68 SOCIAL SCIENTIST examinations as decided by the scholarship committee of the parishad. Start: In order to impart scientific knowledge to thousands of technicians and artisans who have never had a chance of getting any formal education, the parishad has organized a school for technicians and artisans. Classes on subjects like electrical wiring,, automobile repairing,, printing and other trades are conducted in various centres under the auspices of this school. The ultimate goal of this project is to impart scientific knowledge to the labourers. The parishad is also trying to organize science forums in the factories to facilitate the discussion of technical and non-technical problems of the workers. Science centre: Another cherished objective of the parishad is the establishment of a science centre at Calicut. This centre which would cost Rs 17 lakhs will be modelled on the Visweswarayya Science Museum at Bangalore. The centre will, in the main,, contam a science museum, a work centre for children, and a science library. Thirty five cents of land have been acquired for this purpose near the Calicut beach. The parishad expects to complete the project within a short period with the help of the state and central governments, and international agencies like UNESCO. Rural science academy: The parishad has always felt the need to encourage rural research and technology. In order to give concrete shape to this concept, it has been decided to establish a rural science academy at Gannanore. The principal aim of this academy will be to facilitate the development of rural and indigenous techniques in a scientific manner. This academy will provide facilities for village technicians^ artisans and farmers to develop their trades and techniques, to translate their problems into modern scientific language to be passed on to R&D institutions and to feed back the results of these R&D efforts. Research and reference library: The parishad has made a start towards the establishment of a research and reference library at Quilon. This library will be the first of its kind in Kerala. Gradually a documentation and feeding centre will also form part of it. These are the principal activities of the Parishad. A completely voluntary organisation, the Parishad has as its strength and capital a few hundreds of very active, committed workers. With this and the cooperation of the people at large, it hopes to reach its ultimate goal—a social transformation. K K KRISHNAKUMAR