SHILLONG: The Government is planning several projects that will help youngsters understand science better and perform in national competitive examinations without hitches.
The State will soon get two digital planetariums. The Science and Technology Department told the working group 9 of the State Planning Board on Monday that construction of the planetarium in Tura has already begun and the second one is likely to come up on the campus of NEHU-Shillong, said John F. Kharshiing, co-chairman of the board.
The working group also reviewed the allocated and sanctioned expenditures and achievement of four departments, including Information Technology and Communication, Science and Technology, Mining and Geology and Environment and Forest from 2014-2017.
“The departments told us that their achievement is 90 per cent,” Kharshiing said.
The IT Department told members of the planning board that internet bandwidth from Agartala has reached Shillong and work is on to connect the bandwidth to other parts of the State.
The department has proposed to set up e-learning centres for candidates appearing for Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
The first batch will start with 25 students and the process of selection of candidates has started, said John Kharshiing, co-chairman of the State Planning Board after a review meeting with department officials here on Monday.
“The contract for the e-learning centre is nearly final and it will come up shortly,” Kharshiing said.
The officials of the department also informed him that more than 1,000 schools in the state had benefitted from the IT education schemes for schools, which was partly funded by the North Eastern Council.
Monument mapping to be carried out
Meanwhile, in a review meeting, the officials of Science and Technology Department told Kharshiing that it was initiating the process of mapping historical monuments of Jaintia Hills for preservation and promotion of eco-tourism. The department has conducted surveys of such monuments at Muktapur and Nartiang.
