A commendable step towards creating better human resources

MUKHYA MANTRIR VIGYAN PRATIBHA SANDHAN

Srabanika Senchowa

(H.S. 2nd Year, Science, Ramanujan Senior Secondary School, Nagaon)

Mukhya Mantrir Vigyan Pratibha Sandhan (CMBPS) 2023 is a praiseworthy initiative undertaken by the Assam Science, Technology, and Environment Council under the flagship of the Government of Assam. It is basically a scheme for the students in class 11 of the science stream. And I was one of the 110 students who were selected as the first batch for the CMBPS program. The selection criteria for the scheme took place in two phases: a written phase and an online interview. Out of the hundreds of students who appeared in the written exam, 200 were shortlisted for the online interview, and after the second phase of screening, the final 110 students were chosen as the first batch of CMBPS-2023. Both the exams were conducted under the supervision of ASTEC and IIT-Gawahati, and the selection was done fairly. And finally, after a lot of anticipation, the first phase had come. The council said that we, the selected students, would be taken to the Indian Institute of Technology, Gawahati, for a five-day residential programme from February 5th to February 9. Visiting such a premier educational institute has always been the dream of many students. And all thanks to our honourable Chief Minister, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sharma’s initiative, we got the rare privilege of visiting IITG, which is the 6th best IIT in India. The inaugural function of the programme was attended by many honourable guests, including Mr. Keshav Mahanta, Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Science and Technology, Information and Technology Departments, Government of Assam. He delivered his inaugural function, where he spoke about the importance of science education and the various initiatives of the central as well as state governments to promote scientific education in Assam and bring in an era of technology and advancements. The schedule for the five-day programme was given, and the classes were held accordingly. We attended our first lecture from Dr. Faladrum Sarma, who, along with his group of students, displayed an array of scientific models, which included a wireless vehicle charging system and a model submarine. There was also an interaction session with the students where we got the opportunity to clear our doubts and share our opinions regarding the models. Then, shortly after the lunch break, we were taken for a visit to the supercomputer facility at IITG. The supercomputer facility at IITG is named Param Kamarupa and was inaugurated by Draupadi Murmu, the Honourable President of India. It was such a great experience to see such highly specialised computers and learn about them. Day 1 came to an end, and all of us moved to our respective hostels. We were given accommodations in the hostels at IITG. It was a new experience for us, as we got to stay with some of the most brilliant minds from all over the country and even from different parts of the world. Everyone in the hostels was so friendly and helpful that even though we were juniors and were only there for a couple of days, it felt as if we had known them for a long time.

The hostels were indeed very well maintained, and everything was very disciplined. They provided us with bedding and other necessary things for our comfortable stay in the hostels. We had our dinner in the hostel mess, and yeah, I would have to admit it, IITG serves the best hostel food I have ever had. The mess menu included a wide range of cuisines, starting from north Indian parathas to south Indian idlis. Be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner, everything was tasty and, above all, healthy and hygienic. And like this, we spent the rest of our four days interacting with the faculties of IITG and visiting the various departments. All the students who were present for the 1st phase programme were divided into different groups according to their subjects of interest, namely physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science and engineering, and life iences. And accordingly, we were taken to the various departments. From the first day onwards, we were given lectures and advice on career opportunities and advances in science and technology. We had interaction sessions with the faculty members, which have helped us greatly. During these five days, we visited the various departments, namely the supercomputer facility, the design department, the central instrument facility, and the mechanical workshop. During our visits to these departments, we learned about various new prospects and advancements in the field of science that had been taking place in recent times. We saw how 3D printing was carried out; we saw instruments like the electron microscope, spectrometer, X-Ray diffractometer, and various other machines and tools that were only in our imaginations prior to this programme. We have seen the workings of machines and robots and how they are helping in the development of science and technology.

The faculties of the institution have encouraged us greatly and given us guidance on how to choose a career in science. Science, being one of the broadest subjects in the field of education, brings to us a lot of alluring career prospects, and as teenagers, most of us get attracted to numerous subjects and are often in dilemma. They cannot make a choice about which subject to choose, but thanks to this five-day programme, most of us who were uncertain as to how to proceed to pursue our dream career are now clear about what and how to do. Your experience in IITG was an overwhelming one that cannot be expressed in words or sentences. All the faculties in IITG were so warm and supportive. Starting from the hostel accommodations to the food, from helping us out with roads and directions to taking care of our friends when they fell sick, IITG and ASTEC faculties have been our constant guardians during this programme. And as future stakeholders in our country, I believe that this five-day stay at IITG will greatly benefit us in making ourselves worthy of the country and our state.

On the last day of our programme, we attended the valedictorian function held at Hotel Taj Vivanta, where we got the privilege to share our experiences with honourable Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma Sir and also had an interaction session with him. He delivered his valuable speech, where he mentioned how this scheme has been started to benefit science enthusiasts like us and prepare them to be future leaders for our country. For the second phase of the programme, we are going to be taken to the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, for one week, which begins on May 13, 2024. The scheme also includes online mentoring for the students from some of the best scholars in our country.

So, through this article, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the state government and ASTEC for undertaking such a praiseworthy initiative for students like us. It has given us an opportunity to increase our knowledge and provided us with exposure to the broader part of science. Moreover, it is also a boon to many of the economically backward students who dream big, as the whole expense of the programme has been borne by the state government. To sum up, Mukhya Mantrir Vigyan Pratibha Sandhan is a commendable step undertaken by the government that would benefit students greatly and would serve as an agent who would help to produce better human resources for society, the nation, and the world.