Meghalaya: STEM lab, soil testing facility launched to advance education and sustainable farming

Meghalaya's North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, jointly inaugurated two programmes at the NECTAR Headquarters, in Shillong, aiming to enhance education and agriculture in the region.

A transformative 'STEM Education Lab' has been established to empower students with hands-on learning in science and technology, while a 'Mini Laboratory' for soil testing kits supports sustainable organic farming across Northeast under the PM-DevINE project.

The STEM Lab developed in NECTAR Headquarters, in collaboration with the Smart Village Movement (SVM), Meghalaya, Curiosity Gym, Mumbai and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune marks a transformative step towards advancing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education in Meghalaya. It aims to create a holistic environment to empower students from around 100 schools in Shillong with STEM components like Electronics, Robotics, 3D printing, among others.

The outcomes for this initiative would be to enhance the experiential learning for both teachers and students with access to state-of-the-art equipment, modules and training to be provided round the year. 

A ‘Mini Laboratory cum Bulk Manufacturing Facility’ for the "Vasundhara Soil Organic Carbon and pH Detection Kit", developed under the PM-DevINE project titled “Promotion of Scientific Organic Agriculture in Northeast India” under MDoNER, with technical support from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). 

The PM-DevINE project aims to create a sustainable organic farming ecosystem by training 25,000 farmers across 250 organic-certified clusters in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Manipur. 

The soil testing kits will provide in-situ testing facilities for farmers to assess the organic carbon content of their soil, enabling them to receive accurate recommendations for organic inputs. These kits will be distributed free of charge to 25,000 farmers.

The programme was graced by Meghalaya Chief Secretary D. P. Wahlang; Dr. M. Mohanty, Head AI division, DST; Dr Arun Kumar Sarma, Director General NECTAR; Swapnil Tembe, IAS, Secretary, Education Department, & Director, School Education & Literacy, Government of Meghalaya; Mangsatabam Iboyaima Meitei, Adviser (Horticulture), North Eastern Council Secretariat, Shillong; Shaphrang Sawkmie, Asst. Research Officer, Officer In charge, State Council of Science Technology & Environment, Meghalaya along with other officials and experts from NECTAR and Smart Village Movement, Meghalaya.