Ladakh Teachers Trained in Innovative STEM Methods by IISER Pune in collaboration with the Department of School Education, UT Ladakh.

Under the iRISE program of IISER Pune, a 5-day residential training workshop for mathematics and science teachers is being organised from July 28th to August 1st, 2025, at the District Institute of Education and Training, Leh. This initiative aims to promote innovation and research-based teaching practices among school teachers. The training is being conducted in collaboration with the Department of School Education, Ladakh, and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune.
The primary objective of the program is to train teachers in the latest tools and pedagogical approaches in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), enabling them to adopt engaging and innovative classroom practices. The training will help teachers to enhance conceptual clarity among teachers, address learning gaps among students, and align classroom instructional practices with the CBSE curriculum, which has been recently adopted across Government Schools in Ladakh. More than 125 mathematics and science teachers of Govt Schools, who are involved in teaching Science and Mathematics subjects to 6th to 8th classes from the Leh and Kargil districts, are participating in this training.
After the training, these educators will serve as Innovation Champions (ICs) and will conduct cascade (District/Educational block level) workshops in their respective districts to further spread these practices to more teachers across Ladakh.
The workshop will be inaugurated by Ms. Bhanu Prabha, IAS, Administrative Secretary, and Ms. Tsering Paldan, JKAS, from the Department of School Education, Ladakh.
In her remarks, Ms. Bhanu Prabha emphasised the importance of nurturing curiosity among students. She encouraged active participation in workshops, urging students to ask more questions and adopt an inquiry-based approach to learning. Drawing from her background in science, she highlighted the relevance of the National Education Policy (NEP) in promoting inquisitiveness and a deeper understanding of scientific concepts.
Dr. Mirza Mehdi, Principal of DIET Leh, delivered the welcome address. He expressed gratitude to the participating institutions and stakeholders and underscored the importance of collaborative efforts in enhancing the quality of teacher training.
Dr. Neeraja Dashaputre, PTO-Education at IISER Pune, shared her insights on the training program. She provided a broader perspective on its objectives, focusing on the integration of pedagogical innovation and subject expertise to empower educators and enhance classroom practices.
The MOU was formally signed between the Department of School Education, Ladakh and IISER Pune, marking a key milestone in the launch of the iRISE programme in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Prof. Sunil Bhagwat, Director IISER Pune, Professor Arnab Mukherjee, Dean (International Relations and Outreach); Professor Devapriya Chattopadhyay, Associate Dean (International Relations and Outreach); and Dr. Asim Auti, Principal Technical Officer, NPTED have expressed best wishes to the training workshop participants and the iRISE team.
The event came to a close with a vote of thanks by Mr SD Nambial, Principal DIET, Kargil. Ms. During the event, Ms. Deldan Amgao, CEO Leh, Ms. Tsering Yangdol, HOD DIET Leh, Mr Nitin Tiwane, Project Manager-iRISE, Ms Mohd Taquee, Coordinator-Ladakh, Ms Shivani Pulse; Ms Pradnya Pujari; and the entire iRISE Team were present.
All participating teachers will also receive the iRISE STEM Kit, which will support them in implementing innovative classroom activities at the school level.

“Inspiring India in Research, Innovation and STEM Education Programme (iRISE)” is a flagship programme in collaboration between the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune; the British Council; Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC); Tata Trusts; and Tata Technologies and is being implemented by IISER Pune.