Inauguration of “STEM Education Lab” and “Vasundhara Soil Organic Carbon Detection Laboratory cum Manufacturing Unit
North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), an autonomous institute under the department of Science and Technology, Government of India, inaugurated the following two programs jointly at NECTAR Headquarters in Shillong
The program was graced by Shri. D.P. Wahlang, Chief Secretary, Government of Meghalaya; Dr. M. Mohanty, Head AI division, DST; Dr Arun Kumar Sarma, Director General NECTAR; Shri Swapnil Tembe, IAS, Secretary, Education Department, & Director, School Education & Literacy, Government of Meghalaya; Shri Mangsatabam Iboyaima Meitei, Adviser (Horticulture), North Eastern Council Secretariat, Shillong; Shri Shaphrang Sawkmie, Asst. Research Officer, Officer In charge, State Council of Science Technology & Environment, Meghalaya along with other officials and experts from NECTAR and Smart Village Movement, Meghalaya.
- A ‘STEM Education Lab’- The STEM Lab developed in NECTAR Headquarters, Shillong in collaboration with the Smart Village Movement (SVM), Meghalaya, Curiosity Gym, Mumbai and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune marks a transformative step towards advancing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education in Meghalaya. It aims to create a holistic environment to empower students from around 100 schools in Shillong with STEM components like Electronics, Robotics, 3D printing, etc. The outcomes for this initiative would be to enhance the experiential learning for both teachers and students with access to state-of-the-art equipment, modules and training to be provided round the year.
A ‘Mini Laboratory cum Bulk Manufacturing Facility’ for the “Vasundhara Soil Organic Carbon and pH Detection Kit”, developed under the PM-DevINE project titled “Promotion of Scientific Organic Agriculture in Northeast India” under MDoNER, with technical support from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). The PM-DevINE project aims to create a sustainable organic farming ecosystem by training 25,000 farmers across 250 organic-certified clusters in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Manipur. The soil testing kits will provide in-situ testing facilities for farmers to assess the organic carbon content of their soil, enabling them to receive accurate recommendations for organic inputs. These kits will be distributed free of charge to 25,000 farmers
The inauguration of both the Labs marked a significant contribution towards the development of North East Region particularly in the sector of Education and Agriculture.
