A team of 13 students and one coordinator from Manipur departed for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Bengaluru this afternoon from Imphal International Airport as part of the “North East Student Programme for Awareness, Reach and Knowledge on Space (NE-SPARKS)”.

The team was officially flagged off by Bisheshwar Khumukcham, Nodal Officer and Additional Director of Education (S/V), in the presence of parents, teachers, media personnel, and departmental officials.

The NE-SPARKS programme is implemented by the North East Space Applications Centre (NESAC) under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Government of India, in collaboration with the Government of Manipur. It aims to ignite scientific curiosity and promote awareness about space science and technology among the youth of the North East.

As part of the initiative, 100 meritorious science students from each of the eight North Eastern states will be given the opportunity to visit ISRO facilities in batches from April to December 2025.

Before their departure, Bisheshwar Khumukcham held a brief one-on-one interaction with the students, encouraging them to make the most of the opportunity and to explore the exciting world of space science and innovation.