100 rural students from Pune to visit NASA, ESA, ISRO in Sept

Hundred students from rural areas of Pune district have been selected for educational exposure visits in September to NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) under a joint initiative of the Pune Zilla Parishad and the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune

Hundred students from rural areas of Pune district have been selected for educational exposure visits in September to NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) under a joint initiative of the Pune Zilla Parishad and the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune.

Students who reached the final stage of the selection but could not make it to the list will be offered educational visits. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

Of the selected students, 25 will visit NASA, 25 will visit ESA, and 50 will visit ISRO. This is the second year of the programme that aims to expose rural students to international space research. Last year, 25 students visited NASA and 50 students visited ISRO.

This year, the programme has been expanded with the inclusion of ESA. Shirur block recorded the highest number of selections this year with 16 students, followed by Khed with 13 and Haveli with 10. Students from all 13 blocks of Pune district have been selected.

Pune Zilla Parishad CEO Gajanan Patil said the programme’s objective is to expand the horizons of as many rural students as possible.

Students who reached the final stage of the selection but could not make it to the list will be offered educational visits to Delhi, and some will be included in a Student Exchange Programme to visit border states and experience their culture, traditions and diversity.

Pune Zilla Parishad president Viradhaval Jagdale said that rural students have immense talent, but they need the right exposure and opportunities at the right time.