INSPIRE.

Inspire Science Camps

Goal:

“Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE)” is an innovative programme sponsored and managed by the Department of Science & Technology for attraction of talent to Science. The basic objective of INSPIRE is to communicate to the youth of the country the excitements of creative pursuit of science, attract talent to the study of science at an early age and thus build the required critical human resource pool for strengthening and expanding the Science & Technology system and R&D base.

A striking feature of the programme is that it does not believe in conducting competitive exams for identification of talent at any level. It believes in and relies on the efficacy of the existing educational structure for identification of talent.

Organizing Science Camps under INSPIRE Internship, a component of INSPIRE Programme

One of the components of “Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent for Science (SEATS)” is INSPIRE Internship in which annually about 50,000 students of top 1% performers in Class X board examinations and pursuing science at higher Secondary level are being given an exposure with leaders in science in the Summer/Winter camps to experience the joy of innovations. These Science Camps essentially nourish the curiosity of children in science; help them to think out of the box and attract the students at an early age of 16 – 17 years (i.e. in XI standard) to enroll in science subjects.

Dayanand Science College has the privilege of organizing INSPIRE Science Internship Camps for the last three consecutive years. In all up till now 16 camps were organized and 3600 students benefited by these camps. The camps are meant for science students of class XI. These were fully sponsored five-day residential science camps were a golden opportunity for the students to personally interact with various Academy Fellows, Bhatnagar Awardees and Scientists of National and International repute. It included lectures related to scientific success stories and the joys of innovations across all science streams, CD shows, round table discussions, experiment sessions, creative poster competitions, seminars, science quiz and field visits. Selected candidates for the camp were accommodated in our campus. The participating students were provided free transportation, local hospitality, related study materials, educational and registration kits. A certificate of participation and a take-home experiment kit were given to the students at the end of the five-day Science Internship Camp.

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Funding Agency

Department of Science and Technology sanctioned total amount 2,32,00,000/- for these sixteen
camps

Dayanand Science College has successfully organized the camps as follows:

Sr. No.	Camp	Duration	Funds
1	01- 04 Nov., 2010	150	9,75,000/-
2	01- 04 Jun., 2011	150	9,75,000/-
3	01- 04 Dec., 2011	150	9,75,000/-
4	10- 14 Mar., 2012	300	19,00,000/-
5	21- 25 Jun., 2012	300	19,00,000/-
6	19- 23 Nov., 2012	400	26,00,000
7	06- 11 Nov., 2013	300	19,00,000/-
8	17- 22 June, 2014	200	13,00,000/-
9	27- 31 Oct, 2014	200	13,00,000/-

10	24- 28 Feb, 2015	200	13,00,000/-
11	18-22 Sept, 2015	200	13,00,000/-
12	07- 02 Feb, 2016	200	13,00,000/-
13	26- 30 Sept, 2016	200	13,00,000/-
14	02- 06 Nov, 2016	250	16,25,000/-
15	12- 16 Oct, 2017	200	13,00,000/-
16	22- 26 Dec, 2018	200	13,00,000/-
17	20- 24 Oct, 2019	200	13,00,000/-
	Total		2,45,00,000/- (2.45 Cr)

About 3600 aspiring students have been participated from XI Science having percentages in
the range of 90 % to 100 %.
 The activities involving hands on experience like Telescopic viewing of Moon’s Surface,
Satellites of Jupiter’s and many more is facilitated to enrich their knowledge and practical
experience is included.
 The Daily News of the camp activities has been covered and published by the representatives
of State Level and Local Newpapers like LOKMAT, SAKAL, EKMAT, SAMNA,
LOKPATRA and many more
 All the expenses for organising the camps were spent with accountability and as per the
guidelines of DST, New Delhi.
 The Camps were designed in, such a way that the participants feels the joy of studying basic
sciences with guidelines of DST, New Delhi.
 The camps were absolutely residential in nature, even the local candidates were also not
allowed to go home. So that, they may feel themselves an integral part of these camps.
 The basic segment of the camps include Lecture-cum-interactive sessions by the competent
Mentors in their subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Mathematics, Earth
Science, Geology, Space Science, Nanotechnology, Medical Science, Astrophysics etc.
 The camps environment was full of positive energy amongst students and organizer’s,
everybody in the camp felt rejuvenated.
 The students were very anxious to ask questions to Mentor’s and nullify their doubts.
 The parent’s of the participating students were also invited to interact with Mentor’s and
Organizers in extra session.
 A test has been conducted to evaluate the students at the end of the camp.
 The Mentor’s were willing themselves to join in the another camps.
 Every participant has earned a Life-Time experience.
 The participating students were enriched with the knowledge of the other fields to make their
career in Basic sciences.
 The students had improved their interest in Basic Science subjects and scored good marks in
XII Board Examinations.
 They had been inspired for “not to seek more jobs but to provide more jobs.”
 They came to know that there are many more opportunities in other fields also to choose their
career instead of Medical & Engineering only.
 Majority of the participants plans to rethink their future career plans.
 The parent’s of the participating students were also invited to interact with Mentor’s and
Organizers in extra session in every Camp.
 The Oral and Poster presentation competition is introduced in the schedule which leads to
collect information on the subject and confidence in presentation. The toppers in such
competitions are also awarded by prizes from Vigyan Prasar, New Delhi.
 A test has been conducted to evaluate the students at the end of the camp.
 The Mentor’s were willing themselves to join in the another camps.
 Every participant has earned a Life-Time experience.

Mentors Visited during Inspire Camps

Achievements:

Career in Basic Sciences.
Improvement of students knowledge in Basic Sciences.
Many opportunities in other fields of Science.
Thinking for development of nations science &
Representation for Maharashtra at National Level CoordinatorsWorkshop.
41 students (“SHE” qualified) admitted for B.Sc. in the academic year 2012-18, in our college (Rs. 80000/year)