The inaugural ceremony of the Summer Camp 2026 at IISER Kolkata was held on 15th July and was presided over by the Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Education and Minister of State for the Development of North Eastern Region, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, as the Chief Guest. Other distinguished dignitaries present included Swami Durganathananda Ji Maharaj, Secretary, Ramkrishna Mission, Kalyani, and Mr. Dibakar Bhoi, Assistant Commissioner, KV Regional Office, Kolkata.
The Summer Camp 2026 is an IISER Kolkata initiative in collaboration with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Science City Kolkata – National Council of Science Museums.
The Hon’ble Chief Guest emphasised on developing and nurturing the bright young minds to build an inclusive knowledge-driven country where innovation should always be the backbone of India. He urged the student community to focus on research and innovation and to carry forward the entrepreneurship efforts of today to build unicorns of tomorrow! He praised the efforts of IISER Kolkata for focussing on North-east India as it is India’s greatest strength with its rich cultural diversity and knowledge base. Swami Durganathananda Ji Maharaj and Mr. Dibakar Bhoi also commended the efforts of IISER Kolkata in designing such a unique all inclusive programme.
The Summer Camp Program 2026 has been designed to encourage students to explore interdisciplinary learning, research exposure, innovation, and collaborative academic engagement and delve deep into the spirit of inquiry, and a commitment to evidence, creativity, and discovery. The objective of this summer camp is to nurture scientific curiosity, provide hands-on exposure to emerging fields, and inspire students to pursue academic excellence and research. The camp offers a robust curriculum that blends interactive learning with engaging extracurricular activities as well.
Hon’ble Director, Prof. Sunil Kumar Khare, Deputy Director, Prof Rahul Banerjee Dean of International Relations – Prof. Debasis Koley and Associate Dean of International Relations, Prof. Anirban Banerjee have been a great pillar of strength and encouragement for this programme. Their relentless efforts and continuous support are noteworthy for organizing such a brilliant programme.
Seventy students of Classes XI and XII, from 53 Kendriya Vidyalayas representing the seven North-eastern (“Seven Sisters”) states of India, are participating in this programme. This programme is being held from 15-22 July 2026 at IISER Kolkata’s lush and green campus at Mohanpur, Nadia.
All the luminaries upheld the values of service to society through education and wished the programme a great success amidst a big applause from the student community.
