The Second National level Exhibition and Project Competitions (NLEPC) concludes today with the National Awards Presentation ceremony.
The Second NLEPC under the INSPIRE Award Scheme organized by Department of Science and Technology at ITPO, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi concluded today with the presentation of National Awards Presentation ceremony. The awards are presented by Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri Vayalar Ravi.
Innovation in Science Pursuit for the Inspired Research (INSPIRE), a National programme implemented by the Ministry for attraction of talent amongst students to study science and pursue career with research, was launched by the Prime Minister on 13th December 2008. Since then, the programme has progressed extremely well, touching more than eight lakh youth across the country.
INSPIRE Programme has three components:-
(a) Scheme for early attraction of talents for Science (SEATs), which has two sub-components (i) INSPIRE Award of ` 5000/- and (ii) Mentorship through global Science leaders at a science camp;
(b) Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) at the rate of ` 80,000/- for continuing education at B.Sc and M.Sc levels and
(c) Assured Opportunity for Researach Career (AORC) for young researches which also has two sub-components (i) INSPIRE Fellowship and (ii) INSPIRE Faculty.
Hence, the INSPIRE programme has 5 sub-schemes/components.
In so far as INSPIRE Award component is concerned, nearly 6.5 lakh INSPIRE Awards have been sanctioned till date. Under the INSPIRE Internship, as on date more than 530 Science Camps have been held covering more than 1.3 lakhs students in the age group of 16-18 years, 30 Nobel Laureates and 3500 resource persons participated in these camps. About 15000 scholarships for students in the age group of 17-22 years have been given this year, more than 10,000 applications have been received for this scholarship and about 1850 INSPIRE Fellows in the age group of 22 -27 years have been enrolled so far. Finally, under the Faculty Award for Assured Career under the age of 32, seventy four individuals have been awarded and 101 selected for inspire faculty award, as on date. While the first component of the Scheme i.e. INSPIRE Award is being implemented centrally through the States / UTs, the other components of the Scheme are being implemented centrally by Department of Science & Technology (DST) through the concerned academic/research institutes & Universities etc.
Under the Inspire Award Component of the INSPIRE Programme, as approved for the 11th Five Year Plan, 2 students are eligible from each school of the country (from class 6th to 10th) during the Five Year Plan period for an INSPIRE Award of Rs. 5000 each for preparing a science project/model. INSPIRE Award Warrant was issued directly in the name of selected student and sent to him/her through State/school authorities. Award amount includes cost of making a science project / model as well as cost of bringing the project / model at District level Centre for Exhibition / Display Competition. These awardees, who are students from classes 6th to 10th, then participate in a three tier competition: District, State and National level. The project exhibited are evaluated by a jury of experts.
As on date, more than 6.75 lakh Awards have been sanctioned under the scheme, more than 5 lakh awardees have participated in the DLEPC’s and above 30000 best entries for DLEPC have participated in the SLEPC’s. 688 best science projects/models selected from SLEPCs participated in the Ist NLEPC held at Delhi during 14-16 August, 2011. Above 48% of awardees are girls, and 25% SCs/Sts. Out of the 688 projects which participated in the Ist NLEPC held during August 2011, 85 have been shortlisted by the Patent Facilitating Centre of TIFAC for detailed examination for possible patenting in some cases.
Tags: Science & Technology
Inspired Research
Environment
