Thirty-three Innovation Champions and education officers from Sikkim’s six districts visited IISER Pune for the first time for a six-day refresher workshop from July 16-21, 2026. The visit followed 13 cascade science workshops led by the Champions in their home districts, marking an important step in strengthening science outreach across the state.
Welcomed by Dr. Devapriya Chattopadhyay and the IISER Pune team, the delegation engaged in scientific exploration, creative learning, collaborative planning, and cultural exchange. Sessions brought mathematics and science alive through geometry, carbon, force, statistics, data visualisation, kinematics, and dynamics. Teachers explored real-life applications of scientific concepts and ways to make learning more meaningful for students.
Hands-on activities encouraged participants to investigate, question, and create. They observed life closely in living laboratories, visualised mathematics using GeoGebra, explored heat through experiments, and designed electrical circuits with Tinkercad and breadboards. Participants also transformed waste into toys, used role play to explore biological concepts, and engaged with Warli art as a creative learning medium.
Visits to the NMR facility, Bird Lab, and Cipla Lab offered exposure to live research and hands-on chemistry. The Iodine Clock and Blue Bottle experiments made reaction rates and colour change visible and memorable. Interactions with Dr. Chandrashekhar Borkar (Biology) and Dr. Leelavati Narlikar (Data Science) offered participants insights into contemporary research and scientific inquiry.
The workshop concluded with a valedictory session that opened with a short video capturing key sessions, laboratory visits, group discussions, and learning experiences from the six days. Mr. Shantiram Adhikari highlighted the iRISE Project’s role in strengthening teacher professional development in Sikkim and acknowledged the support of IISER Pune. Prof. Sunil Bhagwat, Director, IISER Pune, congratulated the participants and encouraged them to adopt inquiry-based, student-centred practices rooted in local contexts. Prof. Arnab Mukharaji, Dean, International Relations and Outreach, was also present.
Dr. Neeraja Dashaputre thanked SCERT Sikkim, participants, resource persons, and the iRISE team. Certificates were distributed to all teachers, formally concluding a journey of science, curiosity, collaboration, and joyful learning.
Copyright 2026 iRISE.