For PM’s innovative learning scheme, HRD ministry to zero in on 60 talented kids

The HRD ministry is scouting for 60 of the country’s most talented children, in areas as diverse as singing and dance to Maths and Physics, who will form the first batch of the soon to be launched Prime Minister’s Innovative Learning Programme.

The ambitious new scheme that aims to hone the skills of the brightest Indian students in classes IX to XII will be launched from the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Bangalore headquarters on October 10, a senior government official said.

“This is an ambitious initiative of the Modi government. So, it is most befitting that the pilot project is launched from the ISRO headquarters from where the country’s inspiring space programme including the recent Chandrayaan mission have taken off,” the official added.

Top officials of the HRD ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office including the Prime Minister’s Scientific Adviser Prof K Vijay Raghavan are working on the contours of the launch as well as the details of the overall scheme, the official added.

The scheme will be launched around October 10 from ISRO’s Bangalore headquarters early next month.

“These bright youngsters will be groomed by the masters in their respective fields as part of the pilot programme. The ministry then plans to start a centre of excellence – Dhruv - on the lines of Russia’s Sochi school which PM Narendra Modi visited a couple of years ago,” the senior official added.

According to another official, it is being planned that the ministry will select around 60 children, 30 of whom have shown excellence in science related fields and another 30 in areas related to performing arts etc.

The selections will be made based on the performance in national talent search examinations, competitions etc. Once the students are chosen, the ministry will try to hold sessions to get them mentored by gurus in their chosen fields.

“The children from science background will undergo a 15 day session in IIT Delhi while the other batch will get mentoring from eminent persons at the National Bal Bhawan. This is the pilot project while the ministry is planning to build a special school on the Sochi model of Russia. It will be a centre of excellence. The details of the school will be worked out in the coming days,” the senior official said.