The Uttarakhand government, in collaboration with the Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST), is set to launch the “Labs on Wheels” initiative, starting with four districts: Champawat, Almora, Dehradun, and Pauri. This ambitious project aims to provide mobile science labs to students from classes six to ten in remote rural and mountainous areas, enhancing their practical knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects.
The government has allocated Rs 5 crore for the project, with the first phase scheduled to run for six months in the four initial districts. Post this period, the initiative will be expanded to cover all districts of the state. Chief Secretary Radha Raturi has emphasized the importance of regular monitoring to ensure the project’s success. She reviewed the initiative in a meeting held on Tuesday.
Key attendees of the meeting included Additional Secretary Ranjana Rajguru, Director General Banshidhar Tiwari, UCOST Director General Prof. Durgesh Pant, and the founder of the Agastya Foundation. The project also aims to encourage girls towards science education particularly.
Chief Secretary Raturi outlined several activities to be undertaken as part of the project, including the screening of science films, live sky observation sessions with telescopes, science fairs, workshops, and teacher training programs. She stressed the importance of strengthening science laboratories in rural schools and promoting science communication activities.
The project will focus on developing experiential skills in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics through practical demonstrations, models, and hands-on experiments, fostering a deeper understanding and interest in STEM subjects among students in Uttarakhand’s rural and remote areas.
