Science Career Literacy · Palakkad, Kerala · Est. 2025

Arivu അറിവ് - Knowledge

A bilingual science career literacy project for school students in Palakkad. Most students here only know two paths. There are over fifty.

2
Paths Most Students KnowIIT-JEE and NEET. Not because they're the only options but because nothing else ever came up.
50+
Paths That Actually ExistReal Indian institutions. Real entrance routes. Real careers that most students in this district have never heard of.
₹0
Cost to Access ArivuFree. You can find the static site on GitHub Pages. No login and no paywall. This stays this way.
The Core Problem

Two paths.
Most others never mentioned.

Most +2 school students in Palakkad hear about two futures when pursuing STEM: IIT-JEE or NEET. Not because those are the only options but because the information gap is real and wide.

"You can't aim for something you've never heard of. The problem isn't IIT or NEET.. it's that most students here never get to see the full map."

Arivu is a bilingual science career literacy project. A website, a WhatsApp newsletter, and will be a direct school outreach. Built by two students from Palakkad, for students from Palakkad.

Available STEM careers in India
Astrophysics
Env. Science
Comp. Biology
Materials Sci.
Sci. Journalism
Sci. Policy
Ocean Science
Mathematics
Biophysics
+ 40 more fields →
"It's either IIT or NEET"
What most Palakkad school students see
Section I

Science Pathways Map

Every card is a real career with real Indian institutions and real entrance routes.

Research · Space
Astrophysics & Space Science
TIFR · IIA Bangalore · IUCAA · NCRA
Study stars, black holes, galaxy formation, and India's space programme. One of the most active research fields right now, and India is a serious player internationally.
Research · Environment
Environmental Science
CESS · IISER · Wildlife Institute · MoEFCC
Climate research, conservation biology and sustainability. Kerala's biodiversity and monsoon systems make this particularly relevant for students from the region.
Applied · Biology + CS
Computational Biology
IISc · NCBS · TIFR · DBT Institutes
This is where biology meets programming. Genomics, protein folding, drug discovery. Indian bioinformatics is genuinely world-class and growing fast.
Communication · Media
Science Journalism
The Wire Science · IndiaScienceWire · Scroll
Translate complex science for general audiences. Multilingual science writers who work in both Malayalam and English are uncommon and in demand.
Applied · Materials
Materials Science
IISc · IIT · BARC · CSIR-NML
Design new materials like semiconductors, superconductors and polymers. India's electronics and manufacturing growth needs materials scientists in the next coming decade.
Policy · Governance
Science Policy
DST · NITI Aayog · CSIR HQ · PMO
Shape how India invests in research. Where scientific understanding meets governance. It may not be the most glamorous title, but a genuinely important one.
Research · Pure Math
Mathematics Research
TIFR · ISI · CMI · Kerala Maths tradition
Pure and applied mathematics. The Kerala School produced world class mathematical work in the 14th century, that tradition continues in India's research institutes today.
Research · Ocean
Ocean & Atmospheric Science
INCOIS · IMD · IITM Pune · NCESS
Monsoon forecasting, ocean currents, climate modelling. Kerala's coastal geography is a genuine advantage for students entering this field.
Applied · Robotics
Robotics & Automation
IIT · DRDO · TCS Research · Bosch India
Build autonomous systems, industrial robots, surgical tools. Manufacturing automation in India is expanding quickly and qualified, skilled engineers are scarce.
Communication · Education
Science Education & Pedagogy
RIE · HBCSE · State Universities · NCERT
Design how science is taught for those of tomorrow. Science education researchers shape what millions of students encounter in classrooms. A real career in its own right.
Research · Pharma
Pharmaceutical Research
CDRI · IICT · Sun Pharma · Dr. Reddy's R&D
Drug discovery, pharmacology, clinical research. India's pharmaceutical industry is expanding beyond just manufacturing into actual scientific research and that shift creates real opportunity.
Policy · Law
Technology Law & IP
Bar Council · NLSIU · Patent Office India
Patent protection, technology regulation, science ethics. Combining legal training with scientific understanding is rare and in turn compensated accordingly.
Applied · Data & AI
Data Science & AI
IITs · IIITs · ISI · TCS Research · Microsoft R&D India
Combine statistics, programming, and machine learning to solve real-world problems. India's AI sector is booming, offering high-growth roles in tech, finance, and healthcare.
Applied · Medical Tech
Biomedical Engineering
IITs · VIT · CMC Vellore · AIIMS · CSIR Labs
Bridge medicine and engineering. Design prosthetics, medical imaging devices, and lab equipment. Directly impacts patient care and hospital infrastructure.
Applied · Agriculture
Agricultural Science & Agritech
ICAR · IARI · State Agricultural Universities · FICCI Agritech
Modernize farming with sustainable practices, crop genetics, and smart irrigation. Critical for food security and highly relevant to Kerala's agrarian economy.
Research · Earth & Space
Geospatial & Remote Sensing
IIRS Dehradun · ISRO · NRSC · Survey of India
Map the Earth using satellite imagery and drone data. Used in disaster management, urban planning, agriculture, and climate tracking across India.
Applied · Clean Energy
Renewable Energy Engineering
IITs · MNRE Labs · NISE · TERI · Private Energy Corps
Lead India's clean energy transition. Design solar grids, wind turbines, and battery storage systems. High demand as India targets net-zero emissions.
Research · Neuroscience
Neuroscience Research
NBRC · NIMHANS · IISc · TIFR
Study the brain, cognition, and neural disorders. India's neuroscience community is growing rapidly with world-class research on memory, learning, and brain-computer interfaces.
Applied · Nanotech
Nanotechnology & Nanoscience
IITs · ARCI · CSIR-NPL · IISc
Work at the atomic scale to create new materials, drug delivery systems, and nano-electronics. India's nano-mission is creating opportunities across industries.
Research · Particle Physics
Particle & High Energy Physics
TIFR · VECC · IISc · CERN India
Explore fundamental particles and forces. Indian physicists contribute to global experiments like the Large Hadron Collider and neutrino observatories.
Applied · Food Science
Food Science & Technology
CFTRI · NIFTEM · ICAR · State Food Labs
Improve food safety, nutrition, and processing. Critical for India's food security and export industries, with strong government and private sector demand.
Communication · Curation
Science Museum & Curation
National Science Centre · Visvesvaraya Museum · NCSC
Design exhibits, educational programs, and public science experiences. Combine storytelling, design, and science to inspire the next generation.
Policy · Climate
Climate Policy & Sustainability
TERI · WRI India · CPCB · MoEFCC
Shape India's response to climate change. Work on carbon markets, adaptation strategies, and sustainable development policy at national and international levels.
Research · Quantum
Quantum Science & Technology
IISc · TIFR · RRI · QSTC · IITs
Work on quantum computing, cryptography, and sensing. India's National Quantum Mission is creating new research positions and startup opportunities.
Applied · Water Resources
Water Resources & Hydrology
NIWA · CWC · IITs · NCESS
Manage India's water systems: rivers, groundwater, monsoons. Critical for agriculture, urban planning, and climate resilience in Kerala and beyond.
Research · Paleontology
Paleontology & Earth History
GSI · Wadia Institute · IISER · State Museums
Study fossils, ancient climates, and evolutionary history. India's rich geological record offers unique research opportunities in dinosaur studies and human evolution.
Applied · Forensics
Forensic Science & Criminalistics
CFSL · NFSU · State FSLs · NFSU Gandhinagar
Apply science to legal investigations: DNA analysis, toxicology, digital forensics. Growing demand in law enforcement and private forensic consulting.
Communication · Visual
Science Illustration & Visual Comm
NID · IIT-IDC · Freelance · Publishers
Create visual explanations of complex science: diagrams, animations, infographics. High demand in textbooks, journals, and digital media.
Policy · Ethics
Bioethics & Research Ethics
ICMR · DBT · Ethics Committees · Universities
Guide ethical standards in research, clinical trials, and biotechnology. Combines philosophy, law, and science for impactful policy work.
Applied · Aerospace
Aerospace Engineering
IIST · DRDO · ISRO · HAL · Private Space Startups
Design aircraft, satellites, and launch vehicles. India's space sector is opening to private players, creating new career paths beyond traditional government roles.
Research · Condensed Matter
Condensed Matter Physics
IISc · TIFR · IITs · RRI · JNCASR
Study solids, liquids, and exotic states of matter. Foundation for semiconductors, superconductors, and quantum materials research in India.
Applied · Textiles
Textile Science & Technology
NITRA · SITRA · IIT Delhi · Private Industry
Innovate in sustainable fabrics, smart textiles, and manufacturing processes. Kerala's textile heritage meets modern materials science.
Section II

Find
Your Path

Select what interests you, what you're good at, and what you're looking for. We'll suggest real Indian science careers that fit your answers.

Built for Palakkad students. No login. No tracking. Just thoughtful suggestions :).

What interests you? Pick any
What feels natural? Max 3
What do you hope for? One choice
What do your parents want? Optional
Anything else? Optional

Takes ~2 seconds. No login. No tracking.

Scientific Heritage

Before Newton.
Before Leibniz.
Kerala had calculus.

Mathematicians from Kerala were solving problems that would not be formally solved in Europe for another two centuries. This isn't trivia, it's context for who you are.

Mādhava-Leibniz Series · Kerala School of Mathematics · c. 1380 CE · ~300 years before Leibniz
c. 1340 – 1425 CE
Mādhava of Saṅgamagrāma
Irinjalakuda, Kerala
Derived infinite series for sine, cosine, and arctangent, foundations for what became calculus. His series for pi predates Leibniz by nearly 300 years. Considered the originator of the Kerala School of Mathematics.
Founder of Kerala calculus tradition
1444 – 1544 CE
Nīlakaṇṭha Somayājī
Trikkantiyur, Kerala
Proposed a partial heliocentric planetary model decades before Copernicus published his own. Also derived an improved series expansion for pi. A mathematician, astronomer and linguist working from Kerala.
Pre-Copernican heliocentrism
c. 1500 – 1610 CE
Jyeṣhadeva
Kerala
Author of Yuktibhāṣā, widely regarded as the world's first calculus textbook, written in Malayalam prose. Rigorous proofs in vernacular language. Serious mathematics done in the people's own tongue.
World's first calculus text in Malayalam

"The first calculus textbook was written in Malayalam. The one we grew up speaking."

Akshith & Aadi · Arivu · Palakkad, Kerala · 2025
Project Roadmap

How we're
building this

What we've done, what's underway, and what comes next.

Phase 0 · Completed
Research & Planning
Conversations with +2 school students in Palakkad. Identifying the information gap. Scoping what was actually buildable by two students.
Done
Phase 1 · Completed
Platform Build
Bilingual website. Science Pathways Map. Kerala Heritage module. Career Matcher. Deployed on GitHub Pages at zero cost.
Done
Phase 2 · In Progress
School Outreach Sessions
3–5 career talks at +2 schools in Palakkad. Each session uses the website as a live tool. Documented with photos and student feedback.
In Progress
Phase 3 · Ongoing
Malayalam Newsletter
Monthly 2 to 4 page PDF. One career spotlight. One science explainer. One resource. Distributed via WhatsApp — the real communication channel in rural Kerala.
In Progress
Phase 4 · Planned
Student Stories & Evidence
Document students who discovered new pathways through Arivu. Build an evidence base. Create a feedback loop to improve the content over time.
Planned
Why This Project Is Grounded
Named community: to school students in Palakkad so it's specific, reachable and real.
Documented gap: The information asymmetry in STEM career exposure here is real and defensible.
Actual credentials: NASA Space Apps nomination, quantum physics mentorship, these are verified.
Honest scope: Static site + planned school visits + monthly newsletter. Two students. Zero budget.
Rooted locally: Malayalam content, Kerala School of Mathematics. Not imported from elsewhere.
From here: We went to school in this district. That's the point.
Why we started this.
"We both had things that most students here don't: access to information, mentorship and wide resources in English. Arivu is our attempt to make some of that available in Malayalam, for students in the same +2 schools we came through. Not a polished mission statement. Just what's true."
Akshith & Aadi, co-founders
Intended Impact

What success
looks like

Arivu works when a student in an average Palakkad school finds a career they hadn't heard of and takes one step toward it.

1
Language Accessibility
Science career content in Malayalam as written in the vernacular, not translated from English.
3–5
School Sessions
future in person sessions at +2 schools in Palakkad district. Soft launch via reddit. Actual contact with students.
WhatsApp Reach
Monthly newsletter via WhatsApp, the actual messaging channel people most use in Kerala.
50+
Careers Mapped
Astrophysics, marine biology, science policy and 50+ real, funded and achievable careers in India.
14c
Heritage Context
Students from a region with one of history's great mathematical traditions learn that science here was never borrowed.
Peer
Peer Credibility
Two students from Palakkad, talking to students from Palakkad. The same schools. Same district and same language.
The Team

Built by students.
From here.

Two co-founders. Same community. No external funding, no institutional backing. Just the belief that students in Palakkad deserve to know what's out there.

Akshith Surya
Co-founder · Science & Content
Grade 10, Palakkad. NASA Space Apps Global Nominee. Robotics enthusiast and cybersecuirty professional. Focuses on astrophysics content and the science backbone of Arivu. Multilingual → Malayalam, English, Tamil.
Astrophysics Robotics NASA Nominee Science Content
Aadi Mahesh
Co-founder · Design, Editorial & Quantum Physics
Grade 10, Palakkad, and also a nominee. Handles designing, editing, and the visual identity of Arivu. Has a mentorship in quantum physics. The Malayalam newsletter is his writing. Built and designed this website alongside Akshith.
Design Editorial NASA Nominee Quantum Physics
Questions

Frequently asked

No. Arivu covers the full range of content from pure research to applied science to communication and policy. The goal is to show the full map. But what students do with it is up to them.
Yes. The newsletter is entirely in Malayalam and English. The website is bilingual too. The heritage section was written with a Malayalam-first approach, not entirely translated from English.
The newsletter is a PDF sent via email. Fill in your details in the Join section below and we'll add you to the list. One PDF a month. No spam.
Yes, if you're a teacher or administrator at a +2 school in Palakkad district, we want to hear from you. Sessions are free, bilingual, and adapted to the students' background. Reach out through the contact section.
Because we're from here. A project that claims to serve "students in India" serves no one in particular. Arivu serves +2 school students in the Palakkad district. That specificity is the whole point.
It's in Malayalam. It comes from two students who went to school in this district, not counsellors at a private coaching centre. And the science content is grounded in actual astrophysics and quantum physics backgrounds, not generic advice.
Get In Touch

Reach out
to us

Whether you are a student, teacher, parent, or school administrator, we're reachable. Sessions, newsletter, collaboration, or just a question.

Email
arivu.palakkad@gmail.com
For schools, teachers, and longer conversations
Newsletter
Subscribe via email below ↓
Monthly PDF newsletter. Students, parents, teachers welcome
School Outreach
+2 schools, Palakkad district
Bilingual sessions are free and adaptable. Reach out to schedule.
Send us a message
We'll respond via email within a few days.
Join the Initiative

ഒരുമിച്ച്
അറിവ് പകരാം

Together, let us share knowledge.

One career spotlight. One science explainer. One resource link. Two pages. Via email. Every month. Free.

PDF newsletter delivered to your inbox
Malayalam and English, bilingual always
Free, no catch, no spam
School teacher in Palakkad? We especially want to work with you.
arivu.palakkad@gmail.com