The Hindu Business Line : Innovation awards for a million students on the cards

The Ministry of Science and Technology plans to offer `innovation awards' to a million children over the next five years to invigorate scientific thinking.

The Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) programme has already received approval from the Planning Commission for its Rs 1,350 crore budget for the Eleventh Plan.

A Rs 5,000 incentive is being provided for children aged between 10 and 17, to think outside the boundaries set by the school syllabus, says the Department of Science and Technology (DST). "The scholarship may be for a million students, but ten million are likely to try for it and in the process give science a serious thought," said Dr T. Ramasami, Secretary, DST.

Further, the top 1 per cent of class 10 students will get to interact with leading scientists in three-week long summer camps. The scheme is yet to be finalised, but the Ministry has already invited Europe's Nobel Prize winners for a two-day conference on February 7 in Delhi, where they will interact with 500 researchers and 500 school students. About 500 young students (who are in class 12) and who meet certain criteria will receive 15-year financial support up to the age of 32.

The students will receive full scholarships and subsequently earn a salary equivalent to an Assistant Professor at IIT for five years.

Research grants of Rs 10 lakh unattached to any specific university are also up for the taking.

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