Establishment and Operation of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Laboratories

What is the Establishment and Operation of STEM Laboratories scheme?

Establishment and Operation of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Laboratories is a programme of the Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST), which functions as an autonomous body under the state Department of Information Technology, Good Governance and Science & Technology. The programme sets up practical, hands-on science and technology laboratories inside government schools so that students of classes 6 to 12 get direct experience with modern tools rather than only textbook theory.

UCOST delivers this programme mainly through its flagship STEM Jigyasa Kaksh initiative. According to UCOST, a STEM Jigyasa Kaksh lab is fitted with modern equipment covering Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Machine Learning, Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) and drone technology. The idea is to bring advanced technology directly into the classroom, especially in government schools in mountain and border districts where such facilities are otherwise hard to access.

UCOST was registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 in November 2002 and began its activities from late 2005. Its wider mandate is to popularise science and build scientific temper across Uttarakhand, and the STEM laboratory programme is one part of that mission aimed squarely at school students.

Who benefits from the STEM Laboratories scheme?

The following can benefit:

• Government school students of classes 6 to 12 in schools selected to host a STEM lab.
• Government and government-aided schools in Uttarakhand, particularly in hill and border districts that UCOST prioritises.
• Teachers nominated by their schools as STEM mentors, who receive dedicated training from UCOST.

The following cannot apply for a personal benefit:

• Individual students cannot apply for their own STEM lab or a cash grant. The lab is a shared school facility, not an individual entitlement.
• Private individuals or households are not eligible; the scheme works through institutions.
• Schools outside the government/government-aided net are generally not eligible under this initiative as reported by UCOST.

This is an important point that readers most often get wrong: there is no personal application form and no direct payment to a student or parent. The benefit is the lab and the trained mentor placed inside the school.

How to apply for or access a STEM laboratory

Because this is an institutional programme, the "application" is made by the school, not by a student or parent. The broad route reported by UCOST is:

1. The government school expresses interest to UCOST, usually through a request or proposal letter from the head of the institution.
2. The school nominates a teacher-mentor: typically a science or mathematics teacher; to be trained to run the lab.
3. UCOST selects schools for the STEM Jigyasa Kaksh initiative, prioritising government schools in mountain and border districts.
4. UCOST trains the nominated mentors, for example through multi-day mentor training programmes on AI and Robotics, after which the mentor returns to lead hands-on classroom sessions.
5. UCOST equips a room in the selected school with the STEM lab hardware, and the lab then operates for students of classes 6 to 12.

Parents or students who want their school to be considered should ask their school administration to write to UCOST; there is no individual route.

What does a STEM lab provide?

A STEM lab set up under this programme is an equipment-and-training benefit, not a cash benefit. Each lab is reported to include modern tools such as AI and Robotics kits, Machine Learning resources, IoT devices, 3D printing, AR/VR and drones. Alongside the hardware, UCOST arranges mentor training so that a teacher in the school can actually run practical sessions rather than the equipment sitting unused.

UCOST has publicly reported setting up STEM labs in around 95 government schools and reaching over 40,000 students through the initiative. In its reported Phase 1, the programme established these innovation corners across 95 schools spread over 13 districts, backed by expert trainers available through the year rather than a one-off installation. These figures are UCOST's own reported numbers and can change as the programme grows, so treat them as indicative rather than fixed.

How does UCOST train the teacher-mentors?

The equipment is only half of the programme; the other half is the trained mentor who runs it. UCOST arranges structured mentor training for the science or mathematics teacher each school nominates. A recent example was a six-day residential training on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, after which the mentor returns to lead hands-on classroom sessions on AI, robotics, IoT, 3D printing and drones. This design deliberately targets mountain and border districts, where students would otherwise have no local exposure to these technologies, so the trained teacher becomes the permanent point of contact rather than the school depending on an outside vendor.

Does a school or student pay for the STEM lab?

No student or parent pays anything for the STEM lab. UCOST provides the equipment and funds the mentor training as part of the STEM Jigyasa Kaksh initiative, so the cost does not fall on the school's own budget or on families. The school's contribution is practical rather than financial: it must set aside a dedicated, secure room to house the hardware and free up a teacher to be trained as the mentor. Because the labs concentrate expensive items such as robotics kits, drones and 3D printers, UCOST expects the room to be lockable and supervised so the equipment stays usable for successive batches of students.

How to check the status of a school's STEM lab request

There is no public online status tracker for this programme. A school that has written to UCOST should follow up directly with the council. The most reliable route is to contact UCOST at its Dehradun office or through the official portal at ucost.uk.gov.in, quoting the school's name and the date of its request.

Common reasons a school may not be selected

• The school is not a government or government-aided institution.
• No dedicated room is available to house and secure the lab equipment.
• No teacher has been nominated as a mentor, so the lab could not be run.
• The initiative's current phase is full — selection happens in waves, and a school not chosen in one round may be considered later.

Because selection is done by UCOST rather than by a fixed rule-based eligibility test, a school that is not chosen should keep in contact with the council for future rounds.

Key facts and grievance route

• Implementing body: Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST), Vigyan Dham / Dehradun, under the Department of IT, Good Governance and Science & Technology.
• Beneficiary group: government school students of classes 6 to 12 and their teacher-mentors.
• Nature of benefit: STEM lab infrastructure plus mentor training, not cash.
• Portal: ucost.uk.gov.in

For questions, clarifications or grievances, schools should approach UCOST directly through the official portal and its listed office contacts. Because the scheme runs through schools, any student or parent concern is best raised first with the school administration, which is the point of contact with UCOST.

Note on verification: the STEM lab initiative is publicised through UCOST press statements and the STEM Jigyasa Kaksh branding rather than a single detailed scheme guideline page. Figures such as the number of schools and students, and the exact list of equipment, are UCOST's reported numbers; readers should confirm current details with UCOST before acting.