Education

Science on Wheels: IIT Mandi takes hands-on science to 50 Himachal Pradesh schools

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The Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Plaksha University and the Igniting Dreams of Young Minds (IDYM) Foundation have started the Science on Wheels programme in Himachal Pradesh to give school students, especially in rural areas, practical lessons in science, PIB said on 26 October 2026.

Science on Wheels: The launch at IIT Mandi Campus School, with rocket models on display
The launch at IIT Mandi Campus School, with rocket models on display Photo: PIB (Government of India, free to use with credit).

How Science on Wheels reached Himachal Pradesh

The Himachal Pradesh leg was launched on 17 October 2026 at IIT Mandi Campus School, with IIT Mandi Director Prof. Laxmidhar Behera as chief guest. The programme is backed by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) through the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC). After covering more than 7,500 students in 70 schools in Chhattisgarh and Punjab, the team now aims to reach 50 schools in Himachal Pradesh, including in Mandi, Kullu, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Kangra. In Mandi district it began with government senior secondary schools in Badog, Baggi (K), Bari Gumanu, Batheri and Deori. Students of classes 6 to 12 get about six hours of activities at each school under four themes: space technology, robotics, sustainability and water filtration.

Key Facts

  • Programme: Science on Wheels
  • Partners: IIT Mandi, Plaksha University, IDYM Foundation
  • Backed by: DST through NCSTC
  • Target: 50 schools in Himachal Pradesh
  • Earlier reach: 7,500+ students in 70 schools (Chhattisgarh, Punjab)

“Science on Wheels is a great initiative. We need to develop an interest in science amongst our children.”

— Prof. Laxmidhar Behera, Director, IIT Mandi

IIT Mandi director on hands-on science

“Science on Wheels is a great initiative. We need to develop an interest in science amongst our children as they are the future of an Atmanirbhar Bharat,” Prof. Behera said at the launch. He added that the children could one day build advanced instruments such as fMRI machines and atomic force microscopes in India if they were given more than demonstrations. Deshraj Sharma, principal of IIT Mandi Campus School, said the team was taking scientific equipment to areas where children rarely get to see or use it. A live hydro rocket launch at the event showed ideas of force, pressure and motion, and one student said seeing the rocket go up made science look different from the textbook.

Who runs the programme in rural schools

The project is led by Dr Rucha Joshi of Plaksha University as principal investigator, working with Dr Harshad Kulkarni of IIT Mandi, Dr Shashank Tamaskar of Plaksha University, IDYM Foundation president Ratnesh Mishra and Dr Srijita Chkraburty of Plaksha University. PIB said the IDYM Foundation is an official Space Tutor of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Senior IIT Mandi faculty members Prof. Surya Prakash Upadhyay and Prof. Rahul Vaish, and Prof. Shaily Mahendra of the University of California, Los Angeles, also attended the launch. The visits have begun in Mandi district and will be extended to other districts of the state in the coming weeks, according to the release, with the aim of building scientific curiosity, rational thinking, creativity and innovation among students in distant areas.

Why It Matters: Many rural schools lack labs, and a travelling programme lets students try experiments in robotics, space technology and water filtration that they would otherwise only read about.

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Source: PIB Shimla, 26 Oct 2026 · IIT Mandi · DST

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