By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 31: In a move that is expected to greatly benefit the students and farmers of the state, the STEM Education Hub and the Soil Organic Carbon Detection Lab was inaugurated at the NECTAR office, located on the Survey of India campus, by Chief Secretary DP Wahlang.
Discussing the STEM Education Lab at the event on Friday, Wahlang noted that Class 9 students are already learning coding, which is groundbreaking since coding is typically introduced at the undergraduate level. He emphasised that students are developing state-of-the-art robotics technology at the school level, which marks a major advancement in education. “This initiative will take students to an entirely new level,” he said, adding that the project director has been instructed to expand the STEM lab to hundreds of schools to maximize its impact.
On the Soil Organic Carbon Detection Lab, Wahlang explained that analysing the carbon content in soil would be highly beneficial to farmers across the state.
“This is the first initiative that transitions from file to field,” he said. “It is crucial that we drive this transformation and ensure that farmers not only gain knowledge through capacity-building programs and training but also witness real-time changes on the ground.”
He further stressed the importance of soil mapping,
stating, “It is essential to understand the soil’s nutrient and carbon content, as well as its suitability for different crops.”
Meanwhile, Girish Nair, founding member and CEO of Curiosity Gym, which is partnering with NECTAR, spoke about the global shift towards technology. He stated that this initiative aims to provide students, especially those in rural and semi-urban areas, with hands-on, activity-based learning through the STEM Education Hub Lab.
According to Nair, the goal is to expand science and technology learning across the state.
He revealed that while they are currently working with two schools, efforts are underway to identify 20 more for expansion. The inaugural courses are being offered free of cost to schools registered with NECTAR, and workshops will also be organised for participating schools.