Guwahati: Aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT-G), in collaboration with the Assam government’s flagship Arohan scheme is actively engaged in motivating meritorious students to pursue STEM subjects in their higher education.
To date, the Institute has successfully hosted 3,311 students (2,009 girls and 1,302 boys) and a few hundred mentee teachers, inspiring them to explore the vast opportunities and interests in STEM education.
Notably, the number of girl students was around 65 per cent of the total participants, highlighting the importance of encouraging and promoting girls and women in STEM education.
Arohan, conceived as a Mentor-Mentee programme for secondary-class students in government schools, is an initiative championed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Operating under the umbrella of Samagra Shiksha Assam (SSA), this flagship programme encompasses diverse activities, including mentoring, exposure trips, competitions and interactions tailored for the career progression of government school students in classes 9th to 12th.
Within the framework of the Arohan scheme, IIT-G has hosted meritorious students (Mentees) along with their guide teachers and Officers in a total of 12 batches.
During their visit to IIT-G, these students had the opportunity to engage with institute faculty members, interact with students and explore institutional facilities.
Coordinated by the offices of the Outreach Education Program (OEP), Public Relations Branding and Ranking (PRBR) and students’ affairs at IIT-G, these events took place during their 4-5 days stay on the campus from October to December 2023.
Speaking about IIT-G’s participation in the Arohan Scheme, Prof A. S. Achalkumar, Dean, OEP, IIT-G, said, “Arohan is a fully residential programme for the meritorious students of Assam at IIT-G, where they visit various higher educational Institutions, research Institutes, laboratories to get exposure, apart from the interaction with IIT Faculty as well as students. This is a great investment on our future and for IIT-G, it is a way to contribute to society. We hope that once they go back to their homes, many of them will try their best to come back to IIT-G as students along with their friends.”
During the interactive session, students engaged in extensive discussions with 33 IIT-G faculty members.
The topics covered included JEE preparation strategies, research in basic sciences, academic programs at IITs and the Common Entrance Examination for Design.
These interactions aimed to instill a sense of scientific and technological enthusiasm among the gifted students.
Speaking about the Arohan initiative, Ayan Dutta, Dhekial Higher Secondary School, said, “I am grateful to the government for giving us this exposure. This initiative is especially beneficial to brilliant students who have big dreams but may be economically weaker. The vibrant discussions here at IIT-G will help us in our future careers.”
Speaking about her experience during the interaction, Kristi Bora, a student of Rangmahal High School, said, “Being a part of these sessions has taught me so much and now, I dream of studying at IIT-G. I am determined to put in the effort and work hard to turn this dream into a reality.”
Triveni Das, another student of Doyang High School, said, “Through these engaging sessions, the IIT-G teachers provided us valuable guidance on achieving success in life, doing better in our studies and staying focused on our learning.”
Speaking about IIT-G’s involvement in STEM education promotion and the Arohan scheme, Prof Parameswar K. Iyer, Dean, Public Relations Branding and Ranking, IIT-G, said, “This Arohan programme conceived by the Chief Minister of Assam was entrusted to IIT-G as a fully residential programme for the meritorious students from remotest places of Assam to be hosted at IIT-G, so that exposure to world-class facilities, interactions with brightest students and visits to state-of-the-art laboratories and academics can be provided to these students. We have been working very closely with the education department of Assam and have initiated several important STEM initiatives including this Arohan programme we hope to contribute to imbibing quality STEM education and amenities to students and teachers and making them aware of the best opportunities available to them at IIT-G and other institutes.”
Students from 29 districts of Assam including Nagaon, Hojai, Udalguri, Darrang, Biswanath, Sonitpur, Jorhat, Dima Hasao, Baksa, West Karbi Anglong, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Hailakandi, South Salmara Mankachar, Barpeta, Karimganj, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Cachar, Kamrup Metropolitan, Nalbari, Morigaon, Bongaigaon, Goalpara, Karbi Anglong, Tinsukia, Chirang and Dhubri, benefitted from this programme.
Additionally, the students and their mentees explored various educational and cultural sites, including the IIT-G academic and research facilities, biotechnology park, planetarium, state zoo, Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, Regional Science Centre and Assam Administrative Staff College.
IIT-G has been collaborating with the Assam government on multiple projects to augment the holistic development of the region. The recent initiative of IIT-G and SSA will open new educational and career avenues for the students in Assam.