What is SEATS and who can apply?

What Is SEATS

Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent (SEATS) is conducted by the Department of Science and Technology every year under the umbrella program of INSPIRE (Innovation in Science & Pursuit for Inspired Research). The main objective behind introducing this scheme is to provide a strong platform to students of age 10 to 15 years for their ambitions and help them get expertise in the field of Science, Research, and Innovation.

The scheme attracts talented youth to study science by providing INSPIRE Award and INSPIRE internship for their glorious future. Here’s a closer look at them.

What is INSPIRE Award?

In order to see and experience the joy of innovation, every year, two lakh school children in the age-group of 10 to 15 years i.e. class 6th to 10th are being identified for the INSPIRE Award. Each INSPIRE Award envisions an investment of ₹5000 per child. The scheme was planned to reach at least two students per secondary school in the forthcoming five years.

Basic Guidelines for INSPIRE Awards

The Award is for the students in the class of 6th to 10th.
No examination in the identification process. Names of the students will be nominated by the Principal/Headmaster/Headmistress.
One million awards in five years spread over to about 4.5 Lakhs Middle & Secondary level schools in the country
Each student gets an amount of ₹5000 for making a Project and transportation cost for displaying the exhibits/project in the exhibition.
These exhibitions are organized at the District level, State level, Regional level and National level for displaying the best exhibit/project of each level. Separate budget provisions are made to District/State for arranging the exhibition of projects of INSPIRE Awardees at District & State level.
Award money is released directly to the Awardees by an arrangement with SBI bank.
The concerned State provides the list of all Middle & Secondary level schools including in Government/Government aided/Private, etc.
Names of one selected student each from Classes 6^th, 7th & 8th in one Group and 9^th & 10^th in another Group of each School with an indication of preferred one name from each Group, viz. 6th -8th Std. and 9th -10th Std. are provided by the Headmaster/Headmistress/Principal of each School through respective State Education departments.
State Education Department exercises their convenient method of selection of students from each school in the State. Both academic records of the student and exhibition/project done by the student would be preferred in the selection process.
DST bear the cost of organizing the Exhibitions at the District & State level and also make the necessary arrangements for engaging Scientists/Academicians as Jury in these Exhibitions.

What is INSPIRE Internship?

^“Motivating talented youth to take-up research as a personal undertaking^“ by rubbing shoulders with global icons of science including Nobel Prize Winners, is the objective of INSPIRE Internship. This component of the programme aims at working as a life-long catalyzing experience for the 11th graders in science stream. This is done by arranging summer camps for about 50,000 science students with global leaders in science to experience the joy of innovations on an annual basis.

Basic Guidelines for INSPIRE internship

Selection Criteria: Selections are made among the top one percent rankers in their 10th Board examination and pursuing science in standard 11th.

Duration of the Summer/Winter Camp: 5 days (excluding the days of Journey).

Nature of the camp: Residential except in Metropolitan Cities.

Applicants Eligibility Criteria:

Top one percent ranking in their 10th Board Examination
Pursuing science in standard 11 and
Should not have attended a similar camp earlier
Participating students shall be within the same state or UT
In case the number of top 1% students of a respective examination board is more than the allocated number of INSPIRE interns, for participation in such camps, of the respective state/UT, top rankers will be selected for INSPIRE Internship science camp provided they had applied for the same.

Documents required