[ Indu Chukhu ]
ITANAGAR, 18 Apr: A batch of 13 government school students of Class 9-12 from different parts of the state will be visiting the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) headquarters in Bengaluru, Karnataka, under the Northeast Students’ Programme for Awareness, Reach as Knowledge on Space (NE-SPARKS).
Altogether 100 students will be visiting the ISRO HQ in eight batches, starting 20 April. In the first batch, 13 students – 10 girls and three boys – will be leaving along with a coordinator to guide them.
The NE-SPARKS is a pioneering initiative aimed at igniting curiosity and fostering awareness about space science and technology among students from the northeastern region. This time, in the first batch, government schools from Papum Pare, Itanagar Capital Region and Leparada will be participating.
The programme (NE-SPARKS) seeks to bridge geographical and informational gaps by providing students with an immersive experience of India’s advancements in space research and exploration through visits to ISRO centres.
State nodal officer for NE-SPARKS, Komen Zirdo, encouraged the students to work hard, so that they can avail the exposure tour to the ISRO HQ. Zirdo informed that this tour would be a yearly calendar event.
Earlier, on 21 December, 2024, during a meeting of the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) in Tripura, union Home Minister and NESAC President Amit Shah had suggested organising visits by 800 talented science students from all the eight Northeast states to the ISRO HQ, covering 100 students from each state.
This programme is designed to inspire young minds, offering them and opportunity to witness cutting-edge technologies and interact with eminent scientist and engineers.
Through the event, the students will gain insights into the ISRO’s mission to explore the unknown, enabling them to envision a future in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The students will not only visit the ISRO HQ but will also attended lectures by eminent scientists during the tour.
The idea behind the tour is to increase awareness of space, science and technology among students from the Northeast, and to improve the northeastern region’s representation in engaging in space activities.
The exposure trips will take place from April to December, except for May.
