Assam: 10 HS schools in BTR to get Chino Basumatary Memorial Space Labs

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KOKRAJHAR: The department of education, BTC, has added another feather to its cap with the inauguration of its first space laboratory on July 19 at Kashikotra Higher Secondary School in Chirang district.

The chief executive member of BTC Promod Bodo inaugurated the “Chino Basumatary Memorial Space Laboratory” at Sidli-Kashikotra Higher Secondary School, Chirang, in the presence of esteemed dignitaries including Ems-Wilson Hasda and Gautam Das, Principal secretary of BTC Akash Deep, secretary of Education Amarjyoti Barman, and former senior space scientist of ISRO Dr. TN Suresh Kumar. This is the first space lab at the government school in the northeast.

The other selected schools for this pioneering initiative are: Debargaon HS School, Kokrajhar; Grahampur HS School; Gossaigaon and Tipkai Senior Secondary School; Parbatjhora in Kokrajhar district; Bijni-Bandhab HS School, Chirang, Barama Girls’ High School; Baksa and Salbari Girls’ High School; Baksa; Tamulpur HS School of Tamulpur district; Udalguri HS School; and Khoirabari HS School of Udalguri district.

The initiative aims to ignite interest in space and its applications among BTR students through an innovative gamification approach. These space labs, specially designed for government school students, have been developed under the ISRO Space Tutor programme by the Vyomika Space Academy, a global learning platform offering world-class educational tools and resources on space and technology. Each space lab is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including telescopes, ISRO satellite models, ISRO rocket models, aircraft and drone models, robots, 3D printers, and other cutting-edge technology tools.

This initiative represents a significant step towards enhancing the education of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in the BTR, providing students with hands-on experience and exposure to space technology and its applications. The remaining nine schools will see similar setups in the near future, bringing this innovative educational opportunity to students across the region.

The special guest of the inaugural programme is a former senior space scientist from ISRO, named Dr. T. N. Suresh Kumar, with an illustrious career spanning over 38 years. He retired from the INSAT Master Control Facility, Department of Space, Government of India, in July 2017. Kumar's career began in 1978 at the Space Application Centre, ISRO, in Ahmedabad, after graduating in Electronics and Communication Engineering. Known for his diverse interests and extraordinary personal accomplishments, Dr. Kumar has established himself as a pioneer in various fields, including education, exploration, and adventure. He holds several “firsts” as an Indian scientist, including travelling to the “Edge of Space-Stratosphere” and experiencing zero gravity flight at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Centre in Russia. He has explored the Ennedi Plateau region of the Sahara Desert, reached the summit of the active Nyiragongo volcano in the Congo, visited Easter Island, and travelled to more than 175 countries across all seven continents. Dr. Kumar’s unique blend of scientific expertise and adventurous spirit has allowed him to contribute significantly to both the field of space science and our understanding of the world through his extensive travels and explorations.

The Space Labs in BTR schools are named in honour of the late Chino Basumatary, a renowned social worker and pioneer of Bodo journalism who hails from the village of Bhaulaguri, Kashikotra, in Chirang. Born on April 13, 1954, to the late Saildendra Basumatary and the late Sabeswari Basumatary, he passed away in December 2015. Chino Basumatary’s contributions to society were numerous and significant. He was the editor and publisher of the biweekly “ARONAI” News magazine (1981), “Bodosa” weekly newspaper (1991), and “Bodosa” daily newspaper (2005). He served as the founder president of the ‘Bodoland Journalists’ Association and the Kokrajhar Press Club. A folk song artist and composer at All India Radio, he was also president of the “Tribal Youth Association” and “Sidli-Chirang Anchalik Committee,” ABSU (1973–76). He founded the Bodosa Institute of Advanced Education and Information Technology, Kokrajhar, and actively participated in the Roman script movement and the Bodoland separate state movement. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Dr. Ambedkar Fellowship Award in 2005.

The Space Laboratory marks the first of ten such facilities to be established across the BTR, following an MoU signed on February 23 between the Government of BTR and M/S Vyomika Space Academy Private Limited, New Delhi.

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