, a group of children huddles around wires, sensors, and a half-finished prototype. When something goes wrong, instead of waiting for the teacher to provide the right answer, they discuss the problem, alter their design, and test it again. The model may or may not work, but the most crucial step—learning—has already happened.
This transition from memorizing the “right answer” to developing the confidence to ask the “right question” captures a monumental shift currently taking place across Chandigarh’s government schools. Here, experiential learning is actively being utilized to nurture a profound scientific temper among young minds.
The Transformation at GHS Dadu Majra
At Government High School (GHS), Dadu Majra, this educational transformation is particularly visible. Its Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL), established in 2017, has evolved into a dynamic space where students from Classes V to X learn through regular hands-on activities and workshops.
Under the dedicated mentorship of ATL In-charge Bharat Bhushan, students are actively encouraged to identify problems, explore possible solutions, build prototypes, and learn through continuous experimentation.
Scientific temper is not created by merely memorizing scientific facts. It develops when children learn to observe, question assumptions, examine evidence, and test ideas. Within this framework, teachers transition from being providers of every answer to becoming facilitators of discovery, teaching children that a failed circuit is not a poor outcome, but valuable information.
A Culture of National-Level Innovation
Over the years, this hands-on approach has taken the students of GHS Dadu Majra far beyond their traditional classrooms. Their innovative projects have reached prestigious national platforms, including the Atal Tinkering Marathon, School Innovation Marathon, INSPIRE–MANAK, Rashtriya Bal Vigyan Pradarshani, IRIS National Fair, and the National Toy Fair.
Key milestones of the school’s innovation journey include:
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ATL Marathon Success: Four projects reached the Top 200 in 2018, with some progressing to the Top 50. In 2020, six projects reached the Top 300, and one made it to the Top 10 under the ‘She Codes’ programme.
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Star Recognition: The school was proudly recognized as a ‘Star ATL of India’ from Chandigarh between January and June 2020.
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Mass Participation: In 2025, an impressive 28 student projects participated in the national-level Buildathon.
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National Honors: Two projects reached the national level of INSPIRE–MANAK, with student Saloni securing a place among the Top 60 nationally. Furthermore, two teachers and two students were invited as special guests to the Republic Day ceremony in New Delhi.
The exposure extends to the educators as well. ATL In-charge Bharat Bhushan was selected for a delegation to the Sirius Centre in Sochi, Russia, for a Deep Learning Technology Program and was recognized as a Regional Teacher of Change by the Atal Innovation Mission.
Preparing for ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’
The significance of this experiential learning model goes far beyond producing future scientists. When children build a working model, they simultaneously draw upon science, mathematics, technology, and communication. They learn teamwork during development, resilience during failure, and critical thinking when diagnosing problems.
The laboratory effectively becomes a training ground for vital life skills that conventional written examinations cannot always measure. As a result, GHS Dadu Majra has repeatedly won the overall best trophy at state-level science, mathematics, and environment exhibitions.
As artificial intelligence, climate change, and emerging technologies reshape the modern world, education must prepare children not merely to recall information, but to interrogate it, apply it, and create with it. Chandigarh’s experience demonstrates that nurturing a generation that values evidence over assumption and curiosity over passive acceptance is exactly how the ultimate goal of Viksit Bharat 2047 will be achieved.
