Lok Sabha Question No. 2180 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-24
Subject: Scientific Thinking of Students
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2180 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.12.2018

## SCIENTIFIC THINKING OF STUDENTS

## † 2180. SHRI ARVIND SAWANT:

Will  the  Minister  of  HUMAN  RESOURCE  DEVELOPMENT  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) the useful steps taken by the Government to encourage scientific thinking of students;
- (b) whether the department of education has started a new partnership by signing a  Memorandum  of  Understanding  (MoU)  with  the  Council  of  Scientific  and Industrial Research;
- (c) if so, the prominent features of the said MoU;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to include the students of other State level schools under the same apart from the students of Kendriya Vidyalaya;
- (e) if so, the steps taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (f) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. SATYA PAL SINGH)

(a): The Government has launched Rashtriya Aavishkar Abhiyan (RAA) programme on 9.7.2015, to motivate and engage children of the age group from 6-18 years in Science, Mathematics  and  Technology  through  observation,  experimentation,  inference  drawing, model building, etc. both through inside and outside classroom activities.

The Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Department of Scientific and Industrial  Research  has  institutionalized  'JIGYASA'  -  a  school  connect  programme targeting scientists- students interaction. The aim and objective of JIGYASA programme is to  connect  38  CSIR  institutes  and  its  scientists  with  the  students  of  Kendriya  Vidyalayas (KVs) to develop scientific temper in the young minds.

Atal Tinkering labs have been created in nearly 3000 schools across the country with a  view  to  introducing  the  culture  of  innovation  at  the  school  level.  Under  this  initiative, students from classes VI to XII can work on projects such as 3-D printing, robotics, artificial intelligence  etc.  Science  Olympiads  are  also  conducted  every  year  with  the  objective  of promoting science talent among the students.

(b): CSIR and Kendriya Vidyalaya  Sangathan  (KVS)  have  signed  an  Memorandum  of Understanding (MoU) on 6.7.2017 for implementing the 'JIGYASA' programme in the KVs.

(c): The MoU envisages some of the following models of engagement:-

-  Student Apprentice ship programme
-  Summer Vacation Programme
-  Projects of National Children's Science Congress
-  Scientists as Teachers and Teachers as Scientists
-  Teachers' Workshop
-  Student Residential programme
-  Popular Lecture Series
-  Visits of Scientists to Schools
-  Lab specific activities/ Onsite experiments
-  Science and Maths Club and many more
- (d): No such proposal is under consideration at present.
- (e): Does not arise.
- (f): The target schools/ institutions under the RAA already include the students of State/

UT  Government  and  Local  Body  schools  besides  the  students  of  KVs,  Navodaya Vidyalayas and other Central Government schools.

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