Young Achievers

Singapore trophy winners

Three class XI students of Velammal Matriculation Higher Secondary School (VMHS), Chennai — Anuradha Ramprasad, Sanjana Jayachandran and P. Karthikraj — were awarded the Champion of Champions trophy at the sixth International Life Sciences Symposium held in Singapore on March 2. Organised by the Anglo Chinese School (independent), Singapore under the theme ‘Frontiers in Science’, the symposium attracted participation from 45 schools in 12 Asian countries. The winning VMHS team designed a model nano-scale (10-9) robot that clears blocked arteries and destroys cancer cells in the human body. It was awarded the first prize of Singapore $600 (Rs.15,600), besides three individual and two trophies for the school.

"Given the high standard of entries at the international competition, we were pleasantly surprised that we won the first prize. Although we had worked hard to develop our nano-scale robot, many of the other inventions were as good. We owe our success to our biology teacher Vimala Gabriel, who guided and motivated us all the way," says Ramprasad speaking on behalf of the trio who worked on developing the dwarf robot for three months prior to submitting it for evaluation to the Anglo Chinese School in January.

The VMHS team was invited to the Anglo Chinese School, Singapore to receive their prizes on May 2 and spent an educative five days (together with biology teacher Gabriel) taking in the wonders of this 21st century city state (pop. 4.5 million).

Following the award of the Champion of Champions trophy, the budding scientists are confident that their invention will greatly help patients suffering from blocked arteries and cancer. "The nano-scale robot with two sensors is driven by a propeller. It should be injected into the femoral artery of the leg and is operated by remote control. Using laser technology it can ‘sense’ a block in the heart and vapourise it instantly. It can also search and destroy hostile cancer cells in the body. However we have only provided a theoretical solution which hasn’t been tried and tested yet. Further research needs to be done before the model is perfected and ready for use," says Jayachandran.

Hemalatha Raghupathi (Chennai)

Anuratn Rai

Although aged only 11, Mumbai-based Anuratn Rai is an accomplished musician with a nationwide fan club. Recently this young prodigy performed in a series of concerts in Delhi provoking enthusiastic encomiums.

Born to internationally acclaimed Hindustani vocal artiste Pandit Anupam and kathak danseuse Reeta Rai, Anuratn has inherited a passion for music and fine arts in full measure from both parents and is a versatile tabla, pakhawaj and octopad exponent besides being a kathak dancer. Following the family tradition, he aspires to a career as a composer and music director. "Anuratn is a born multi-dimensional artiste who exhibited exceptional abilities to grasp music rhythms and complexities from an early age. When he was barely 30 months old he could tap out very difficult 15 beat rhythms on the tabla and he gave his first on-stage performance at the age of three," says father Anupam Rai who manages Sangeetanjali, a music trust in Mumbai.

Unsurprisingly well before entering his teenage years, Anuratn has been rendering stage performances in India and abroad. In 2005 he was conferred the Gaurav Sanman Award by famous Bollywood music director Anandji of Kalyanji-Anandji fame. And last year on Children’s Day (November 14) he received a performance award from Nand Lal, the chief election commissioner of Maharashtra.

Although young Anuratn has embraced a serious disciplinary life given the expectations of his family of classical art lovers and musicians, he hasn’t missed out on the usual joys of childhood. An above average class V student of Queen Mary High School, Mumbai, he plays cricket with great enthusiasm and has developed the art of mimicry.

Nevertheless he is sure of his career path. "My goal is to learn, perform and serve. I have been set a very high standard by my father and my wish is to be like him. I also believe there is a great opportunity to fuse classical western and Indian music," says Anuratn.