Inclusive Science Research Programme

TISB Grade 11 student, Manya, has planned and started a project called the Sciene conference for Young Indians (SCYI). Manya started envisioning the idea during the winter break, and has now launched the project. The project is an online research programme for science enthusiasts aimed at finding effective solutions for the challenges India faces. The programme is a conference that aims to encourage Indian High School students to understand the research process – asking the right questions, conducting, experiments, collating and evaluating data, writing and communicating their findings. We reached out to Manya to find out more about the programme and the ideas behind it. 

The exposure to research at an early stage has helped me nurture my science temper further – Manya, Grade 11

Manya has a great affinity for natural sciences. As a subject and outside academia, science has always intrigued her to research and enquire. However, Many would not have known science the way she does today if it was not for the curriculum and the methodology with which it is taught at in TISB in the IGCSE and now the IB. “This got me thinking, how many students in India are actually exposed to such curriculum or opportunities?”, says Manya, whos research led her to know that only 5 % of Indian students are actually studying in schools and following curriculums that are inquiry-based. The remaining 95 % of students in ICSE, CBSE and state boards have a different picture altogether.

This led her to think about creating a model where she could establish a team of professors, researchers and PhDs who could come on board as trainers and mentors and coach a cohort of high school students during the summer. The students would learn how to research and write a simple research article on topics presented by these mentors. “It took months of toiling, contacting resources, uncountable follow-ups, refusals and approvals”, says Manya who today is delighted to present SCYI – a unique Online Research Program for science enthusiasts. 

The programme will be launched this summer, and will be encourage CBSE, ICSE and State Board high school students to find effective solutions for the challenges India faces. “It is a platform created for the very first time for, to learn how to research and write a research article”, explains Manya who has currently put together a team of two trainers Dr Rakesh Tewari (Retired as Chief Scientist, Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants) and Dr ML Sood (Retired as Professor and HOD Dept. of Zoology, PAU, Author of various books and research papers in the field of Zoology), as well as seven mentors.

The result of the programme is a conference that will be carried out a guest of honor, a panel of mentors and trainers, and all participants. Awards and recognition ceremony for the top research articles would be conducted with a two minute presentation by each winner. “I would be contacting school principals and meeting them in April break”, says Manya who is thinking of starting the process in her city, Ludhiana.

Stay tuned to find out more about the  SCYI programme as it develops.