The Summer Camp Programme 2026 was conceived and created by IISER Kolkata in partnership with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Science City Kolkata—National Council of Science Museums—to inspire students to delve deeply into the spirit of inquiry and a dedication to evidence, creativity, and discovery, as well as to investigate interdisciplinary learning, research exposure, innovation, and collaborative academic engagement. This summer camp’s goals were to encourage students to pursue academic excellence and research, foster scientific curiosity, and give them practical exposure to cutting-edge fields.

The week-long camp was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Education and Minister of State for the Development of North Eastern Region, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar along with other distinguished dignitaries – Secretary, Ramkrishna Mission, Kalyani, Swami Durganathananda Ji Maharaj, Assistant Commissioner KV Regional Office, Kolkata, Mr. Dibakar Bhoi, Director, Prof. Sunil Kumar Khare, Deputy Director, Prof Rahul Banerjee, Dean of International Relations – Prof. Debasis Koley, Associate Dean of International Relations and Prof. Anirban Banerjee.

The program provided a comprehensive curriculum that combined engaging extracurricular activities with interactive learning. On the first day, Dr. Kripabandhu Ghosh, HoD, Computational & Data Sciences, gave an engaging talk on Introduction to AI Tools. Prof. A Mukhopadhyay of Kalyani University then gave an interactive talk on Introduction to AI: A School Kid’s Perspective. Prof. A K Nanda of the Department of Mathematics & Statistics gave a talk on Magic Square on the second day of the camp, which was followed by exhibits and demonstrations. Prof. S. Basu then gave a talk on Geometry & Measurement.

The Department of Biological Sciences conducted experiments and demonstrations on the third day, which was followed by a tour of research labs and shared facilities to gain a general understanding of how research is conducted. On the fourth day, the students went on an excursion to Science City Kolkata, where they enjoyed a variety of performances, scientific installations, and exhibits. Everyone enjoyed the movie Project Hail Mary, which was screened in the evening on the fifth day of the program.

Professors R.K. Nayak and A. Dasgupta gave science lectures titled Whispers from Black Holes and Holmes meets Schrödinger’s cat: how the quantum can keep our secrets, respectively, after the HoD, Department of Physical Sciences, introduced the sixth day of the program. The HoD of the Department of Chemical Sciences gave an introduction to the seventh day’s program, which was followed by two lectures on chemistry, a visit to a few labs and equipment, and a Chem Quiz. Day 8 was the camp’s final day. The Summer Camp concluded with exhibits and demonstrations organized by Dr. S. Mondal, a brief introduction by the HoD, Department of Earth Sciences, a talk by Dr. D. Roy titled Environmental Pollution and its Impacts, and brief lab experiments by the Aerosol and Air Quality Research Lab.

The majority of the participating Kendriya Vidyalayas from the Silchar, Guwahati, and Tinsukia regions gave positive feedback. They all valued the practical experience they gained from lab visits and demonstrations, and they made the most of their time on the lively, diverse, multilingual, multicultural, and verdant campus of IISER Kolkata.

All the teachers and students from 53 Kendriya Vidyalayas attended a lavish closing ceremony. It was also graced by the Hon’ble Director, Prof. Sunil Kumar Khare; the Deputy Director, Prof Rahul Banerjee; the Dean of International Relations – Prof. Debasis Koley; the Associate Dean of International Relations, Prof. Anirban Banerjee; and dignitaries from the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan.

Bidding farewell to all of the students representing India’s seven northeastern states (also known as the “Seven Sisters”) after a rewarding week at IISER Kolkata was undoubtedly an amazing and moving sight.

Priyanka Dutta