Where Dreams Defy Gravity: Girls From Tribal Jharkhand Explore The World Of ISRO

Prior to Independence Day, 26 school-going girls from a tribal village in Jharkhand embarked on a journey that not only opened the doors to an entirely new world for them but also gave them a chance to dream bigger. This story is not just about their visit - it's about how, when given the right platform and opportunity, there’s nothing that can stop our girls, and enabling this across STEM fields has a lot to do with that.

From Gumla To ISRO

Embarking on a life-changing journey, these young girls travelled from Gumla, Jharkhand, to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Chennai. The initiative, which seeks to empower girls in STEM fields, turned out to be a movement of change, not just for the girls but also for those involved in making it happen - it helped understand the intricacies of the changes required, the gaps that need to be filled in education, and why opportunities are best met when we give to them to all people, from all walks of life.  

Accompanied by three teachers, district members and PPiA fellow Ramesh Kumar, through the office of Karn Satyarthi, I.A.S, Deputy Commissioner, Gumla, Government of Jharkhand and Transform Rural India's initiative, the girls were selected based on their performance in an Olympiad exam covering physics, chemistry, and mathematics for 9th and 11th grades and assisted by a seven-member instructor team led by Sub-divisional Magistrate Purnima Kumari and Circle Officer Harish Kumar.

What ISRO Meant For These Girls

With ISRO’s Chandrayaan 3 scripting history in more ways than one, and women scientists and engineers being at the centre of it, it becomes even more integral today to introduce to our girls the possibilities in science - to let our girls know that they can, literally, dream beyond the stars. This visit, therefore, was more than an educational excursion—it was an inspirational opportunity to see the world where dreams can defy gravity, where ambition can skyrocket to the moon, and where everything is possible. 

Support & Funding: Under the leadership and initiative of Karn Satyarthi, I.A.S., both the cohorts were funded by the Deputy Commissioner’s office, who has been committed to improving educational outcomes through initiatives like the 'Gift of Education’ and promoting STEM education in Gumla.

PPIA’s Role: Transform Rural India has been supporting the District Administration in Gumla, Jharkhand, since 2018 through the ‘Aspirational District Fellowship,’ which has now been restructured to ‘Public Policy in Action (PPiA)’ as part of TRI’s rural design solution. In this initiative, PPiA fellow Ramesh Kumar has assisted the District Administration in supporting the visit of 26 tribal girls to ISRO on two occasions, demonstrating its impact on empowering young professionals and shaping future policymakers.