Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will officially launch two major initiatives of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology & Environment (KSCSTE), a new merit-based scholarship scheme for students and a database of women in science in Kerala, on November 27 at Hotel Mascot at 3.30 p m.
The launch ceremony will be presided over by Minister of State for HRD Shashi Tharoor. K Muraleedharan, MLA, will offer felicitations. Dr Tessy Thomas, Project Director, DRDO, will address the gathering and initiate the Database of Women in Science in Kerala, with the first entry.
The KSCSTE Pratibha Scholarship is aimed at encouraging school students to pursue higher education in science and take up scientific research as a career.
It will try to identify and nurture a core group of students to pursue higher studies in Basic and Natural Sciences (B Sc Degree/Integrated M Sc Degree course) at universities or institutions in India.
Scholarships are offered to students who have qualified meritoriously in the higher secondary examination in science subjects from any board of education- CBSE, State Board or ICSE- from Kerala.
Students who had obtained not less than 90 per cent marks or equivalent grade in higher secondary examinations are eligible to apply for scholarships.
Hundred scholarships will be awarded as per ranking based on the marks secured in the qualifying examination for all science subjects.
Pratibha Scholarship is an initiative of KSCSTE’s Women Scientist Division (WSD) which has been working towards increasing the participation of women in science and research in Kerala.
Adequate provision has been made to ensure that at least 50 per cent of the scholarships are awarded to girl students.
WSD is also initiating a website for online registration of women scientists in Kerala, which will be launched alongside the Pratibha Scholarship Scheme, by Oommen Chandy.
KSCSTE executive vice-president V N Rajasekharan Pillai and member-secretary K K Ramachandran will speak at the function.
The computerised database involves collection of data state-wide on women’s participation in various disciplines of science, their participation trend, dropouts etc, which would help in addressing issues such as under-representation of women in certain areas of science.
Women of Kerala origin engaged in science at academics / professional levels and women scientist of any origin/ nationality placed in Kerala, who had qualified with a postgraduate degree in basic/applied sciences or a degree in professional courses, would be eligible to register in the online database.
The new website for online registration of women scientists can be accessed from next month onwards.