Sri Chander Mohan, Director, Science Express, has informed Sri Vinay Varma Raja, CEO, OrgPEOPLE, that the innovative educational campaigns by OrgPEOPLE for students on road safety, fire prevention and environmental protection have been selected for the fourth phase of the prestigious Science Express project of the Government of India. This follows in the wake of the achievement by the Pappu Zebra Road Sense campaign in being selected as one of 15 finalists from over 1600 worldwide entries at the International Safety Media Awards, London, September 2010. The decision was taken at a meeting last week at the Vikram Sarabhai Community Science Centre, Ahmedabad, presided by Mr Dilip Surkar, Director of the Centre, to which Sri Raja was invited.

“Science Express,” the world’s largest mobile science exhibition, is the flagship project of the Department of Science & Technology, with the farsighted mandate of engaging the youth of the country in nation-building educational activities. Launched by Dr Manmohan Singh, Hon. Prime Minister of India from New Delhi in October 2007, over 51 Lakh people have visited and enjoyed the ‘Science Express’ experience in over 165 locations across the length & breadth of India, in three phases. The fourth phase of the Science Express will commence from Gandhinagar, Gujarat in the first week of December 2010, and is expected to receive between 18 – 20 lakh visitors, both students & adults, during the six-month journey to 56 locations in 20 states across India.

According to Mr Chander Mohan, Director, Science Express, “I have had the pleasure of going through the books created by Artist Nandan Pillai, Founder, OrgPEOPLE, for the extremely innovative Road Sense campaign, Fire Safety campaign and the Environment Protection campaign for students. The attractive characters Pappu Zebra, Uncle Dash, Baby Pom, O2 etc. are equally striking. We are extremely keen on working together with the team of OrgPEOPLE on these campaigns, so as to reach them to students across the country by means of the Science Express. I sincerely hope that with our alliance we shall be able to comprehensively engage our youth and contribute to nation building.”

OrgPEOPLE is a Thrissur-based Multimedia Consultancy firm which has been working with Kerala Police and other Government bodies on various community interest projects since 2000. Earlier this year, Pappu Zebra the popular road safety Mascot, created by Artist Nandan Pillai originally for Kerala Police Traffic Wing, was adopted as the model for road safety campaigns by the authorities in Orissa and Rajasthan. Artist Nandan Pillai is also the creator of Uncle Dash & Baby Pom, fire safety mascots for the Karnataka Fire Department, as well as SPC Sharan, the hero of the Student Police Cadet project of Kerala Police. Artist Nandan Pillai founded www.orgpeople.com, the world’s largest collection of children’s art on the worldwide web, in 2000.