103 Pune Zilla Parishad School Students Selected for NASA, ESA and ISRO Visits
Pune, 17th August 2026: As many as 103 students from Zilla Parishad schools in Pune district have been selected for educational visits to leading space research institutions, giving them an opportunity to gain first-hand exposure to science and technology. The final results of the selection process jointly conducted by the Pune Zilla Parishad and the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) were announced on Monday.
Under the initiative, 25 students have been selected for an educational visit to NASA, 25 for the European Space Agency (ESA), and 50 for a visit to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Three Class 8 students have also been selected, with one student each shortlisted for NASA, ESA and ISRO.
The selection process was conducted in three stages for students from Classes 6 to 8 studying in Zilla Parishad schools. Of the 258 students who reached the final stage, the third and final round of examinations was conducted by an expert committee from IUCAA on August 4, 5 and 6.
Following the examination, IUCAA professor Bhushan Gadre submitted the final selection list to Pune Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Gajanan Patil.
Of the selected students, 100 are from Classes 6 and 7. This includes 25 students selected for the NASA study visit, 25 for the European Space Agency and 50 for the ISRO visit.
Among the Class 8 students, one each has been selected for NASA, ESA and ISRO, taking the total number of selected students to 103. A waiting list of 27 students has also been prepared.
The initiative aims to provide students from rural and Zilla Parishad schools with direct exposure to leading space research institutions and encourage their interest in science, technology and space research.
