Teaching science the way no textbook can, toymaker Arvind Gupta gets Padma Shri

Gupta dismisses Union minister Satyapal Singh’s statement that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution of man was not scientific as “silly”. “These statements do not encourage science,” Gupta said

Toymaker Arvind Gupta, Arvind Gupta, Padma Shri. Arvind Gupta gets Padma Shri, Evolution of man, Union minister Satyapal Singh, Charles Darwin Theory Evolution of Man, Pune News, Latest Pune News, Indian Express, Indian Express News

Arvind Gupta has dedicated over 35 years to popularising science and making it a fun-learning experience for children.

Science is about challenging authority and asking questions, says 64-year-old Arvind Gupta, who has been awarded the Padma Shri this year. Known for turning trash into toys that children can make themselves while learning the basic principles of science, Gupta dismisses Union minister Satyapal Singh’s statement that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution of man was not scientific as “silly”.

“These statements do not encourage science,” Gupta, who has translated 380 award-winning books on science and math in Hindi, told The Indian Express. “The scientific community has criticised such statements that do not encourage science,” says Gupta, who has dedicated over 35 years to popularising science and making it a fun-learning experience for children.

With 1,500 science experiments documented in photos and 8,600 short video clips on YouTube in 18 languages that has reached out to 63 million people across the world on making improvised toys, the Pune-based toymaker draws inspiration from Gautam Buddha, who he says urged people not to believe in anything simply because they had heard it but to draw upon observation and analysis and find if it agrees with reason.

“Science is like that. It is not just me who is fascinated by science and uses these simple toys to popularise it. There are so many more who are passionate about inculcating a scientific temper in children.

For instance, P K Nanavati, who is associated with Dr Narendra Dabholkar’s superstition eradication movement, has dubbed 1,000 videos in Kannada that depict how toys can be made from trash. Or then former Home Secretary Madhav Godbole’s wife Sujata, who has translated 36 books by Isaac Asmiov — an American writer known for his works on science fiction — into Marathi,” Gupta says.

“While the award has come from out of the blue, I am happy about the national honour,” he says modestly. Gupta recalls the manner in which science was taught in villages in the 70s. As a student at IIT-Kanpur, Gupta says it was a revolutionary time.

“There were students’ protests, the Naxal movement and such political churning unleashes social energy. We decided to play a meaningful role in people’s lives,” Gupta says as he speaks of his participation in Dr Anil Sadgopal’s NGO Kishore Bharati in the Hoshangabad science teaching programme in Madhya Pradesh in the late 70s.

Story continues below this ad

Gupta set his idea on creating simple toys and educational experiments using locally available materials and items thrown as trash.

At the Children Science Centre at Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Gupta worked for 11 years and, right from the ‘Matchstick Mecanno’, he showed how great teaching aids and other scientific experiments can be created from domestic items.

While Gupta retired following his fight with prostate cancer where he had to undergo 42 rounds of radiotherapy, his passion for science education remains undaunted. As Sujata says, “The first thing that strikes you about Arvind Gupta is his untiring energy and commitment to work for children.”

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories

Tags:
padma shri