Pawar Public School first to set up Ham Radio Club

Pune: In an attempt to upgrade the disaster management training given to their students and train them in communication technology, Pawar Public School, Hinjawadi, has become the first school in Maharashtra to set up Ham Radio Club.

Four teachers of the school now have call signs, which means that they have received their licenses from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to operate the station. “The club will now train the students at the school in radio and wireless communication. Like all other kinds of tinkering and innovation laboratories, even here, the children will carry out experiments and learn through them. This will help develop their interest in radio technology,” said Vilas Rabde, veteran Ham Radio operator and consultant to the school. Rabde has also trained the four teachers and helped set up Ham Radio in the school.

Through Ham Radio, students will also be able to communicate with people globally. Not just that, they will also get a chance to communicate with the space shuttles and space centres.

Devendra Kumar, Principal of the school said that the Club will add a practical element to the existing disaster management curriculum prescribed by the Central Board of Secondary Education.

He stated, “Along with learning the new technology, the students will also learn about the operation of the Radio during disasters. Students from Class VI to X will be trained here, with at least 40 students from each year getting benefitted.”

Boosting innovation 
“India is the second largest consumer of mobile phones in the world. However, we lag behind when it comes to communication technology. We have to import everything. If we train youngsters today in radio and wireless technology and related fields, it will get them interested in it as a profession. In the next 15 to 20 years, we might be able to start manufacturing the products in our country itself,” Rabde said.

He added, “To create awareness about Ham Radio in school students, ‘Fox Hunting’ or ‘Transmitter Hunting’ is ideal. In this activity, participants use radio direction finding techniques to locate one or more radio-transmitters hidden within a designated area. This game also improves the children’s communication skills.”