Abhinav Barnawal’s Experience of Dhruv Programme

It was a wonderful experience to be a part of such a reputed programme organised by the Govt. of India. I met with people from all over India and made many friends. There was a perfect blend of Art and Science students which resulted into a lot of fun and so much learning. We also met many distinguished people such as Shri Subhash Ghai, Shri Shivmani, Shri Manish Jain (IIT Gandhinagar professor) among others.

The 14-day training camp was very informative and provided a lot of opportunities to learn. First, we visited the ISRO headquarters, ISTRAC, NAVIC Monitoring Lab, etc. in Bangalore. There we came to know about the ISRO missions. We also interacted with many senior scientists who answered our queries. It was amazing to meet Sir K. Sivan (ISRO Chairman) who enlightened us on a lot of things and guided us.

Our next stop was Delhi where we stayed at the National Bal Bhawan. Every day we used to reach IIT Delhi at 8 am and stayed there till 6 pm. There we were mentored by the IIT Professors and Ph.D. Scholars. For the first two hours we used to work on our projects. All of us were divided into 3 groups of 10 students each. Each group was assigned a different project. Our group was assigned a project on learning and building an affordable PM 2.5 and PM 10 sensors. In addition, all the 30 students had to work on a common project on Climate Change. This was very inspiring and helped us understand how the climate needs urgent attention.

After tea break we used to attend lectures till lunch. Post that we had one more lecture by renowned professors. Once all the lectures were over, we used to work on the combined project on Climate Change for nearly one and a half hour. Sometimes my group and I used to stay back at IIT Delhi to finish the project and then returned to Bal Bhawan. After dinner, all of us used to gather and play games. It was fun.

I interacted with other students as well. We all shared our experiences. Many students present there had represented India at various International Olympiads and had a vast knowledge of the subject. While some of them were good at chess, others were good at football, basketball, etc.

The best thing, according to me, was the exposure we got to a number of career options that we can pursue after class XII and further. Usually students, in general, are confused about what to pursue next. However, this programme helped open our minds. It was very benefitting especially to somebody like me who want to pursue research. Now I can see a number of areas flourishing for me. Additionally, we have also been assured by the MHRD that from now on we will be guided well so that just like a ‘DHRUV TARA’ we are able of give direction to the nation.

At the end of the training, among other things, I have learned the basics of electronics due to the project that I was assigned. I have also developed an interest in computer programming. Now I can make out to some extent how hardware and software are synchronized. I feel that this kind of exposure is very useful for a student. It helps one to discover one’s interests and decide one’s aim.

During our training sessions, we had nearly 2 lectures per day. The lectures conducted by respected IIT Delhi professors and IIT Delhi Director, Sir V. Ramgopal Rao and Noble laureate, Sir Kirk Smith, helped me realize how big the problem of Climate Change is. Moreover, they also changed my perception towards engineering studies and helped me decide my future path. I wish to go to IIT for my higher studies and also focus more on innovation from now onwards. I particularly want to be a researcher in the field of Space Science.

At the end, I would like to motivate all the students to participate in exams like KVPY, Olympiads and innovation programmes like INSPIRE, IGNITE, ATAL INNOVATION MISSION, etc. These can help you get selected for the ‘DHRUV’ programme.

Thank You

Abhinav Barnawal