To get young students interested in Science, India’s Department of Biotechnology has announced grants of up to Rs 26 Lakh for Schools in the North-East that want to upgrade or set up Modern Laboratories for Students.
India’s department of biotechnology (DBT) will sponsor the setting up of science laboratories in eligible schools in the north-eastern states to promote better understanding of science at school level. The department has invited applications from senior or higher secondary schools offering science courses under the Basic Science Labs in Senior Secondary Schools (BLiSS) project, . The aim of the programme is to create scientific awareness in students and attract students to multidisciplinary research areas. The labs created under the scheme will provide facilities for experiments in all science subjects, including biology, biotechnology, physics and chemistry. Schools will be provided grants of up to Rs 26 lakh over three years – R 20 lakh for equipment and a R 2-lakh annually recurring grant for procuring materials, such as chemicals and glassware. The host school will have to provide the necessary space and administrative support for the labs.
All government and private schools can apply and will be selected and categorised according to the number of regular science teachers, status of their science labs, fee structure, infrastructure, source of other income. The project will cover the cost of travel for experts or faculty for training and workshops and give travel support for students attending short-term trainings across in India. The labs will receive mentoring from the nearest institutional or state level biotech hub under the biotechnology department. This is part of the new initiatives by the Ministry of Science and Technology to promote science education at school level. Recently, Kendriya Vidyalayas tied up with the Council of Scientific Research (CSIR) to launch a student-scientist connect programme. Under the programme, nearly one lakh students studying in Kendriya Vidyalaya’s across India will be able to do projects at 38 national laboratories.