PRAYAAS 2024-25 by NCERT Apply Online Promotion of Research Attitude in Young And Aspiring Students (PRAYAAS) 2024-25 Guidelines
The young mind of a learner is full of curiosity and imagination. The innate characteristic of inquisitiveness is important for a learner to understand the concepts better and apply them in real life situations for solving problems. The creative skills of children can be used in developing solutions to the societal challenges. They need to be given an opportunity to address societal problems and also for creating new knowledge domains. National Education Policy 2020 emphasizes on the need to encourage original thinking in the students and make India a global knowledge superpower and generate new avenues of employment. To nurture the young innovative minds, Promotion of Research Attitude in Young And Aspiring Students (PRAYAAS), 2024-25 scheme is planned by the Department of Education in Science and Mathematics (DESM), NCERT for school students.
This programme provides opportunities for the creative minds of young students to realize and recognize the importance of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education in real- life situations and foster their creative imaginations. It will also help them to showcase their scientific potential at the national level through this scheme, PRAYAAS. In this context, it is envisaged that students, under the mentorship of a science teacher and the guidance of faculty member/expert from the Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs), which includes, Indian Universities, Colleges, PSUs, Research & Development Laboratories of government or non-government organisations, Industries, etc. would propose a project and, if selected, will study by applying different aspects of STEAM education in their research through this project Proposal. This will make the learners to generate scientific temper, to develop new ideas to prepare research project proposal and further implementation for a noble cause. Students and teachers would get oriented to explore and work on new ideas, innovations and investigate where and how these innovations can bring a better solution to local or global contemporary challenges. This programme will engage the students in learning of scientific concepts in innovative ways which would help in their holistic development.
Promotion of Research Attitude in Young And Aspiring Students, PRAYAAS scheme, 2024-25 is a unique programme which aims at giving opportunity to the school students for conducting year-long research and investigation and get acquainted with scientific methodology and experimentation. Another unique characteristic of this programme is making linkages between school education and Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) and optimizing learning and teaching relationship among student, teacher from schools and expert from HEI. This programme is aligned with the spirit of NEP 2020 and focuses on scientific temper and evidence-based thinking, creativity and innovativeness, logical reasoning and problem-solving keeping in view the critical issues that the local communities are facing. It also focuses on 'Experiential Learning' where the learner is embedded in learning a concept as a whole, encompassing all domains of learning. The Promotion of Research Attitude in Young And Aspiring Students, PRAYAAS scheme, 2024-25 is the much-needed impetus in the positive direction to enhance learning flexibility of young students.
Department of Education in Science and Mathematics, National Council of Educational Research and Training, New Delhi, has initiated the programme by providing catalytic grant to nurture any of the original ideas in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and their possible intergration with arts (STEAM). The main objective of this scheme is to promote Science education and popularizing Science. This is an integrated programme for carrying out scientific research by a school student and a science teacher in collaboration with an expert from any discipline of science in Higher Educational Institutes who will play role of a mentor. It will provide a common platform to the budding scientists from schools of different states and union territories of India with the following objectives:
- Orienting school students in science process skills for carrying out research and investigation.
- Generating a scientific temper and instill evidence-based science process skills, innovativeness and creativity among school students.
- Developing competencies among school students for carrying out research and investigation individually or in groups.
- Providing them a platform to become a problem-solvers by applying scientific methods for solving societal
- Making linkages between school education and higher education for optimizing learning of school students for development of scientific thinking and skills
- Developing the competency of entrepreneurship towards initiating start-ups among the students by applying science
Area Covered for the Project Under the PRAYAAS 2024-25
PRAYAAS 2024-25 invites project proposals for carrying out research/ investigation on an original Scientific idea such as;
- Identify and study a local problem
- Investigate a scientific reason behind a local problem
- Attempt to find a scientific solution to any problem.
- Work on any idea/imaginations/ conceptions that intends to generate scientific knowledge
Through the scheme, "PRAYAAS" school students and school teachers along with a faculty/expert from HEI would carry- out research work on investigation of a problem and its research-based solutions that would contribute to learning of science or saving of environment etc. A team of maximum two students and one teacher in collaboration with one faculty/ expert from any HEI may apply for this project proposal. PRAYAAS student, in consultation with the teacher, will select an original idea from various research areas. Schools are mandated to facilitate the pairing of the student/teacher with an expert from a nearby HEI. An expert from an HEI in proximity to the school could be engaged to provide assistance in utilizing tools and techniques for the research. The faculty/expert from HEI and school teachers can provide timely communication about all detailed steps to PRAYAAS student(s).
పాఠశాల విద్యార్థులను ప్రోత్సహించే ప్రమోషన్ ఆఫ్ రిసెర్చ్ అటిట్యూడ్ ఇన్ యంగ్ అండ్ యాస్పైరింగ్ స్టూడెంట్స్ (ప్రయాస్)-2024-25
పాఠశాల విద్యార్థుల్లోని ప్రతిభను గుర్తించి వారి సామాజిక పరిశోధనలను ప్రోత్సహించాలనే లక్ష్యంతో కేంద్ర ప్రభుత్వం 'ప్రమోషన్ ఆఫ్ రిసెర్చ్ అటిట్యూడ్ ఇన్ యంగ్ అండ్ యాస్పైరింగ్ స్టూడెంట్స్ (ప్రయాస్)-2024’ పేరిట ప్రత్యేక కార్యక్రమాన్ని తీసుకొచ్చింది. జాతీయ విద్యాపరిశోధన శిక్షణ మండలి ఆధ్వర్యంలో ఈ పోటీలను నిర్వహిస్తోంది. విద్యార్థి దశలోనే శాస్త్రీయ విజ్ఞానంపై మక్కువ పెంచుకొని వారి సృజనాత్మకతను పెంపొందించుకునేందుకు ఇది చక్కటి వేదిక. ఉత్తమ ప్రదర్శనలకు ప్రోత్సాహకాలు సైతం ఇవ్వనున్నారు. ఈ నేపథ్యంలో ఆగస్టు 25వ తేదీలోగా ఔత్సాహికులు దరఖాస్తు చేసుకునే అవకాశాన్ని కల్పించింది.
విభాగాలు: విద్యార్థులకు సైన్స్, టెక్నాలజీ, ఇంజినీరింగ్, ఆర్ట్స్, మాథమెటిక్స్
రూ.50 వేల ప్రోత్సాహం: విద్యార్థులు తమ పరిసర ప్రాంతాల్లోని ప్రధాన సమస్యలను గుర్తించి పరిష్కారానికి శాస్త్రీయ పరిశోధన చేయాలి. తమ పాఠశాలల్లోని ఉపాధ్యాయుల సాయం కూడా తీసుకుని తగిన ఆలోచనలు పంచుకోవచ్చు. ఎంపికైన ప్రతిపాదనలకు రూ.50 వేల పోత్సాహం అందించనున్నారు.
విద్యార్హతలు: పోటీల్లో పాల్గొనే విద్యార్థులు 14 - 18 సంవత్సరాల వయసుండాలి. ప్రస్తుతం 9- 11 వ తరగతి చదువుతున్న అన్ని యాజమాన్య పాఠశాలలకు చెందిన వారు దరఖాస్తు చేసుకునేందుకు అర్హులు. ఒకరు కాని ఇద్దరు కాని బృందంగా ఏర్పడి తమ పరిశోధనను కొనసాగించవచ్చు. 9-12వ తరగతులకు బోధించే ఫిజిక్స్, కెమిస్ట్రీ, గణితం, జీవశాస్త్రం బోధించే పోస్ట్ గ్రాడ్యుయేట్ టీచర్ గైడ్ గా వ్యవహరించవచ్చు. విద్యార్థులకు తమ ఆలోచనలు మెయిల్ చేయాలి.
email: prayaasncert@gmail.com
దరఖాస్తు సమర్పణకు చివరి తేదీ: 25-08-2024.
దరఖాస్తుల పరిశీలన: 31-08-2024.
ఫలితాల ప్రకటన: 10-09-2024.
ముఖ్యాంశాలు:
- పాఠశాల విద్యార్థుల్లోని ప్రతిభను గుర్తించి వారి సామాజిక పరిశోధనలను ప్రోత్సహించాలనే లక్ష్యంతో కేంద్ర ప్రభుత్వం 'ప్రమోషన్ ఆఫ్ రిసెర్చ్ అటిట్యూడ్ ఇన్ యంగ్ అండ్ యాస్పైరింగ్ స్టూడెంట్స్ (ప్రయాస్)-2024' పేరిట ప్రత్యేక కార్యక్రమం తీసుకొచ్చింది.
- జాతీయ విద్యాపరిశోధన శిక్షణ మండలి ఆధ్వర్యంలో ఈ పోటీలను నిర్వహిస్తోంది.
- సెప్టెంబర్ 20వ తేదీలోగా ఔత్సాహికులు దరఖాస్తు చేసుకునే అవకాశాన్ని కల్పించింది.
Eligibility Criteria:
The eligibility criteria for participation in this programme are:
For Students
- The student(s) must be studying in class IX to XI.
- Students from all schools are eligible to participate in PRAYAAS.
- Single student or a group of maximum two students, along with a teacher at their school, and an expert from any HEI should submit a proposal.
- Only one entry per school will be considered. If a school sent more than one entry, all entries will then be rejected.
For Teachers
A qualified Post Graduate Teacher (PGT) / Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) or equivalent who is teaching Science/ Physics/ Chemistry/ Mathematics and Biology to classes 9 to 12, are eligible to become a "PRAYAAS" Guide Teacher under the scheme.
For Expert from an HEI/ Technical Institute:
Experts from any discipline of science and technology serving in an HEI (listed in Annexure-I (Part A-Sr. No. 4) are eligible to be a PRAYAAS expert.
Project Tenure:
The Project tenure is for one year from the date of commencement of the project in school to completion. Tentative date of tenure will start from 15 September 2024 to 15 September 2025 for PRAYAAS 2024-25. Heads of Schools and HEIs for the selected projects are expected to facilitate the project work during the tenure and ensure completion of the project by the end of the tenure. The research work done by the school students will be uploaded on the NCERT web-site.
Research Grant:
A grant of total Rs. 50,000/- (Rupee Fifty Thousand only) will be given for each selected research proposal. Out of this amount, Rs. 10,000/- will be provided to the student (Rs. 5,000 each in case of two students) and Rs. 20,000 each will be given to the School and HEI expert as catalytic grant to facilitate the students in conducting the research.
The grant will be released in two installments to the students/school/ Expert from HEIs. The first installment of the grant (half of the amount) will be released within a month of the declaration of results and will be transferred directly to the bank account of the school and the HEI account. School need to disburse the relesed grant to the PRAYAAS student(s). The second installment will be released only after the submission of satisfactory progress report after six months. The grant amount will be the same regardless of whether the project is focused on innovation/manufacturing or knowledge-based endeavors, as this ensures fairness and equal opportunity for all projects. Guidelines for the use of catalytic grant should be followed strictly.
Roles and Responsibilities:
In this project, a teacher from the school will be associated with the student(s) to guide and supervise in their research throughout the tenure. An expert of the Higher Educational Institutes (HEI), located close to the school, would be involved as a mentor to give more technical and experimental guidance to the students and facilitate and guide them for working in the laboratory with tools and techniques. The PRAYAAS teacher and the student in consultation with the PRAYAAS expert will choose an original idea from any of the different research areas given in section 1.1.
Role of schools in managing the research on the selected proposal is the most important as it will be the primary source of guidance and communication for the students regarding the project proposal.
Schools are required to make a team of student(s), teacher and experts from Higher Educational Institutes. An expert from HEI located close to the school could be involved for the purpose. All in the research team needs to understand their individual responsibilities as a team member. Teachers and Experts from HEIs are required to provide students with the subject knowledge and skills needed in the project. School management committee is required to maintain school atmosphere to encourage PRAYAAS student(s) to work better and to prevent errors in the research. School should maintain a record of student(s) attendance and work hours and sent at the time of submission of report along with utilization certificate. Special emphasis may be given to the children with special needs.
Special efforts may be made by the schools to create awareness among the students about PRAYAAS.
PRAYAAS Student(s) need to perform experiments/investigation under the proposed project by a) planning and discussion with teacher and/or expert from HEI and ultimately to implement the project under the scheme. b) following proper scientific procedures, science process skills such as making observations, report and record observation, analyse data, infer, conclude results and discuss results in application perspectives. As per the needs, the students may have to go on field visits or field survey for data collection and investigation.
PRAYAAS Guide Teacher under the scheme would need to provide guidance to PRAYAAS Student in planning of experiments/investigations to be carried out. They are required to guide PRAYAAS Students to follow proper scientific procedure. They may also help them scientific method with data analysis and infer and conclude research for its applied aspects.
Mentors from HEIs may propagate the idea into furtherance of research or provide guidance for error free or unbiased research and investigations and to work with precision etc. They are expected to provide technical and experimental guidance to PRAYAAS student(s) and facilitate and guide them in using the laboratory tools and equipments.
School Heads are expected to contact and collaborate with HEI and facilitate learning-teaching relationships of science learning in schools.
Head of Higher Education Institutions are expected to support and facilitate infrastructure in their institutions.
Important Dates of the Tentative PRAYAAS Scheme:
- Date of Announcement of PRAYAAS scheme: 25 July 2024
- Last date of submission of application: 25 August 2024
- Screening of applications: 31 August 2024
- Deadline for Jury and selection of project proposal: 05 September 2024
- Announcement of results: 10 September 2024
- Commencement of Project: 15 September 2024
- Progress Report (four months after the date of commencement of the project)
- Completion of project: 14 September 2025
- Report Submission: 20 September 2025
Applications received after the last date will not be considered.
Application Procedure:
Department of Education in Science and Mathematics (DESM) is inviting application for Promotion of Research Attitude in Young And Aspiring Students, PRAYAAS scheme, 2024-25. The related information is also available on NCERT website www.ncert.nic. in. The applicants are required to send their application and project proposal which they intend to undertake, online to email id (prayaasncert@gmail.com in the prescribed format (Please see Annexure-I). The format for sending the application in HTML and PDF format is given as Annexure-I (complete checklist provided on the NCERT website may be referred before submitting the project). The students who are willing to fill their applications may download the HTML format, fill up the entries by typing or they can download the PDF format and fill-up the entries by clean hand writing. After filling-up of the application form, they may get the form duly signed with seal by the School Head. Duly typed and completed applications may be scanned and sent to prayaasncert@gmail.com
- While developing the PRAYAAS proposal, the incumbent should follow proper scientific principles/ methods as given in the guidelines.
- The research proposal should clearly state the aim, principle, materials and equipment required (though tentative), research methodology that will be adopted for the study and the expected outcomes of the research which they wish to undertake. [Format for the research proposal is given in the Annexure-I].
- The No Objection Certificates (Annexures-IV and V) should be printed, filled up, scanned and then be uploaded in the online form It is to be noted that if two students are participating as a group, the Annexures-IV and V need to be filled in individually for both the students of the group.
- Expert from HEI must submit a No- Objection Certificate duly signed by the Head/Principal of their Institution.
Selection Procedure
Screening of the Entries:
After receiving the entries, the project proposals will be screened by a committee of experts. The screening process will be based on the criteria adopted by NCERT which are following:
- Originality of the Research proposal (20%)
- Scientific Thought/Principle (10%)
- Scientific Methodology to be followed for performing Research (10%)
- The relevance of proposed research for solving local problems, or the generation of scientific knowledge (20%)
- Environmental efficacy and sustainability (20%)
- Explanation and clarity of the proposed research project proposal and write up(20%)
Note: NCERT reserves the right to alter the criteria to include adequate numbers of entries from rural/ backward regions and entries from disabled students.
Based on the criteria suggested above, the entries will be shortlisted for consideration for next round of selection for PRAYAAS scheme. It should be noted that merely fulfilling the eligibility criteria would not entitle the applicants for being shortlisted for next round. NCERT reserves the right to call or not to call a candidate for a presentation / interview.
Call for Interview:
For the shortlisted entries, the concerned students and teachers/mentors will be called by NCERT for presentation cum interview.
The logistics for online presentations of the research proposal needs to be managed by the respective school authorities (or systems) at their end. The interview may be attended by all three students, teachers, and the expert from HEIs. The concerned teacher and student(s) against each screened proposal will be expected to give a presentation of five to seven minutes explaining their project proposal. Soft copy and power point presentation should be sumbitted in advance before the date of interview cum presentation. Name of the student, affliated school and name of HEI should be clearly mention in the initial slide of PPT.
Presentation can be given with the help of PPTs and charts etc. The presentation will be followed by an oral discussion/ assessment by the jury.
The project proposal will be evaluated based on following criteria:
- Originality of thought about the research proposal (20%)
- Clarity of scientific principle behind the research (10%)
- Clarity of Scientific Methodology to be followed for performing Research (10%)
- Clarity about Relevance of proposed research to society and practical applicability or generation of new knowledge (20%)
- Clarity about Environmental Sustainability and Efficacy (20%)
- Oral presentation and explanation of the research project proposal (20%)
Declaration of Result
The results will be declared soon after the interviews on the NCERT website. Only 40 presentation cum research proposals 20 from rural (50% government and 50% non-government schools) and 20 from urban (50% government and 50% non- government schools) will be selected for release of catalytic grant under PRAYAAS scheme. The notification will be sent to selected students, guide teacher, faculty member/expert from HEI, Head of facilitating school and HEI's administration through a letter by Email and Indian Postal Services. Concerned state SCERT and DIET will also be informed.