Scholarships for fostering scientific temper

Tiruchirapalli, Oct 7 (UNI) The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is planning to introduce a novel scholarship programme -- Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE)-- to attract students towards scientific research, from next year.

Disclosing this to newspersons here, DST Secretary T Ramasami said INSPIRE would control the number of students opting for disciplines other than basic sciences.

The move towards fostering scientific research among the student community would target at least one million students in the ten to 17-year age group over the next five years, he added.

The identified students would be provided scholarships for pursuing researches in basic sciences. They would be provided support for 15 years for pursuing higher studies including Ph D and post-doctoral research programmes, he said and added the modalities of the programme were being worked out.

The DST would organise a three-week summer science camp for the standard X students across the country. One per cent of the toppers from each of the states and the Central Boards would be drawn for the camps.

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