Mumbai: In line with the National Education Policy 2020, the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) is working with the Assam Government’s Arohan scheme to encourage talented students to study STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects at the higher education level. This collaborative effort, led by Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chief Minister of Assam, has been successful due to the combined contributions of all parties involved.
What is Arohan scheme?
Arohan is a Mentor-Mentee program designed for secondary class students in Government schools, initiated by the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma. This program, under Samagra Shiksha Assam, includes various activities such as mentoring, exposure trips, competitions, and interactions, all aimed at guiding the career development of government school students in classes 9th to 12th.
How did the scheme impact?
As part of the Arohan scheme, IIT Guwahati has welcomed high-achieving students and their guide teachers/officers in 12 separate groups. While at the institute, the students had the chance to connect with faculty members, engage with fellow students, and discover the various facilities available at the institution.
Notably, approximately 65% of the participants were female students, underscoring the importance of promoting gender inclusivity in STEM education.
In the interactive session, students had in-depth discussions with 33 faculty members from IIT Guwahati. The topics ranged from strategies for preparing for the JEE to research in basic sciences, academic programs at IITs, and the Common Entrance Examination for Design. These discussions were intended to inspire a passion for science and technology among the talented students.
Students from 29 districts in Assam gained from this initiative. Furthermore, they and their mentors visited different educational and cultural destinations, such as the academic and research facilities of IIT Guwahati, Biotechnology Park, Planetarium, State Zoo, Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra, Regional Science Centre, and Assam Administrative Staff College.
