RCPC Robotics Project
| Meeting Date | 02 Mar 2024 |
| Meeting Time | 18:30:00 |
| Location | Poona Club |
| Meeting Type | Regular |
| Meeting Topic | RCPC Robotics Project |
| Meeting Agenda | |
| Chief Guest | Rtn. Payal Rajpal |
| Club Members Present | 45 |
| Minutes of Meeting | Young Einsteins Members were fascinated by a group of students from Pune’s B.T. Shahani School, who gave us a glimpse of their innovative talents and the remarkable achievements of RCPC’s Robotics Project, headed by RCPC member Rtn. Payal Rajpal. She recounted how she had surmounted several hurdles such as overcoming parental objections/concerns, and obtaining passports and visas at the last minute for the children selected to represent India at an international robotics competition in Tallinn, Estonia, where they made it to the top ten. The children had also scored third place at Robotex Asia in 2017. Rtn. Payal stressed the importance of digital literacy “for a better tomorrow”, adding that nearly 1.2 million children across the country are now being groomed in robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) coding, which have become the foundation of education and innovation around the world. Some of the inventions demonstrated by the Young Einsteins from Pune included: • a river-cleaning boat equipped with technology to gather submerged and floating debris • a mountain safety device that detects vehicles in mountainous terrain with real-time monitoring of vehicle speed, whilst displaying critical information to promote safe driving • a four-layer authentication system for vehicles, covering face recognition, fingerprint identification, password/personal identification number, and a global positioning system (GPS) and global system for mobile communications (GSM). At the end of the meeting several Rotarians and Rotarians commented that thanks to these bright youngsters, India’s future is in safe hands. Earlier in the evening, Rtn. PP Prakash Gurbaxani gave us an entertaining summary of his year in office (2000–2001), during which his aim was “to do things differently”. The presence of three doctors and four accountants on his board of directors, ensured that projects undertaken throughout his tenure were in great shape. An unforeseen event like the Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat required large-scale disaster management, and RCPC rose to the occasion by sending two truckloads of relief material and following up with rehabilitation efforts for eighteen months. Rtn. Prakash added that several new members were inducted into the club and the plethora of high-profile guest speakers included politician Sushma Swaraj and Dorab R. Sopariwala, writer and media personality. Doing things differently even when it came to vocational awards, waiters on the Deccan Queen were among the honorees recognised for their hard work. Another achievement that Rtn. Prakash looks back on with pride is that during his presidency, all club meetings ended at 8 p.m. sharp. President’s Announcements • Rtn. PP Arvind and Rtn. Vidya Saraf, Rtn. PP Madhu Rathi, Rtn. Dr. Kamalkishore Malpani, Rtn. Shirish Nadkar, Rtn. PP Sanjiv Kumar, Rtn. Pradeep Dharane, Rtn. Oni Kakajiwala, Rtn. Prabhat Singh, and Rtn. Kanwal Guliani were thanked for their generous donations to RCPC projects. • As part of the project to repair earthen dams in Satara District, a 380m-long dam in Rajapur, Satara District, is undergoing repairs involving clearing the dam-face, digging a 10-ft trench, and using an earth-mover. The dam not only supports irrigation but also elevates the water table, benefitting wells and the surrounding area. • Two paper bag-making workshops were conducted by Ms Vishakha Vichare. The first workshop, held on February 20, 2024, was at Elite International School for Sanjeevan Foundation. Another workshop was held on February 21, 2024, for the Poona School and Home for Blind Girls at Gandhi Bhuvan in Karve Nagar. • On February 27, 2024, a felicitation was held for Dr. Zahir Kazi, President of Anjuman I Islam, Mumbai, on being awarded the Padma Shri for his contributions to education. Celebrations We offered birthday greetings to Rtn. Shantilal Lunkad and Rtn. Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva. We wished Rtn. Dr. Shona and Mr. Milon Nag a happy wedding anniversary. |