50 Rural Students from Pune Visit ISRO, Experience Space Science First-Hand
Pune, 7th October 2025: A group of 50 bright students from rural Zilla Parishad schools in Pune district has embarked on an educational study tour to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The tour is organized under the District Planning Fund exclusively for students of Classes VI and VII from Zilla Parishad primary schools.
This innovative initiative has been conceptualized under the visionary leadership of Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Parishad, Pune, Gajanan Patil, and Education Officer (Primary), Sanjay Naikde.
Over 17,000 students applied for this unique opportunity. Following three stages of rigorous selection tests, the top-performing students were chosen for various educational tours:
25 students will visit NASA,
50 students are currently on the ISRO educational tour,
50 students will soon depart for Delhi, and
100 students will visit Mumbai for similar educational exposure.
The ISRO visit, scheduled from October 6 to 9, 2025, will cover key scientific and research centers, including:
Thumba Rocket Launching Centre,
ISRO Headquarters, and
Other science and technology learning sites in Thiruvananthapuram.
To guide and mentor the students during the tour, scientists from IUCAA (Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics) are accompanying the group, providing valuable insights into space science and research.
The group comprises 25 boys and 25 girls, accompanied by six teachers, two representatives from the tour agency, and education department officials — Extension Officer Chandrakant Ugale and Deputy Education Officer Sunil Gache.
For many of these students, the Pune–Thiruvananthapuram flight marks their first-ever air travel experience, adding immense excitement and pride to this educational journey.
Before departure, students were briefed at Pune Airport on flight safety, boarding procedures, and travel etiquette. Santosh Dhoke, Airport Director, along with representatives from the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and IndiGo Airlines, were present to see off the young learners.
