Raphael Warjri

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma inaugurated STEM Fusion, a one-day workshop and student exhibition, at the State Convention Centre on Monday. The programme was organised by the North East Centre for Technology Application and Research (NECTAR), Smart Village Movement, and IISER Pune. The event was attended by Principal Secretary Sampath Kumar, NECTAR Director General Arun Kumar Sharma, Smart Village Movement’s Vivek Shah, Dr. S. Muthu Kumaran of NIT, and the state’s Director of Education

In his address, Sangma noted that Science and Mathematics were often seen as intimidating subjects and stressed the need to make them more engaging. He said initiatives such as mobile “Lab on Wheels,” launched under the Smart Village programme, had already generated enthusiasm among students, and called for more such facilities across the state.

The Chief Minister urged the Education Department to introduce regular Science and Mathematics competitions and make school visits to STEM labs a part of the academic calendar. He emphasised that collaboration between government agencies, NECTAR, entrepreneurs and educators was crucial for expanding STEM learning opportunities, especially at the grassroots.

To encourage innovation, Sangma announced prizes for the exhibition, including ₹2 lakh for the top award, ₹1 lakh for the second, ₹50,000 for the third, and ₹10,000 for each participating school. He also assured that select student projects would receive government funding support.