Education
ISRO Director K Sivan inaugurates YUVIKA for school children
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Director K Sivan inaugurated the Young Scientist Programme (YUVIKA) on May 17, 2019.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Director K Sivan inaugurated the Young Scientist Programme (YUVIKA) on May 17, 2019. YUVIKA is aimed at imparting basic knowledge of science and space technology to school-going students from different states and Union Territories (UT) of India in order to develop their interest in space-related activities.
"The programme will enthuse students from every nook and corner of the country and make them good scientists. We are focusing on school students of 9th-10th standards as they are at a stage of planning their careers," Sivan spoke at the inaugural ceremony.
Sivan added that the programme is aimed at hunting talent from big schools to schools in small hamlets across the country. Spread over two weeks (second half of May), 110 students are participating in the programme this year.
He explained, "Every state and UT has been asked to select three students each from government as well as private schools with CBSE, ICSE and/or State syllabus."
A residential training programme shall be given to the participants at four ISRO centres namely:
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Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram;
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U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Bengaluru;
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Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad,
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North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), Shillong.
The schedule will include invited talks, experience sharing by the eminent scientists, facility and lab visits, exclusive sessions for discussions with experts, practical and feedback sessions.
The other few seats left for the programme are proposed to be filled through online registration and selection.
Who is eligible for applying to the programme?
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Those who have just completed 9th standard (in the academic year 2018-19) and waiting to join 10th Std (or just joined 10th Std).
Criteria for selection:
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It is based on the 8th Standard academic performance
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Participation in extracurricular activities.
About the Young Scientist Programme for school children:
1. ISRO will select over 100 students from across India and give them practical experience of how satellites are built under the new Young Scientist Programme, the space agency had announced in January.
2. Three students will be selected from each state/union territory to participate in the programme each year covering CBSE, ICSE and state syllabus, said the ISRO statement. The space agency has approached the Chief Secretaries of the states for the student selection.
3. The Young Scientists Programme will be a two-week residential training programme held each year during summer holidays for students from across the country who have completed class 8 and are studying in class 9.
4. Students will be selected on the basis of their academic performance and extracurricular activities, the statement said.
5. As per the information given by K Sivan in January, the programme will let students visit ISRO centres, interact with senior scientists, and will have access to research and development facilities.
6. All the expenses of travelling and boarding will be funded entirely by ISRO.
7. Vivek Singh, director of media and public relations, told media in January that the students will be encouraged to develop 'scientific payloads' that can be launched by ISRO.
8. ISRO said that the list of selected students for the first ever session for the Young Scientists Programme is expected by March-end.
9. The statement also said that students from rural areas will be given special weightage in the selection.