Kerala converts scrapped buses into air-conditioned classrooms for schools

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<strong>Adopting an innovative approach, the State Government run Kerala State Road Transport Corporation has decided to convert their discarded and scrap buses into much-need classrooms.</strong></p>
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The concept known as Padanavandi has rolled in Thiruvananthapuram’s teachers’ training institute, Manakkad, the first of these converted buses. The low-floor bus has been refurbished as a classroom for Rs.3 lakhs.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://www.indianarrative.com/upload/news/Padanavandi2_iprdkerala.webp" style="width: 720px; height: 480px;" /></p>
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It was inaugurated this week by Antony Rau, the State Transport Minister and V. Sivankutty, the General Education Minister. This version of the Padanavandi has racks for storing books, an air-conditioner and a smart television among other facilities.</p>
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Another low-floor bus is being converted with two floors to allow 40 students to be seated at a given time. One bus has been handed over to a Palakkad-based school for turning it into Padanavandi.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://www.indianarrative.com/upload/news/Padanavandi3_iprdkerala.jfif" style="width: 720px; height: 480px;" /></p>
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The Padanavandi will be used as a reading room while one session of every class in a day will be held inside it. Plans afoot to have more such converted buses based on the requirement of the schools.</p>
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A number of KSRTC buses lying idle during the Covid-19 pandemic waves and the lockdowns had got damaged and become beyond repair. The Government decided to convert them instead of selling them in the scrap.</p>
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Antony informed the media that a number of other States have made enquiries about this scheme.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://www.indianarrative.com/upload/news/Padanavandi4_iprdkerala.jfif" style="width: 720px; height: 480px;" /></p>