Dr Jitendra Singh founded the first-ever Mentorship Program for Young Innovators as a tribute to India’s 75th year of independence from British rule. He claimed that there are plans for a Star College in every Indian district, funded by the Biotechnology Department of the Government of India. According to current DBT Star College Scheme guidelines, 278 undergraduate colleges are now receiving financial assistance. According to Dr. Jitendra Singh, more than 1.5 million students have received financial assistance during the past five years.
Key Highlight:
- Dr. Jitendra Singh founded the first-ever Mentorship Program for Young Innovators as a tribute to India’s 75th year of independence from British rule.
- He claimed that there are plans for a Star College in every Indian district, funded by the Biotechnology Department of the Government of India.
- According to current DBT Star College Scheme guidelines, 278 undergraduate colleges are now receiving financial assistance.
- More than 1.5 million students have received financial assistance during the past five years.
- The Star Status Colleges will assist the DBT’s goal of boosting UG science courses throughout the country by mentoring newer colleges.
On the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, established a Mentorship Programme for Young Innovators.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government is adopting various actions to foster scientific temper among the populace, particularly young people, through expanding scientific research and innovation efforts in the country. As he put it, the Department of Biotechnology supports a nationwide initiative to establish Star Colleges across India.
Dr. Jitendra Singh stated that the DBT-Star College Mentorship Program would aid in the concept of networking, hand-holding, and outreach by providing mentors. It is proposed that conferences and meetings be held every month; that colleges, particularly those in rural or less developed areas, be given a foothold; and that government schools conduct outreach efforts. This will allow newer institutions that have started their journey under the Star College Scheme to fulfill their obligations. The Star Status Colleges will assist the DBT’s goal of boosting UG science courses throughout the country by mentoring newer colleges through hand-holding and peer learning and by bringing them under the Star College Scheme, the Minister said.
Star College Scheme’s Mentorship Program is in line with Prime Minister Modi’s Independence Day speech in which he emphasized that the next 25 years’ roadmap will be determined by scientific and technological innovations and the scientific prowess in all walks of life, and he called on young scientists to follow through on their promise. He continued a well-articulated vision, mission, and goals, supported by a set of well-defined strategies and an action plan for implementation, are the only ways to achieve this. He added that.
, there are currently 278 undergraduate institutions in India financed by the DBT Star College Scheme. According to him, there is an equal playing field for candidates from rural and urban areas because of the 2018-19 categorization of the scheme. Currently, 55 rural institutions and 15 Aspirational districts are receiving financial assistance from the program, which has been running for just two years.
Dr. Jitendra Singh noted that more than 1.5 million students received financial assistance during the past five years. Those colleges participating in the Star College Scheme received a complete support package. As he explained, this funding is not just for purchasing technology but for faculty and laboratory staff training, talks by prominent scientists, visits to research institutes and industry, and other activities. The minister said that an all-encompassing support system is expected to help pupils get excited about science education and pursue it.
He said that the Government should focus on increasing the number of beneficiaries in human resource-related schemes, including the Star College Scheme, Skill Vigyan Program (Skills Development Program in Biotechnology), the Biotech Industrial Training Program, and other comparable programs.
📢@DrJitendraSingh, Hon'ble MoS (IC) S&T launched @DBTIndia Star College Mentorship programme aimed to strengthen UG Science courses throughout the country by mentoring the newer colleges through hand-holding and peer learning.
— BiotechIndia (@DBTIndia) November 8, 2021
🔗https://t.co/v4MJL1oEMk@rajesh_gokhale pic.twitter.com/LN2jABdqGs
[…] Govt. Star College Mentorship Program will help young scientists and students… […]