President Kovind felicitated young Gurezi innovator; State Govt risks his life in ‘unsafe’, under-staffed School

Inventor of ‘Counting pen’ is studying in an unsafe building in Gurez

Suhail Rather

GUREZ, MAY 29: In April this year President of India Ram Nath Kovind felicitated valley’s young innovator- Nine-year-old Muzaffar Ahmad Khan for inventing a ‘counting pen’ that keeps a word count while writing.

         Though the boy received praises and felicitations from across the country, back home the state government has very little to offer to the kid to groom his talent. The young scientist is studying in a school housed in an unsafe building in Gurez valley-150 kilometers from Srinagar.

Government Middle School Manzgund Tulail is housed in a dilapidated building which has been declared unsafe by the authorities and the state government is doing nothing to save the children including the young scientist to groom and chisel his talent.

Locals said the government has been making tall claims about tapping the young talent and there are numerous such schemes on papers to boost the morale of such innovators. “However it seems that such statements are issued for PR purpose only and on ground nobody cares about the talent,” says Ghulam Mohammad Lone, a retired teacher.

Muzaffar showcased his prototype ‘counting pen’ at the Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Rashtrapati Bhavan New Delhi. The event was organized by National Innovation Foundation (NIF), an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology. NIF has also decided to make the pen commercial and will hit the stands soon.

         The school where this young innovator is studying lacks basic facilities including toilets, drinking water facilities and the playground. The School has been established in the year 1988 with three classrooms for nine classes. Though the school as upgraded in 2003, but the building continues to be the same with   multiple classes taking place in one class room.

Not only this, the school is also understaffed with only four teachers for nine classes. “At a given point of time, only four classes are working; students of other classes remain idle or the teachers engage two classes at a time and hence can’t concentrate on one subject. It is confusing for both teachers and students alike,” locals said

         The Department of Public Works has declared the building unsafe and has directed to dismantle the building. However the department seems to be least bothered about the welfare of the students.

Locals said even a mild wind keeps them on toes owing to unsafe building as they always have an apprehension that the building may collapse. “We have no option but to risk the lives of children. We have no other option as there is no other school around. We are not living in a city. For six months only God is with us, no one else,” said another local.

Gurez valley remains cut off from the rest of the world for about six months as the only route to Gurez through Razdan top remains closed owing to heavy snow fall. Not only this, the villages in the Gurez and Tulail also remain cut off from each other owing to snowfall.

Deputy Commissioner Bandipora Khursheed Ahmad Sanai said the government has reserved Rs 7 lac under SSA for the construction of the school. He said he has directed concerned Tehsildar to identify land within two days. “If we are unable to identify land, then we will dismantle the building and will construct the new building at the same location,” he said and assured that work will start within a week’s time