Page 38 - Education World September 2021

Young Achievers

Launched in 2008, the AYDA social worker with a reputed NGO,
contest — open to third, fourth and Reyansh was introduced to reading
fifth year architecture and interior when he was merely two. “I used
design students and postgrads in 15 to read bedtime stories aloud to
Asian countries — is Nippon Paint’s Reyansh when he was a toddler and
unprecedented initiative to nurture gradually built a mini-library for
socially-conscious architects and him to develop a love for reading.
planners in Asia. The theme for Today he enjoys books authored by
this year’s AYDA edition required J.K. Rowling, Roald Dahl and Ruskin
contestants to suggest ways and Bond as much as he loves read-
means to improve quality of life ing and researching world-famous
through architecture and design physicists Stephen Hawking, Richard
innovations. Feynman, Michiko Kaku and George
Moved by the plight of Tamil Gamow among many others,” says
migrants during a 2018 trip to Sri his proud mother.
Lanka, Neha is planning to donate Inspired to write for sharing
a part of her Asia championship information he has accumulated
cash award towards rehabilitation of over the years, Reyansh started with
Tamils displaced during the 26 year short essays when he was seven. In
civil war in Sri Lanka which ended in 2019, he began writing Our Universe
2009. “I also hope to work towards which took him two years to com-
implementing my dream project in plete.
NEHA HARISH Chennai, which hosts the country’s first e-book, Reyansh has started
Thrilled with the release of his
largest number of camps for Tamil
refugees displaced during the under- working on a book on maths. “Space
reported civil war,” she says. technologies, mathematics and sci-
ithin five months of ence are set to become very impor-
being adjudged India Paromita Sengupta (Bengaluru)
Wchampion of the Asia tant subjects of the future. I write
to spread knowledge and awareness
Young Designer Award (AYDA)
Contest 2020 held virtually of these subjects,” says this young
prodigy.
early this year, Bengaluru-based REYANSH DAS
At the instance of his doting mom,
architect Neha Harish (24) has in 2020 Reyansh also launched a
been adjudged Young Sustainable strophile class V student of YouTube channel christened tojo-
Designer 2020 (architecture) of Kolkata’s Indus Valley World swizzyworld to share videos and
Asia in a transnational competition ASchool, Reyansh Das (10) is
organised by Osaka (Japan)-based the latest to join the country’s dis- information across age groups on a
wide range of subjects. “My dream
Nippon Paint Holdings Co. tinguished league of young authors
In the online final round play-off of the pandemic era. On June 8, this is to become a qualified astronaut
of July 8, this young architect’s precocious pre-teen launched his de- to explore the final frontiers of
PowerPoint presentation titled but e-book Our Universe: The Past, mankind. Who knows I may even
discover a new planet!” he enthuses.
Requiem for Tolerance, which The Present, The Future on Kindle
highlights the connection between (Rs.100). Baishali Mukherjee (Kolkata)
architecture, homelessness and Comprising ten chapters and 116
memory to showcase tolerance as a pages, Our Universe explains the
solution to loss of identity suffered young author’s understanding of sci-
by displaced migrants in instances ence and astrophysics including Big
of civil war, economic upheaval and Bang theory, time dilation, multi-
international wars, was adjudged verse theories, Albert Einstein, the
the best of 13 entries and awarded a future of the universe, life cycle of
cash prize of $1,000. stars, the solar system, stellar rem-
“Given that the subject of my nants, the curvature, dark matter,
final year undergrad dissertation dark energy and composition of our
was aligned to the human centered universe. All this without any formal
design AYDA theme, I signed up education or guidance on the subject
for the competition drawing from of astrophysics.
it. I attribute this achievement to “While randomly browsing videos
continuous faculty, parental and on YouTube, I chanced upon one
peer support,” acknowledges Neha, related to outer space and galaxy
a 2020 graduate of R.V. College and was fascinated by this unex-
of Architecture, Bengaluru now plored universe,” says the aspiring
employed with CollectiveProject, a outer space explorer. The only child
Bengaluru-based design firm. of single mother Sohini Routh, a

38 EDUCATIONWORLD SEPTEMBER 2021