Scientific Activities
Initiative for Research and Innovation in STEM (IRIS) National Fair
The IRIS National Fair promotes and nurtures science and scientific research among young Indian innovators. It recognises and rewards outstanding projects. It provides a platform for winning students to represent India at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the world’s largest international pre-college science competition, held annually in the U.S.
Having begun as the Intel Science Talent and Discovery Fair in 1999, IRIS has been nurturing the spirit of innovation among school students in India since 2006. The aim is to infuse the spirit of discovery in school children, increase their interest in science and technology, and build a robust scientific temper among the youth of the country.
Each year, research-based science projects by young students, across 21 subject categories—are reviewed by an eminent jury comprising of scientists and domain experts. Then, the short-listed entries are showcased at the annual IRIS National Fair.
Winners from these fairs are invited to regional mentorship camps and offered guidance on participation in IRIS. With this, IRIS strives to foster the next generation of innovators.
Smart India Hackathon is a nationwide initiative to provide students a platform to solve some of pressing problems we face in our daily lives, and thus inculcate a culture of product innovation and a mindset of problem solving. The last edition of the hackathon saw over 5 million+ students from various engineering colleges compete for the top prize at 35+ locations.
In SIH, the students would also have the opportunity to work on challenges faced within the private sector organisations and create world class solutions for some of the top companies in the world, thus helping the Private sector hire the best minds from across the nation.
Engage with Science (engagewithscience.in) is an interactivity platform aimed at school teachers and students to make science teaching and learning a lot of fun. It also works as a catalyst to boost the consumption of science and technology video content from India Science (indiascience.in). EWS is a collaboration between Vigyan Prasar and IBM.
Jawaharlal Nehru National Science, Mathematics and Environment Exhibition for Children
With a view to encourage, popularize and inculcate scientific temper among the children of the country, NCERT organizes national level science exhibition every year where children showcase their talents in science and mathematics and their applications in different areas related with our everyday life.
The first Science Exhibition was jointly organized under the banner of the National Science Exhibition for Children in 1971, by the NCERT and the University Grants Commission (UGC) at Delhi. The subsequent National Science Exhibitions for Children have been organized by NCERT alone.
In 1988 with the birth centenary celebration of Jawaharlal Nehru, the National Science Exhibition was renamed as the 'Jawaharlal Nehru National Science Exhibition for Children'.
In order to ensure the widest possible participation and involvement of students and teachers in the programme, NCERT organises exhibition in two phases. In the first phase, exhibitions are held in each and every state and union territory from the district, to the state level. This first phase is known as State Level Science, Mathematics and Environment Exhibition (SLSMEE) for Children. All participating states, union territories and other educational organisations like CBSE (for its affiliated independent public schools), Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, DAE Central Schools and Demonstration Multipurpose Schools of NCERT forward their selected entries to NCERT for consideration for participation in the National Exhibition – the second phase of NCERT's organizing Science, Mathematics and Environment Exhibitions. The national Exhibition – now called JNNSMEE – is organized every year by the NCERT in a state/UT, on rotation basis. The exhibits for display in this national exhibition are selected at NCERT on the basis of a notified criterion.
One of the components of “Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent for Science (SEATS)” is INSPIRE Internship in which annually about 50,000 students of top 1% performers in Class X board examinations and pursuing science at higher Secondary level are being given an exposure with leaders in science in the Summer/Winter camps to experience the joy of innovations. These Science Camps essentially nourish the curiosity of children in science; help them to think out of the box and attract the students at an early age of 16-17 years (i.e. in XI standard) to enroll in science subjects.
Selection Criteria: Selections will be made among the top one percent rankers in their X Board Examination and pursuing science in standard XI
Duration of Science Camp: 5 days (excluding the days of journey)
Vigyan Prasar NETwork of Science Clubs (VIPNET)
VIPNET, acronym for VIgyan Prasar NETwork, was added as a new project to Vigyan Prasar in 1998 with the objective of providing a fillip to the science clubs movement in India. This is a network to weave all science clubs, societies, organisations which are already established, or are going to be established, and are willing to work with Vigyan Prasar to strengthen the popular science movement in the country with far reaching implications for the development of society.
Science clubs have been playing a key role in many places due to their exemplary work and commitment of their members towards their chosen causers. Several national and international organisations have their science clubs across the country. Add to this the science clubs run by state-level agencies. Even so, the total number may not cross even five thousand-not large enough for this vast country of ours with a population of almost one billion. VIPNET aims to establish a vast countrywide network of science clubs.
India International Science Festival (IISF)
The largest festival of science in the country with its focus on “Science for the Masses”- the India International Science Festival (IISF) was jointly organized by Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences in collaboration with Vijnana Bharti (VIBHA).
The festival aimed to provide a single platform to promote interaction among the young generation and scientists to share as well as spread knowledge and latest developments in science & technology. The five day mega festival showcased outstanding achievements developed by Indian laboratories in the recent past.
The 1st IISF was held at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) New Delhi in December, 2015. The mega S&T expo attracted more than 3 Lakh people. VIBHA has become the Guinness Book World Record Holder for the successful conduct of the 'Largest Practical Science Lesson' by 2000 students from prestigious schools of Delhi. Indeed, the event was a great success with the participation of more than 3000 young scientists across the country. The 2nd IISF was held at CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi in December, 2016 with a view to improve their scientific understanding, temperament and appreciation for various feats in science & technology by showcasing Indian achievements. The 3rd series of IISF was held on 13-16 October 2017, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.The 4th IISF to be held in Lucknow.
Children’s Science Congress is targeted to spread the concept of the method of science among the children their project activities adopting the principle of learning through doing’. The mandate of participation is that, the children will carry out a project on a particular topic in relation to theme and sub-theme decided for the year. The study is to be carried out in the neighbourhood of the children where they live. For this, the students form a group with their like-minded friends/classmates and the study is carried out under the supervision of a guide.
CSC programme is not only for the school going children but is also open fort the children outside the formal boundary of schools, in the age group of 10 to 17 years (where 10 to 14 years is considered as junior group and 14 + to 17 years as senior group). Further, it is not mandatory that a guide must be a school teacher; any persons with fair knowledge of dealing with children and method of science are considered eligible to guide the children, but should not be direct relative of any of the children. The exercise of project activities, as thumb rule,encourages the children to explore, think, serve and wonder.
Green Good Deeds campaign was launched by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change to sensitise the people and students, in particular, about climate change and global warming. The campaign aims to broaden its base with the involvement of teachers, students and other voluntary organizations. A mobile application named has been launched to reach out to people across India about the campaign. The app has a list of 500 green good deeds to help the users to know more about the campaign and increase participation in the movement.
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has launched a student-scientist connect programme 'JIGYASA' in collaboration with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathans (KVS) with the primary objectives of extending the classroom leaning and focusing on a well-planned research laboratory based learning.
“JIGYASA” would inculcate the culture of inquisitiveness along with the scientific temper amongst the school students and their teachers. The Programme is expected to connect 1151 Kendriya Vidyalayas with 38 National Laboratories of CSIR targeting 100,000 students and nearly 1000 teachers annually.
Some of the activities included under the programme are Student Residential Programmes, scientists as teachers and teachers as scientists, lab specific activities/Onsite Experiments, visits of scientists to Schools/Outreach Programmes, science and maths Clubs, projects of National Children's Science Congress and tinkering laboratories
Science conclave, IIIT Allahabad, India
Science Conclave is an annual intellectual gatherings of Nobel Laureates and eminent national / international scientists is to provide a platform for free interaction to young students, teachers and researchers to interact with high-profile intelligentsia, show them the excitement of scientific research/investigation and motivate them to take up study of science as their careers, which has seen a significant decrease owing to other lucrative fields of study.