Sastraposhini Scheme

What is the Sastraposhini scheme?

Sastraposhini is a school science programme of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), an autonomous council under the Government of Kerala. KSCSTE launched Sastraposhini in 2003 for strengthening science education in the schools of Kerala, and states that more than 200 model science laboratories have been established across the state under it.

Sastraposhini works by putting a proper laboratory where a school does not have one. Under the programme a selected government high school gets support to establish three laboratories: Physics, Chemistry and Biology. According to the KSCSTE scheme page, "a total of Rs.8 lakhs is spent to establish Sastraposhini laboratories (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) in one school with a fair share from KSCSTE." The council does not publish a separate split of that figure between KSCSTE and the school on the scheme page, so a school planning a proposal should read the current year's guidelines for the exact sharing pattern.

Alongside the laboratories, Sastraposhini has a teacher training component. KSCSTE states that training is provided to selected teachers from Sastraposhini schools by eminent scholars and academicians from different disciplines, so the new equipment is actually used in teaching rather than kept locked in a cupboard. The name Sastraposhini, literally "nurturer of science"; is sometimes written Sasthraposhini or Shastraposhini, and the scheme's contact email still carries the older sasthrabodhini form.

Who is eligible for Sastraposhini?

A school can apply if:

• It is a government high school in Kerala.
• It has sufficient facility; three rooms in which Physics, Chemistry and Biology laboratories can be established.
• It has qualified faculty in science.

Who is not eligible:

• Individual students, teachers and parents cannot apply. Sastraposhini is an institutional grant to a school, not a scholarship, a fellowship or a cash benefit for a person. There is no personal application route and no money is paid to an individual.
• Aided, unaided and private schools are not covered; KSCSTE states the programme is for government high schools in the state.
• Government schools without three usable rooms for the three laboratories, or without qualified science teachers, do not meet the basic condition and their proposals are not taken up.
• Schools outside Kerala cannot apply, since KSCSTE is a state council.

This is the point readers most often get wrong. If you are a student looking for money to study science, Sastraposhini is not the scheme to apply to, KSCSTE runs separate student and researcher programmes, and the Kerala Directorate of Collegiate Education and the e-Grantz system handle student scholarships.

What does a Sastraposhini school receive?

• Support to establish three model laboratories, Physics, Chemistry and Biology — in the school's own rooms.
• A total spend of about Rs 8 lakh per school across the three laboratories, with a share from KSCSTE.
• Laboratory items; equipment and materials, for which the school issues a receipt certificate.
• Training for teachers of selected Sastraposhini schools by scholars and academicians from different scientific disciplines.

Because Sastraposhini is a laboratory-establishment programme, the money is tied to equipment and refurbishment. KSCSTE publishes a separate note titled "how to utilize the refurbishing grant" on the scheme page, and a school should read it before drawing up its estimate.

How to apply for Sastraposhini

1. Watch for the advertisement. KSCSTE states that applications are generally invited in the month of July every year, through advertisements on the KSCSTE website and in newspapers. There is no rolling window.
2. Download the guidelines, the brochure and the application form from the Sastraposhini page at kscste.kerala.gov.in/sastraposhini/, and read the guidelines and the refurbishing-grant note before filling anything.
3. Confirm the school meets the conditions, three rooms available for Physics, Chemistry and Biology laboratories, and qualified science faculty on the rolls. Record both clearly in the proposal.
4. Fill the application in the prescribed format, have it signed by the Head of the Institution, and submit it as instructed in that year's advertisement to the Scientist-in-charge, Sastraposhini Scheme, KSCSTE, Sasthra Bhavan, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram-4.
5. Submit the undertaking on tentative sanction, in the format KSCSTE publishes on the scheme page.
6. Establish the laboratories and close the file, submit the Project Completion Certificate, the certificate for receipt of laboratory items, the Statement of Expenditure with the Utilisation Certificate, and interior and exterior photographs of the laboratories with the name boards visible.

What documents does a school need for Sastraposhini?

How does a school follow up on a Sastraposhini proposal?

1. Keep a copy of the submitted proposal and the date of despatch.
2. Contact the Scientist-in-charge (Sastraposhini Scheme) at KSCSTE on 0471-2548250 for the position of the proposal.
3. Write to sasthrabodhini2011@gmail.com with the school name, district and the year of application when following up in writing.
4. Watch the KSCSTE website for the sanction list and for the next year's advertisement, since proposals are considered against the year in which they are invited.

Why Sastraposhini proposals do not go through

• The school is not a government high school, aided and unaided schools do not meet the basic condition.
• Fewer than three rooms are available for the laboratories.
• No qualified science faculty on the rolls to run the laboratories.
• Proposal not in the prescribed format, or submitted outside the window advertised for that year.
• Earlier utilisation not closed, a school that has not filed its Utilisation Certificate, completion certificate and photographs for a previous sanction leaves an open file.

A school that misses the July window in one year can apply in the next round; the material effort is in getting the rooms ready, since that is the condition KSCSTE will not relax.

Where do I get help with Sastraposhini?

• Scientist-in-charge (Sastraposhini Scheme), Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, Sasthra Bhavan, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram-4.
• Telephone: 0471-2548250
• Email: sasthrabodhini2011@gmail.com
• Scheme page: kscste.kerala.gov.in/sastraposhini/, which carries the guidelines, brochure, application form, undertaking, completion certificate and expenditure formats.

There is no fee to apply, and no agency can secure a Sastraposhini sanction for a school in return for payment.