The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) aims to reach an additional 50,000 students from government schools in seven states by 2026. This initiative aims to promote science and offer career guidance to these students in their local languages.
The objective of this initiative is to motivate students to choose professions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In total, the institute has distributed 320,702 books to 9,193 schools in rural and government areas of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
The objective of this initiative is to motivate students to choose professions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). | IIT Madras
Additionally, Prof. V. Srinivas Chakravarthy, from the Department of Biotechnology at the Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, IIT Madras, is leading this coordinated initiative. In addition to his role in the project, Prof. Srinivasa Chakravarthy has authored or translated approximately 70 popular science books into Telugu, with a particular focus on educating high school students.
Highlighting the need for such initiatives, Prof. V. Srinivas Chakravarthy, Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, IIT Madras, said, “Popular science serves as a bridge, translating complex scientific concepts into a language that makes it more accessible to a broader audience. It allows individuals without a scientific background to engage with and appreciate the beauty and importance of scientific discoveries.”
Furthermore, Prof. V. Srinivas Chakravarthy and his team, with the financial backing of IIT Madras and CSR partners, have successfully published and provided complimentary popular science books to rural and government schools. This initiative has been extended to Hindi-speaking states over the course of three years.
The Institute has distributed a total of 320,702 books to 9,193 rural and government schools. | IIT Madras
As a part of this program, students from the school undergo a complimentary assessment for career guidance known as 'My Choice My Future' (MCMF). This tool, developed by the faculty and alumni of IIT Madras in collaboration with BodhBridge, is a straightforward assessment that offers comprehensive insights. The MCMF tool, an online career guidance solution, assists students in identifying suitable career paths based on their strengths.
Currently, this tool can be accessed in seven different Indian languages, namely Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, and Marathi, in addition to English. The institute organizes career guidance sessions for students, with a particular focus on STEM careers. Through this initiative, they have reached out to a total of 10,931 students across more than 100 schools in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Moreover, as part of this project, the team goes to schools to enhance the enjoyment of learning. Professionals interact with students to help them grasp the significance of comprehending and applying science in real-life situations. They also showcase a few experiments to make the session more captivating and dynamic.
