New Delhi: Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, flagged off a delegation of 34 school students and three supervisors from India for the Sakura Science Programme to Japan. The students, which includes six from Odisha, will be visiting Japan from August 17 to August 23, 2025.
The 34 students, comprising 13 boys and 21 girls, hail from government schools across various states and union territories, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Lakshadweep, Odisha, Puducherry, and West Bengal. Students from the Demonstration Multipurpose Schools of RIEs-NCERT at Ajmer (Rajasthan), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Bhubaneswar (Odisha), and Mysore (Karnataka) are also part of the delegation. They will join participants from six other countries: Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia.
The six students representing Odisha are:
- Sai Soham Pradhan from Iconic OAV, Andharua, Khordha
- Sreyashree Panigrahi from BJB Higher Secondary School, Bhubaneswar
- Samikhya Rani Mali from Govt. SSD Higher Secondary School, Karchamal, Nabarangpur
- Chandra Sekhar Behera from Khallikote Higher Secondary School, Berhampur, Ganjam
- Sipra Satapathy from Ravenshaw Higher Secondary School, Cuttack
- Punya Pulokita Pati from OAV, Tarando, Kendrapara
The delegation will experience Japan’s cutting-edge science and technology as well as its rich culture through short-term visits to universities and research institutions.
Addressing the students at a ceremony organized by DoSEL at NCERT, New Delhi, Shri Kumar emphasized the significance of the program as a unique opportunity to explore a developed nation renowned for its technological and scientific advancements. He urged the students to view this journey not merely as a visit, but as an experience that will shape them into future innovators and deepen the bilateral ties between India and Japan. He also noted that the program aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020‘s focus on holistic and experiential learning.