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Launch of New Programmess of Department of Science and Technology for Youth Empowerment

Science and Technology of the country has been rapidly progressing in the recent few years and Department of Science and Technology (DST) have played a pivotal role in its promotion through various programs and dynamic policy interventions across the scientific ecosystem. To further strengthen this, Dr Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Union Minister for Science & Technology & Earth Sciences launched the AWSAR (Augmenting Writing Skills for Articulating Research) programme along with other new programs of DST in a ceremony held on 24th January, 2018 at CSIR.


AWSAR (Augmenting Writing Skills for Articulating Research) of National Council of Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), DST has been initiated to encourage, empower and endow popular science writing through newspapers, magazines, blogs, social media, etc. by young PhD Scholars and Post-Doctoral Fellows during the course of their higher studies and research pursuits. As over 20,000 youth are awarded PhD in S&T every year in India, the scheme aims to tap this tremendous potential to popularize & communicate science and also to inculcate scientific temperament in the masses. AWSAR carries monetary incentive of Rs.10,000/- each for 100 best entries from PhD scholars in a year along with a Certificate of Appreciation besides getting the story published/projected in mass media. In addition, three leading stories from the selected hundred would also be awarded cash prize of Rs.1,00,000/-, Rs.50,000/- and Rs.25,000/- respectively. Further, twenty entries would be selected from articles submitted exclusively by Post-Doctoral Fellows relating to their line of Research for monetary incentive of Rs.10,000/- each and the most outstanding story to be given a cash prize of Rs.1,00,000/-.