Hon’ble Governor of Haryana Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, inaugurated ‘Yusuf Hamied Chemistry Camp’ at CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIR-IMTECH) on 2 November 2023, which is designed to cater to the needs of students with hearing impairments and other disabilities. The three-day residential camp commencing from 2 November 2023 aims to inspire and nurture the next generation of chemists using the Indian Sign Language Enabled Virtual Lab (ISLEVL) developed at IMTECH under the Jigyasa Programme of CSIR. The programme shall endeavour to bridge the gap that Indian Sign Language (ISL) lacks in encompassing STEM vocabulary and communicating science to specially–abled students in the age group of 14-18 years.

Speaking at the occasion, Shri Bandaru Dattatreya said, “The camps are designed to give specially-abled students a hands-on experience in chemistry and would inspire them to pursue a career in science. Funded by the CSIR’s Jigyasa Programme, the ISLEVL has so far translated over 100 science videos produced by CSIR labs into ISL.” He appreciated CSIR, the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and the Haryana Welfare Society for Persons with Speech and Hearing Impairments (HWSPSHI) for coming together to create this unique learning opportunity for people with hearing and speech impairment.

The chemistry camp being organised is named after Dr Yusuf Hamied, a renowned Indian chemist and philanthropist and is a flagship programme of the RSC. The camp is designed to give students a hands-on chemistry experience and inspire them to pursue a career in science.

Spearheaded by Dr Alka Rao, Principal Scientist, CSIR-IMTECH, the team is working on developing popular science videos in the Indian Science Language (ISL) and an ISL vocabulary for STEM subjects. Over 70 students from around 35 schools in and around the Tricity would be participating in the event. The programme would enable students with hearing impairments to interact with different scientists and researchers, witness live demonstrations of the experiments, and interact with students in campus.

Guest of Honour, Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Dept of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt of India, gave information on various schemes of Government of India for specially-abled persons, including job opportunities in Govt sector. He said that technical education can enable them in a big way.

Dr Sanjeev Khosla, Director, CSIR-IMTECH, while welcoming the Hon’ble Governor, apprised Shri Bandaru Dattatreya about the various events that are being organised under ‘Yusuf Hamied Chemistry Camp’.