Category Archives: Education

Assam Announces Supplementary Exams for Higher Secondary Students

Guwahati, June 23: The Government of Assam has announced the introduction of supplementary examinations for Higher Secondary students, aiming to provide an additional opportunity for those who could not clear one or more subjects in the regular examination cycle.

The initiative is designed to ensure that students are given a fair chance to improve their academic performance without having to lose an entire academic year. Officials said the move is part of broader efforts to make the education system more flexible, supportive, and student-centric.

Under the new arrangement, eligible students will be able to reappear in specific subjects through the supplementary examination system. This is expected to reduce academic stress and help students continue their studies without long interruptions.

The Assam education department is expected to release detailed guidelines shortly, including eligibility criteria, application procedures, exam fees, and the schedule for the supplementary examinations. Schools and students have been advised to follow official notifications for accurate updates.

Education officials highlighted that the decision aligns with the state’s focus on improving learning outcomes and reducing dropout rates at the Higher Secondary level. By offering an additional examination window, the government aims to strengthen academic continuity and ensure that students are not held back due to limited assessment opportunities.

The move is also expected to encourage better performance in future examinations, as students will have an additional chance to clear subjects and progress in their academic careers.

Overall, the initiative reflects Assam’s commitment to building a more inclusive and supportive education system that prioritizes student success and long-term educational development.

Listening for Quantum Oscillations in the Kondo Insulator YbB12

Ultrasonic measurements reveal magnetic quantum oscillations only after YbB₁₂ transitions into a metallic state

Magnetic quantum oscillations have been unexpectedly observed in insulators, where freely moving charge carriers are not expected to exist. A joint study by researchers from Tokyo University of Science, The University of Tokyo, and Kobe University investigated this puzzling behavior in the Kondo insulator YbB₁₂ using ultrasound. While no oscillations were detected in the insulating state, clear signals emerged after the material became metallic, offering new insight into unusual quantum behavior in next-generation materials.

Tokyo, June 23: The organization and movement of electrons within a material determine whether it conducts electricity, behaves magnetically, or even becomes superconducting. Since this electronic behavior cannot be observed directly, scientists study it by observing how materials respond to external forces such as magnetic fields. One important method involves magnetic quantum oscillations (MQOs), tiny repeating changes in physical properties that occur when electrons reorganize into specific energy states under a magnetic field.

MQOs are usually observed in metals and semimetals, where electrons can move freely through the material. However, unexpectedly, they have also been found in insulators, which do not host freely moving charged quasiparticles or a Fermi surface, leaving open the question of what causes these oscillations.

Now, a research team led by Dr. Ryosuke Kurihara of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Tokyo University of Science (TUS), Japan, in collaboration with Dr. Atsuhiko Miyata of the Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo,Japan, Dr. Shusaku Imajo of the Department of Advanced Materials Science, The University of Tokyoand Dr. Ruo Hibino of the Department of Physics at Kobe University, Japan, has observed quantum oscillations in the field-induced metallic phase of ytterbium dodecaboride (YbB₁₂) using ultrasonic measurements, while notably finding no such oscillations in its insulating state. Their findings, published in the journal Physical Review B on June 16, 2026, provide new insight into the puzzling behavior of this topological Kondo insulator.The paper was also selected as an Editors’ Suggestion, a distinction awarded by the journal to highlight particularly significant and noteworthy research.

“Since it is known that the quantum oscillations of YbB₁₂ are sample-dependent, we wanted to verify whether quantum oscillations are truly invisible with ultrasound by using a sample in which quantum oscillations have already been confirmed, and the data have been compiled into a paper. In our previous ultrasonic studies of YbB₁₂, no quantum oscillations were detected.Furthermore, if quantum oscillations are not visible with ultrasound, there must be some underlying physics that explains why they are not visible, and we wanted to verify that as well,” says Dr. Kurihara.

YbB₁₂ is a Kondo insulator, a material in which strong interactions between electrons open an energy gap at low temperatures, causing it to behave as an insulator despite exhibiting unusual metallic-like electronic properties. However, previous magnetoresistance measurements, which track how a material’s electrical resistance changes in a magnetic field, detected quantum oscillations while the material was still insulating. This contradicted the conventional understanding that MQOs require freely moving charged particles.

To better understand this behavior, the researchers performed bulk-sensitive ultrasonic experiments on a high-quality crystal of YbB₁₂ that had already shown quantum oscillations in earlier magnetoresistance studies. They exposed the material to magnetic fields of up to 65 T while cooling it to temperatures as low as 485 mK, close to absolute zero.

The researchers used ultrasonic measurements to track how the material’s elastic properties responded to magnetic fields, focusing on two elastic constants known as C11 and C44. In the insulating state below the field-induced insulator-to-metal transition near 45 T, the team found no clear evidence of magnetoacoustic QOs (MAQOs). Instead, they observed unusual features in the longitudinal elastic constant C11, including subtle dip-like and kink-like changes around 10 and 30 T, as well as another anomaly near 39 T. However, once YbB₁₂ transitioned into a metallic state above approximately 45 T, clear quantum oscillations appeared in both acoustic modes, suggesting that sound waves interacted more strongly with quasiparticles in the metallic phase.

The researchers suggest that the absence of MAQOs in the insulating state may result from weak coupling between the proposed fermionic quasiparticles and acoustic phonons, the vibrations that carry sound through the material. In addition, the large cyclotron mass of these quasiparticles may suppress the oscillatory signal, making it difficult to detect using ultrasound.

By clarifying when and how these oscillations appear, the study may help researchers better understand unusual quantum states in materials and advance the search for next-generation quantum materials.

“Our findings provide further information on the puzzling behavior of the insulating state of YbB₁₂,”saysDr. Kurihara.

CUET-UG 2026 Scorecards Now Available

New Delhi, June 23: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced the results of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET-UG) 2026, bringing relief to lakhs of students seeking admission to undergraduate programmes across India.

Candidates who appeared for the examination can now access their scorecards through the official CUET portal by logging in with their credentials.

According to NTA, over 15.68 lakh candidates had registered for the exam, while around 11.64 lakh students appeared. The examination recorded nearly 67.56 lakh test attempts, reflecting wide participation across subjects and regions. Candidates were allowed to choose up to five subjects, resulting in a large number of subject combinations.

The gender-wise participation included approximately 5.78 lakh male candidates, 5.85 lakh female candidates, and two transgender candidates.

In a social media update, the NTA said that the results are now available and advised students to download their scorecards from the official website.

The agency has also urged candidates to carefully verify all details on their scorecards, including personal information and subject-wise scores. Any discrepancies should be reported to the authorities for correction.

Earlier, NTA released the final answer key after reviewing objections to the provisional version. Seven questions were found to have technical issues and were removed from the final evaluation.

The CUET-UG 2026 examination was conducted between May 11 and May 31, with a few papers held on June 6 and June 7. The final answer key was issued before the declaration of results, completing the evaluation process.

Officials noted that the results mark an important step for students transitioning into undergraduate admissions across central and participating universities.

Gujarat Takes Classrooms to Children in Salt-Pan Areas

Ahmedabad, June 23: In a significant step towards expanding access to education, the Gujarat government has converted 28 retired state transport buses into mobile classrooms for children living in the state’s salt-producing regions.

The initiative, titled “School on Wheels,” is aimed at addressing the educational challenges faced by children of salt-pan workers, many of whom live in remote areas with limited access to schools. Frequent migration and long distances often disrupt the learning process for these children.

The refurbished buses have been equipped to function as classrooms and will travel to salt-producing belts, bringing education directly to underserved communities. The programme seeks to ensure that children can continue their studies without interruption, regardless of their location.

Officials said the initiative is part of broader efforts to promote inclusive and equitable education, particularly for vulnerable communities. By taking classrooms to students rather than requiring students to travel long distances, the programme aims to improve attendance, learning continuity, and educational outcomes.

The “School on Wheels” project has been widely viewed as an innovative approach to bridging educational gaps and ensuring that no child is left behind due to geographical or socio-economic barriers.

With the launch of the mobile classrooms, Gujarat is reinforcing its commitment to making quality education accessible to children in even the most remote corners of the state.

Odisha Publishes First UG Merit List for 2026–27 Admissions

Bhubaneswar, June 22: The Higher Education Department of Odisha has published the first merit list for undergraduate admissions for the 2026–27 academic session, with over 1.78 lakh students selected for admission across various colleges in the state.

The announcement marks the beginning of the UG admission process for the new academic year, enabling shortlisted candidates to proceed with the next stages of counselling, document verification, and seat allocation as per the admission schedule.

According to officials, the merit list has been prepared based on academic performance and eligibility criteria set by the department to ensure a transparent and merit-based selection process. The admission system is designed to streamline enrollment across higher education institutions in the state.

Students included in the list will now be required to complete the necessary admission formalities within the stipulated timeline. Authorities have advised candidates to carefully follow official instructions to confirm their seats.

The department stated that subsequent merit lists will be released in phases to accommodate remaining seats and ensure maximum participation in the admission process.

Officials have also encouraged students to regularly check the official admission portal for updates regarding counselling schedules and further rounds of selection.

The initiative aims to facilitate a smooth, transparent, and efficient admission process for undergraduate education across Odisha.

IIT Roorkee, IvyCap Ventures and NuQuant Launch INR 1,000 Crore Super Endowment Initiative to Boost India’s DeepTech Ecosystem

Roorkee, June 22 :The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee , in collaboration with IvyCap Ventures & NuQuant, has announced the launch of a Super Endowment Fund with a target corpus of approximately INR 1,000 crore. As part of the Bharat Innovates initiative, Super Endowment Fund has been envisioned as a perpetual and self-sustaining source of capital to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem by creating long-term and sustainable support for deep-tech startups. The Fund aims to support research excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology translation across IIT Network.

During Bharat Innovates 2026, an initiative of the Government of India, implemented by the Ministry of Education, at Nice, France, India is extending an invitation to leading global universities, research organizations, innovators, investors, philanthropists, and industry leaders to collaborate in the domains of Climate Technologies, Energy Systems, Semiconductors, Advanced Manufacturing, Critical Minerals, Healthcare, and other strategic DeepTech sectors, and to participate in the Fund and its associated innovation activities. The initiative aims to create a globally connected innovation platform that accelerates research translation, fosters cross-border partnerships, and enables the development of technologies with global impact.

Building upon IIT Roorkee’s distinguished 175-year legacy of academic excellence and innovation, the initiative seeks to create a transformative platform that mobilizes alumni, philanthropic, corporate, and institutional contributions towards advancing India’s knowledge economy. The Fund is expected to catalyze high-impact research and innovation in strategic sectors including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, critical minerals, quantum computing, clean energy, climate resilience, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, circular economy and agritech.

The proposed endowment model aims to strengthen linkages between academia, industry, investors, and alumni networks, enabling sustained support for breakthrough technologies, startup creation, intellectual property generation, and societal impact. Through this initiative, IIT Roorkee aspires to contribute significantly to India’s vision of becoming a global leader in innovation, deep-tech entrepreneurship, and innovation-driven economic growth.

The endowment will be managed by IvyCap Ventures, pioneer of India’s endowment ecosystem known for pioneering institution-linked investment and endowment models in India. Through this endowment model, IvyCap is enabling India’s premier institutions to generate world-class intellectual property from their own campuses – advancing India’s journey to becoming the IP capital of the world.

“The Super Endowment is the most exciting chapter yet in a journey we began with India’s first endowment fund at IIT Delhi,” said Vikram Gupta, Founder & Managing Partner, IvyCap Ventures. “What drives me is a simple conviction – that the wealth created by our institutions’ alumni must flow back to power the next generation of researchers and entrepreneurs. This fund makes that cycle of giving perpetual, and I believe it will redefine how India funds innovation.”
“This is more than a fund – it is a compounding engine for Indian innovation,” said Prof. K.K. Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee.

“Every rupee will work in perpetuity to turn ideas born on this campus into entrepreneurs and IP that the world builds upon. By bringing together the collective strength of alumni, industry, philanthropic organizations, and global partners, we aim to create enduring impact and empower future generations of researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs.”

Commenting on this, Kislay Kanth, Founder, NuQuant, said,

“India has the potential to emerge as a global leader in DeepTech innovation. Through this collaboration, we aim to strengthen the connection between research, entrepreneurship, and global capital, enabling breakthrough technologies to scale and create meaningful impact. The Super Endowment Fund represents a powerful model for fostering long-term innovation and international collaboration.”

IIT Roorkee and IvyCap Ventures invite alumni, corporate leaders, philanthropists, institutional investors, global universities, and strategic partners to join this initiative and contribute towards building a sustainable, globally connected, and innovation-driven future for India.

From Antenna to Algorithms: Can Traditional Media Reclaim Its Lost Audience?

The Great Journey of Mass Communication: From Radio and Doordarshan to Digital Streaming

There was a time when information traveled slowly but carried immense value. Families gathered around radio sets to hear news bulletins, cricket commentary, and cultural programs. Later, television became the centerpiece of every household, bringing the nation together through shared experiences. Newspapers arrived every morning as trusted sources of information, while magazines offered in-depth analysis and storytelling.

Today, the media landscape has been completely transformed. Smartphones, fiber broadband, social media, YouTube, OTT platforms, podcasts, AI-powered tools, e-papers, and digital magazines have changed how people consume information.

Ironically, despite having more media platforms and content choices than ever before, traditional media is struggling to retain audiences.

The Evolution of Electronic Media

1. The Radio Era (1930s–1980s)

Before television became widespread, radio was the dominant electronic medium.

In India, radio connected millions through news bulletins, educational programming, music, dramas, and live sports commentary. Families relied on radio for information during elections, wars, natural disasters, and major national events.

For decades, radio was the fastest and most accessible source of news.

2. The Antenna and Doordarshan Era (1970s–1980s)

Television arrived as a revolutionary medium.

Viewers depended on rooftop antennas to receive signals from Doordarshan. Programming was limited but highly influential. Shows such as Ramayan, Mahabharat, Hum Log, Buniyaad, and Chitrahaar became national phenomena.

Television was not merely entertainment—it was a social experience that united families and communities.

3. The Cable Television Revolution (1990s)

Economic liberalization changed the Indian media industry forever.

Cable operators introduced private television channels into homes. Suddenly viewers had access to entertainment, sports, movies, music, and 24-hour news channels.

Networks such as Zee TV, Star TV, Sony, and numerous regional broadcasters transformed viewing habits.

For the first time, audiences had meaningful choice.

4. The DTH Era (2000s)

Direct-to-Home (DTH) technology improved signal quality and expanded access to hundreds of channels.

Consumers enjoyed better picture quality, wider channel selection, and greater viewing flexibility.

Television entered an era of intense competition.

5. The Fiber and Digital Streaming Era (2010s–Present)

The arrival of fiber broadband, smartphones, smart TVs, OTT platforms, social media, podcasts, and video-sharing platforms fundamentally altered media consumption.

Viewers no longer wait for scheduled programming.

News, entertainment, sports, documentaries, and live events are available instantly and on demand.

The audience now controls what to watch, when to watch, and where to watch.

From One Channel to Thousands

The media industry has evolved from scarcity to abundance.

We moved from:

• One television channel to thousands.
• One radio station to thousands of digital audio streams.
• A handful of newspapers to countless digital publications.
• Scheduled programming to personalized content feeds.

Yet paradoxically, more choice has not guaranteed more engagement.

Instead, audiences have become fragmented across multiple platforms.

Why Are Viewers Leaving Television News?

Television news once dominated public attention. Today, many viewers are turning away.

Several factors contribute to this trend:

Declining Content Quality

Investigative journalism and original reporting have often been replaced by repetitive debates and sensational discussions.

Loss of Credibility

Audiences increasingly question the neutrality and independence of many news organizations.

Ethical Concerns

Many viewers feel news coverage is becoming overly influenced by political, commercial, or ideological interests.

Technical Negligence

Frequent spelling mistakes, inaccurate graphics, poorly edited tickers, and rushed presentation standards create a perception of declining professionalism.

Endless Live Coverage

Many channels devote hours to repetitive live broadcasts with little new information, reducing the value of the viewing experience.

Rise of Independent Digital Journalism

YouTube channels, digital-first news organizations, podcasts, and independent creators often provide faster, more diverse, and more interactive coverage.

As a result, audiences increasingly seek information outside traditional television.

What Happened to Radio?

Radio remains relevant in automobiles, rural areas, and emergency communication.

However, younger audiences increasingly prefer:

• Podcasts
• Music streaming platforms
• Audio books
• On-demand content

The challenge facing radio is not merely retention but adoption. Many younger consumers never developed the habit of listening to traditional radio in the first place.

Newspapers: Declining but Still Trusted

Unlike television and radio, newspapers continue to enjoy a relatively high level of trust.

Their strengths include:

• Editorial discipline
• Fact-checking processes
• Structured reporting
• In-depth analysis
• Professional accountability

However, print circulation faces significant challenges as younger readers increasingly consume news digitally.

Many readers still trust newspaper brands but choose to access them through websites, mobile applications, and e-paper editions rather than physical copies.

The Slow Disappearance of Magazines

Perhaps no traditional medium has been affected more dramatically than magazines.

Weekly and monthly magazines once occupied a unique space between newspapers and books. They provided long-form reporting, interviews, analysis, and specialized content.

Today, demand for printed magazines has declined significantly due to:

• Instant digital access
• Free online content
• Social media platforms
• Specialized websites and blogs

Many readers now prefer e-magazines and digital subscriptions that offer convenience, portability, and real-time updates.

The future of magazines is increasingly digital rather than print-based.

The Rise of E-Papers and E-Magazines

Digital editions are becoming the new normal.

Readers appreciate:

• Instant availability
• Mobile accessibility
• Lower costs
• Search functionality
• Environmental sustainability

For younger generations, reading news on a smartphone or tablet often feels more natural than reading a printed publication.

The future of print media may depend less on paper and more on the strength of trusted journalism delivered through digital formats.

Can Traditional Media Make a Comeback?

Yes—but only through meaningful reinvention.

Restore Trust

Credibility must become the industry’s highest priority.

Invest in Journalism

Original reporting, investigative work, and field journalism should once again define news organizations.

Improve Editorial Standards

Accuracy in language, graphics, headlines, and presentation remains essential.

Embrace Digital Platforms

Traditional media must meet audiences where they already are—on mobile devices, social media, streaming platforms, and digital ecosystems.

Focus on Public Interest

Issues affecting ordinary citizens should receive greater attention than manufactured controversies.

Engage Younger Audiences

Explainers, data journalism, podcasts, short-form video, and interactive storytelling can help bridge the generational gap.

The Future of Media

Traditional media is not dying—it is evolving.

Television, radio, newspapers, and magazines may no longer dominate public attention as they once did, but their core strengths remain valuable.

The future belongs to organizations that combine the credibility of traditional journalism with the speed, accessibility, and innovation of digital technology.

Audiences have not abandoned information.

They have abandoned formats that no longer meet their expectations.

The real crisis facing media today is not a shortage of content.

It is a shortage of trust.

And trust can only be rebuilt through accuracy, ethics, accountability, professionalism, and a renewed commitment to serving the public interest.

The journey from radio to television, from antenna to cable, from DTH to digital streaming, and from newspapers to e-papers tells the story of media’s past.

The next chapter will belong to those who understand that technology may change, but the public’s need for trustworthy journalism never will.

Govt Removes Domicile Certificate Requirement for SC and OBC Scholarships

New Delhi, June 19: The government has removed the requirement of domicile certificates for students applying for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) scholarships.

The move is aimed at simplifying the application process and making it easier for eligible students to access financial assistance without facing unnecessary documentation hurdles.

Officials said the decision will help reduce delays in processing scholarship applications and ensure faster delivery of benefits to students.

The step is expected to improve accessibility and encourage greater participation from eligible students belonging to SC and OBC communities.

The reform is part of ongoing efforts to make welfare schemes more efficient, student-friendly, and easier to access through simplified procedures.

VU Researcher Develops AI Models to Assessthe Emotional Impact of Art and Advertising

June 19: Researchers from the Faculty of Physics at Vilnius University have developed a theoretical model that allows atoms to be “pre-programmed” by light alone to reshape laser beams that carry both a twist and a polarization.

The study by master’s student Dharma Prasetya Permana, alongside Mažena Mackoit-Sinkevičienė, Julius Ruseckas, and Hamid Reza Hamedi from the Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy, opens a magnet-free route to controlling structured light for quantum technologies. The research was recently published in Physical Review A.

Twisted Light

The team’s research focuses on optical vortices—special light beams whose structure twists as they propagate.

“Unlike whirlpools in water, where the matter itself spins, optical vortices are twists in the wave structure of light. As the beam travels, its wavefronts form a helical, spiral-like structure,” explains Permana.

At the center of such a beam, the light intensity drops to zero, leaving a small dark core. The size of this region depends on a quantity called the topological charge, which counts how many full twists the wavefront makes around the beam’s axis.

“A topological charge of zero means there is no twist. When the charge increases to one, a small dark core appears at the center. As the charge grows, the structure becomes more pronounced. You can think of it like the thread of a screw—the higher the charge, the tighter the twist,” Permana explains.

 

In theory, this number has no upper limit; it can take any integer value, positive or negative. That makes optical vortices particularly attractive for encoding information in many distinct states. In practice, it is possible to create up to 10,000 distinct states.

“Researchers have already begun using these light vortices to build advanced quantum communication channels,” adds Hamedi. “Instead of a standard quantum bit, or qubit, which holds only two states, light vortices allow information to be encoded in higher-dimensional quantum states, called qudits, dramatically increasing how much data a single photon can carry.”

Spin and Swirl in Light

Light travels as a wave, and there are two distinct ways it can be manipulated: polarization and vortices. Normally, light from a bulb or the Sun is chaotic, with waves vibrating in many directions at once.

“Polarization is how the wave vibrates. Imagine tying a rope to a wall and shaking it. Shake your hand up and down, and the wave vibrates vertically; shake it side to side, and it vibrates horizontally. This direction of vibration is what physicists call the wave’s polarization. Polarized sunglasses act like a fence with vertical slats: they let through vertically vibrating light and block the horizontal glare bouncing off roads or water.

“A vortex, on the other hand, describes the overall shape of the beam. Instead of traveling as a flat wall of waves, the light is twisted into a spiral staircase as it moves forward,” says Mackoit-Sinkevičienė.

When scientists combine these two concepts, they get a vector vortex—a beam with both a structured shape and structured polarization.

“Imagine a spiral staircase where the direction of the steps changes as you climb. At the bottom, the steps face north—that is, vertical polarization. As you walk up the spiral, the steps gradually turn to face east—horizontal polarization. In a vector vortex, the light beam is twisting like a whirlpool, and the direction in which the light waves vibrate changes depending on where you are inside that whirlpool,” explains Mackoit-Sinkevičienė.

“Programmable” Atoms

To manipulate vector vortices and harness them for advanced information processing, the researchers studied how these beams interact with an atomic gas. They chose a medium of three-energy-level atoms, a standard model in quantum optics.

“We developed a theoretical model showing how these atoms can be ‘pre-programmed’ to modify the shape of optical vector vortices. When such light passes through the prepared atomic medium, the atoms respond in a highly structured way. They effectively inherit the spatial pattern of the light, forming regions where they absorb strongly and regions where they become almost transparent to the light,” says Hamedi.

This creates a feedback mechanism between light and matter: the light shapes the atomic response, and the atomic response reshapes the light.

As the beam propagates, it transforms. Instead of a simple ring-shaped intensity profile with a dark center, it evolves into a petal-like pattern, where light concentrates in several bright lobes arranged around the center. At the same time, the beam’s polarization structure evolves, demonstrating that the medium actively controls both its spatial shape and its spin properties.

“This demonstrates that by preparing the atomic medium in advance, we can control not only how complex light structures evolve in space, but also how their polarization changes as they pass through matter,” says Ruseckas.

Applications in Quantum Technologies

The study positions pre-programmed atoms as a powerful tool for manipulating light, with implications for quantum computing and high-density data transfer.

“Until now, controlling structured light in this way required strong external magnetic fields. Generating those fields takes complex, bulky, and often expensive equipment, which limits how easily these systems can be integrated into compact technologies,” says Permana.

“Our method is entirely optical. By using light itself to ‘program’ the atoms, we eliminate the need for magnetic fields. This offers a much more flexible, scalable, and elegant way to control light–matter interactions. Ultimately, it paves the way for faster quantum processors, highly secure quantum communication networks, and incredibly precise optical sensors,” says Hamedi.

Sambhav Launches First-Ever Sustainability E-Book for Students After Odisha Olympiad Success

Bhubaneswar, June 19: In a pioneering step to promote environmental awareness among schoolchildren, Sambhav has launched a first-of-its-kind E-book on Survival and Sustainability following the successful completion of Odisha’s inaugural Olympiad on Survival and Sustainability in Bhubaneswar.

The Olympiad was held at DAV Public School, Unit-8 Campus, and saw enthusiastic participation from 147 students representing both Odia- and English-medium schools from Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. The event highlighted growing interest among young learners in environmental issues and sustainable living practices.

As a key outcome of the initiative, Sambhav introduced an interactive digital learning resource titled the “Info-Action Picture Book.” Available in both Odia and English, the E-book is designed to go beyond traditional learning formats by integrating concepts, practical insights, and activity-based guidance. It aims to encourage critical thinking, environmental awareness, and reduced screen dependency through experiential learning approaches.

Students who emerged as winners of the Olympiad were felicitated with certificates and trophies during the 5th Memorial Programme of Padma Professor Radhamohan. In addition, each winner will receive an Experiential Learning Fellowship of ₹10,000, enabling hands-on exposure to nature-based learning and sustainability practices.

Speaking on the occasion, noted environmentalist and Padma Shri awardee Sabarmatee said the initiative is intended to inspire children to become active environmental stewards rather than passive learners. She emphasized the importance of nurturing young minds that can think critically, act responsibly, and contribute to environmental protection.

The E-book will be distributed across schools in Odisha to support environmental education and help students develop a deeper understanding of ecology and sustainability. Volunteers Tushar and Prapti, who were instrumental in the initiative, noted that the project aims to bridge classroom learning with real-world environmental action.

Through this initiative, Sambhav hopes to nurture a generation of environmentally conscious students equipped with the knowledge, values, and skills needed to address future sustainability challenges.