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Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh launches first-ever Mentorship Programme for Young Innovators
to mark the 75th Year of India’s Independence

DBT-Star College Mentorship Programme

• This is a pan India Scheme that envisages Star College in every district of the country supported by the Department of Biotechnology.
• The programme is meant to help in networking, handholding and outreach.
• The plan envisages organizing workshops, meetings per month; handhold at colleges particularly in the rural areas or lesser-endowed areas and conducting outreach activities with government schools.
• The Star Status Colleges will help in incorporating the vision of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) towards strengthening UG Science Courses throughout the country by mentoring newer colleges through handholding and peer learning and bringing them under the aegis of the Star College Scheme.

About the Star College Scheme

• The Star College Scheme was initiated by DBT in 2008 to support colleges and universities offering undergraduate education to improve science teaching across the country.
• This Scheme was launched for improving critical thinking and encouraging ‘hands on’ experimental science at the undergraduate level in basic science subjects.
• It also aimed at encouraging more students to pursue higher education in science.
• Through this scheme, the Department identifies colleges with potential for excellence and provides support for developing infrastructure for academics and laboratory activities
• A total of 278 undergraduate colleges across India are currently being supported under the DBT Star College Scheme.
• The Star Status Colleges will help in incorporating the vision of DBT towards strengthening of UG Science Courses throughout the country by mentoring the newer colleges through handholding and peer learning and bringing them under the aegis of the Star College Scheme.
• It is going to help the research in India as there is a need for focusing on increasing numbers
  of beneficiaries in human resource-related schemes like Star College Scheme,Skill Vigyan
  Programme(Skill Development Programme) in Biotechnology, Biotech Industrial Training
  Programme and doctoral & post-doctoral and Re-entry Schemes & Fellowships, and other similar schemes.