ICGEB New Delhi teams with the Indian armed forces to reach under-served communities and to bring science to remote areas in India.
Foldscopes are compact, foldable miniature paper microscopes designed primarily for school and college students, offering them a hands-on experience of the microscopic world around us. The goal is to introduce students to the rich biodiversity thriving in our ecosystem, with a special focus on the hidden microbial world. Foldscopes play a crucial role in educating young students about the microbial world that surrounds us, while also fostering scientific literacy among the younger generation. These foldable microscopes empower students to explore the natural world of microbes, nurturing curiosity and confidence in scientific inquiry and hence contributing towards building a scientific temper in the society. As an important tool for outreach, Foldscopes have enabled ICGEB to reach underserved communities, bringing science to some of the most remote areas across world regions.
In India, over the past few years, ICGEB New Delhi has served as the key coordinating body for the Foldscope initiatives across the nation. In initiatives supported by Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, Foldscopes have been donated to hundreds of schools, particularly government run schools, as well as to science clubs and student-focused non-governmental organizations. Thousands of students across India have benefitted from using these mini-microscopes via hands-on workshops and training programmes. Foldscopes have served as a crucial tool of scientific outreach in educating youth who visit national and international science events.
A new addition to the Foldscope outreach programme has been a joint collaboration between ICGEB New Delhi and Assam Rifles; one of the oldest paramilitary forces in India. The Indian Army has consistently served communities and remote areas across India through educational and citizen-centric initiatives, particularly in hard-to-reach and peripheral regions of the country. In December 2024, ICGEB New Delhi joined forces with the 32nd battalion of the Assam Rifles to conduct collaborative, hand-on foldscope workshops for school students in the north-eastern states of India.
The partnership stems from the passion to take science to remote areas, to empower underserved communities, and has led to dozens of hands-on events and workshops, beginning in the state of Manipur, expanding to neighbouring state of Assam, and then to the western state of Gujarat. Many of the schools involved are located in remote areas where access to modern educational tools is limited. For instance, ICGEB faculty and researchers conducted a collaborative workshop in the Haflong district of Assam.
During 2024, the collaborative foldscope project extended to several areas including six villages in Imphal East district, Manipur, ten villages in Imphal West district, Manipur, ten villages in KPI district, Manipur, twenty-four villages across seven townships in Dima-Hasao district, Assam, and a Foldscope workshop for tribal students in Lavsad village, Gandhinagar district of Gujarat state.
Around 7,500 students (6,000 from Northeast India and 1,500 students from the western state of Gujarat) have benefitted from the Foldscope outreach initiative, conducted jointly by ICGEB New Delhi and the Assam Rifles.
As this collaboration strengthens and grows, the aim is to cover more areas, reach more schools and students and empower the younger generation with basic knowledge, power and skills in science.
