Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, July 25: Hailing the aspirational surge in youth , Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has emphasised that the aspirations of India’s new young generation deserve to be met with 3 “A”s-Awareness, Aptitude and Avenue.
The Minister underscored the need to channel the scientific enthusiasm among school students into sustained growth opportunities.
Speaking at the celebrations of the CSIR Jigyasa programme’s “One Day as a Scientist” (ODAS) week at the CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, the Minister called for deeper engagement with students, schools, parents, and industry to shape the scientific future of India.
Building on that vision, Dr. Jitendra Singh suggested a series of refinements to the ongoing Jigyasa initiatives. First, he proposed involving parents directly in the ODAS experience-urging CSIR labs to invite at least one parent per participant so that families can better appreciate the value of scientific exploration. He stressed that such engagement would prevent students from being discouraged at home due to lack of understanding.
Second, Dr Jitendra Singh recommended a reciprocal model titled “One Day as a Teacher”, where CSIR scientists visit the schools of participating students, especially those from smaller towns and rural areas. This, he said, would not only validate the achievements of the students but also inspire an entire school community.
Third, the Minister advised strengthening private sector involvement by encouraging industry partners-like those who supported the EPIC Hackathon-to adopt promising students or projects, providing mentorship and possibly financial support. This would help bridge the gap between school-level innovation and real-world application, he said.
Finally, the Minister encouraged the programme coordinators to continuously track student outcomes to better understand emerging interests and align future initiatives with evolving aspirations. These measures, he said, would help sustain the scientific momentum generated through ODAS and related programmes.
The ODAS initiative, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for students to experience life as a scientist, saw participation from over 14,000 students across 37 CSIR labs. Students shadowed researchers, conducted guided experiments, and interacted with experts in real laboratory environments.
Dr. Jitendra Singh recounted several moving interactions with young participants, including an eighth-grade girl from Dholpur who voiced concern over her younger sister’s exclusion from the programme-an example, the Minister said, of the aspirational surge sweeping across India’s youth.
Dr. Jitendra Singh underlined how the New Education Policy 2020 supports programmes like Jigyasa by enabling subject flexibility and fostering inquiry-based learning. “Earlier, choices were forced. Now students can evolve with their interests-and Jigyasa gives them the platform to do so,” he said.
Joining Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on the dais were Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director-General, CSIR & Secretary, DSIR; Dr. Geetha Vani Rayasam, Head, CSIR-HRDG; Prof. Venu Gopal Achanta, Director, CSIR-NPL and Dr. D. Shailaja Donempudi, Scientist and Head, Business Development Group at CSIR, along with other senior officials and students from various colleges.
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