ICMR-SHINE Opens Health Research Labs to Students Across India

Thousands of school students are getting an opportunity to experience health research beyond their textbooks as the second edition of ICMR-SHINE brings young learners inside laboratories and research units across India, giving them direct exposure to scientists, experiments and innovations addressing real-world public health challenges.

The Science and Health Innovation for NextGen Explorers (SHINE) programme, organised by the Department of Health Research (DHR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), is being held on 11–12 August 2026 at 83 locations, including ICMR institutes, Model Rural Health Research Units and affiliated field units.

Students Experience Life Inside Research Laboratories

Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for students to "spend one day as a scientist," the programme reaches locations stretching from Keylong in Himachal Pradesh, nearly 10,000 feet above sea level, to Kerala in the south, with Diu and Nagaland extending its reach across western and eastern India.

Students from Grades 9 to 12 at government and private schools are participating in laboratory tours, research exhibitions, poster walks, video presentations and live demonstrations, while conversations with ICMR scientists give them a closer understanding of how researchers work and how scientific ideas can become practical health solutions.

DHR Secretary and ICMR Director General Dr Rajiv Bahl encouraged students to ask questions, remain curious and look beyond textbooks, describing scientific discovery as a process that begins with questioning and a willingness to explore new possibilities.

Dr Curio Makes Science More Accessible

Students also interacted with Bahl on science, research and health, while an exhibition inaugurated during the programme showcased ICMR projects and innovations with examples of how research can address challenges affecting people and communities.

Adding a more engaging element for younger participants is Dr Curio, SHINE's official mascot, who appears in outreach materials, posters and social media content while narrating interactive videos explaining different areas of ICMR's work.

The programme is designed to make health research easier for students to understand by allowing them to see scientific work in action rather than encountering it only through classroom lessons.

Nationwide Competition Invites Young Research Ideas

ICMR has also launched the official SHINE website, providing students with resources, programme updates and information about opportunities in health research.

A nationwide school competition will take the initiative further by asking students to develop their own research questions and suggest possible solutions to real public health problems, with around 30,000 students expected to participate through invitations from ICMR laboratories.

Linked with India's Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, SHINE seeks to build scientific curiosity at an early age while helping students recognise research as a possible career where their ideas could contribute to better health and development across the country.