Overview
- Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde flagged off the group at Thane’s District Planning Bhavan on Monday, launching a five-day study tour to Kerala.
- The itinerary sets cultural visits on Tuesday in Kanyakumari and Thiruvananthapuram, then tours on Wednesday of ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station.
- The 59 students were selected through a competitive, multi-stage process from 9,316 participants in classes 5 to 8 across the district.
- District officials funded the tour with Rs 50 lakh from the District Planning Committee and arranged flights, lodging, local transport, travel kits, and dedicated medical staff.
- Organizers said the cohort, which includes 31 girls and 28 boys from Marathi and Urdu medium schools, will share their experiences with classmates to spark wider interest in science.