Written by Alok DeshpandeSeptember 22, 2025 10:18 PM IST 3 min readstudents with the top 21 projects from the tehsil-level competition will be taken to visit a science centre at the division level.The Maharashtra state education department has announced plans to send 51 finalists of school-level science project competitions to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) every year. However, the proposal, which requires Rs 3 crore annual funding, is awaiting approval despite having been cleared by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier this year.“The state education department organises science project competitions at various levels. The best projects from the tehsil level go to the district, and from there to the state. While we extend prizes to the best projects, the efforts taken by students who do not win prizes should also be given their due recognition. Therefore, the plan to honor their efforts was formulated,” said Minister of State for School Education Pankaj Bhoyar.According to the proposal, students with the top 21 projects from the tehsil-level competition will be taken to visit a science centre at the division level. Top 51 projects from the district-level competition will be taken to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) headquarters in Bengaluru, while 51 finalists from the state-level competition will be taken on an educational tour to NASA. The initiative has been named the Chief Minister Vidyarthi Vigyan Vari.Though Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis approved the proposal in June 2025, the final funding approval is still pending. Sources within the school education department say that the project requires an annual budget of Rs 3 crore to send 51 students to NASA.“Funds for the tehsil and district-level students’ trips will be managed through the District Planning and Development Council (DPDC) funds, while the trip to NASA requires state-level approval. We hope to get clearance soon,” said an official from the education department.Bhoyar emphasised that the goal of the initiative is to encourage students to continue their pursuit of scientific research beyond a single project. “The aim is to encourage students not to stop at one science project but to push them further into the world of scientific research. This will give an opportunity to students from different parts of the state to visit science centres in their respective areas and inspire them with bigger ideas for the future,” he said.In a related move, the government has recently increased the prize money for the state-level science project competition winner from Rs 5,000 to Rs 51,000.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:MumbaiNASA