Students take a SHINE for medical research labs
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Over 200 students from Sandipani Vidyalaya, Nishatpura, had arrived in uniformed clusters for SHINE 2025, a national outreach programme by the Indian Council of Medical Research. The initiative is aimed at giving schoolkids a look at life beyond the stethoscope.
"The idea is to make children learn the importance of scientific research work," said Dr Gayitri A M, a scientist at BMHRC. "Many children think of only two options when they hear the word medical — doctor or nurse.
We want them to know that science is much bigger than that."
Inside the pathology, microbiology and biochemistry labs, researchers explained how blood samples are processed, how infections are identified, and how outbreaks are tracked before they turn into crises. Some students watched with fascination. Others simply stood still, trying to make sense of it all.
Zoya Akhtar Ali, one of the class 11 students, said, "I did not know science could look like this also."
The initial premise — a lecture, a mic, a screen — did not make much of a sense. But once they crossed the lab threshold, it was another world.
However, not everyone walked away satisfied. A few like Deep Mehra, a class 12 student, had hoped to do more than just watch. "Had we handled something, like even one tool, we would have remembered it better," he said quietly.
Still the visit seemed to leave a mark. Teachers spoke of students asking about observerships, workshops, even internships — things no one had thought to ask about a day earlier.
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"These are the kids who do not always have access to such spaces," said vice principal Sunita Cholkar. "We would like to bring even more students next year if BMHRC allows it."
Dr Ravindra Samarth, a senior scientist at the centre, said a kind of curiosity is what SHINE 2025 is designed to trigger. "This is about showing them research exists. Whether they choose it or not comes later."
Whether it's a moment, a spark or a question that stays, the hope is that it grows.
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