Ishān Vikās Scheme: Objectives, Duration, Benefits

The Ministry of Education launched the Ishān Vikās initiative to introduce schoolchildren from the North-Eastern states to higher education institutions in India. 

It is a comprehensive plan to bring selected schoolchildren of class IX and XI from the North-Eastern states into close contact with the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the National Institute for Advanced Studies (NIAS) during their vacation periods. 

Under the Ishān Vikās programme, a visit is envisaged for seven days (excluding journey time) to one of the higher education institutions. An internship programme in various IITs, NITs and NIAS for technical college students studying in their 6th semester in North-Eastern states is also conducted under this programme.

Objectives of the Ishān Vikās  Programme

The Ishān Vikās  programme is for school students and technical college students of North-Eastern states. It aims to introduce schoolchildren to the best higher education institutions in India and to motivate them to pursue technology, science, mathematics and engineering. 

It aims at encouraging internships for technical college students of North-Eastern states in various top institutes. The objectives of the initiative are as follows:

• Open up the minds of young students and give them a broad overview of the future paths they can pursue.
• Encourage participants fully into campus life by familiarising them with hostel life, dine-in-mess with fellow participants or hosts, engaging in social events and giving them the opportunity to visit the state-of-the-art laboratories.
• Providing interaction-based lectures by eminent faculty members. 
• Illuminating discussions about higher education challenges and finding solutions to overcome such challenges.
• Conducting sessions on introducing computer programming and computer skills.
• Showing documentaries or short films on significant scientific discoveries and biographical sketches of scientists to create a deeper impact on young minds.
• Conducting a tour of each of the state-of-the-art laboratories of higher institutions with hands-on experience in working in such laboratories.
• Conducting several co-curricular activities and outdoor sports to shape the overall personality of the participants.

Application for Ishān Vikās  Programme

For schoolchildren 

Ishān Vikās programme is open only to the class IX or XI students studying in the schools of North-East India. This programme is conducted during the winter and summer vacations. 

The participating schools will send a list of ten students and the name of the accompanying teacher on its official letterhead, which is sealed, signed and approved by the school’s principal, to the Ishān Vikās office or the higher education institution by post. 

The list of students and the name of the accompanying teacher must be sent by November for the winter programme and by March for the summer programme.

For technical college students

Ishān Vikās programme is open only to the technical college students of North-East India. Technical college students include engineering, BTech, BE students and students studying in the 6th semester in a government-funded institution. This programme is held only in the summer months for technical college students.

The head of the participating institute must send a list of ten students and the name of an accompanying teacher to the host institute. It must also be accompanied by the name of a non-PhD faculty member of the participating college who can explore the possibility of doing a PhD in the near future. 

The list of students, names of the accompanying teachers and the names of the non-PhD faculty members must be sent to the Ishān Vikās office or the higher education institution by March.

Duration of Ishān Vikās  Programme

For schoolchildren

The programme duration for schoolchildren is 15 days for summer and winter programmes. 

For technical college students

The programme duration of the summer programme for technical college students is 60 days.

Benefits of the Ishān Vikās  Programme

For schoolchildren 

The programme for schoolchildren is designed to motivate the school students to pursue higher studies in technology, science, mathematics and engineering. Each programme contains a series of lab visits, lectures, campus visits, experiments and excursions. The host institution designs and conducts these programmes according to their convenience. The programme covers the schoolchildren’s food, travel and accommodation costs. 

For technical college students

The programme for technical college students aims to provide research experience through internships in higher education institutions in India. The students are assigned a faculty member from the host institution on the basis of mutual interest. 

The accompanying non-PhD faculty member is expected to interact with the host institution faculty members and explore potential areas for PhD research. The travel costs of technical college students are covered under the programme on a reimbursement basis. A stipend of Rs.8,000 per month is also provided to the students to cover their food and accommodation costs.

Usually, the host institution provides a certificate of participation to the students. If the host institution cannot provide a certificate, IIT Guwahati will give certificates to the participants on behalf of the host institutions.