News inputs by Aryaa Sinha
New Delhi, Nov 9: The Union Minister of India, Dr Jitendra Singh, launched a mentorship programme to mark 75 years of India’s independence. The Ministry of Science and Technology said, ‘The government is taking a number of steps to promote interest in science among its citizens, particularly youngsters, by strengthening scientific research and innovation efforts in the country’. A star college programme is an all-India scheme in which the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) identifies colleges with potential for excellence and provides support for developing infrastructure.
Dr Singh stated that the ‘DBT star college mentorship program’ will help in networking, handholding, and outreach by providing mentors (experienced person who provides advice or guidance). Under this scheme, workshops will be organized every month in colleges, particularly those in rural and less developed areas. At present, a total of 278 undergraduate colleges across the country are being assisted under DBT star college scheme. This support is not limited to only procurement of equipment, but also training of faculty and laboratory staff, lectures by eminent scientists, visits to research institutes and industry, etc. This type of holistic support is expected to create an enabling environment for students to get motivated and pursue science education, especially undergraduate level science courses.
