Guwahati: Dr. Om Prakash, IAS, Mission Director of Samagra Shiksha, Assam, flagged off the third batch of students under the NE-SPARKS (North East Student Programme for Awareness, Reach and Knowledge on Space) from the State Mission Office at 8:30 AM on July 23.
A total of 12 bright students from Baksa, Chirang, Kokrajhar, Nalbari, and Udalguri districts began their journey to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) headquarters in Bengaluru. This educational tour aims to give students real-life exposure to India’s space missions, science, and technology.
Dr. Om Prakash wished the students success and encouraged them to share their experience with peers back home to spread interest in space science. The event was attended by Shri Sanjoy Dutta, ACS, Executive Director, and Shri Khanindra Das, ACS, Officer on Special Duty, along with other officials, staff, and nodal teachers.
This programme is jointly run by the Department of School Education and the Department of Transformation & Development, Government of Assam, in collaboration with NESAC (North Eastern Space Applications Centre). The larger goal is to take 100 meritorious science students from Assam (out of 800 from the Northeast) to ISRO in phases, with each batch including 12 students and one teacher coordinator.
Earlier, two batches of students from several districts had already completed their visits. Students selected are from Classes IX to XII of government and provincialized schools, based on merit and interest in space and science.
During the trip, the students will visit important ISRO facilities like the MOX Control Centre, ISSDC, URSC, ISITE, and also interact with the ISRO Secretary. They will also tour the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, adding to their learning experience.