Raman Research Institute trains school students in practical electronics

The Raman Research Institute (RRI) completed a month-long hands-on training programme for high school students in practical electronics, on May 19.

The SPECTRA Summer School 2023, which started on April 18, hosted 25 students from Bengaluru who were recently promoted to classes 10, 11 and 12 and helped them hone their skills in a laboratory-based set-up.

Senior faculty and scientists, including A Raghunathan, Prabu T and Reji Philip, along with scientific staff from the electronics and engineering services, helped the students develop a balance between theory and practical learning.

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RRI envisioned the training as an initiative that contributes to Skilling India, promoted by the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The students were introduced to the essential electronic components and tools for making prototype circuits with breadboards and trained to make printed circuit layouts using CAD. They also assembled fabricated Printed Circuit Boards.

Following sessions on the use of semiconductors through laboratory experiments, the students built a variety of transistor and timer-IC-based circuits and prototypes of water-level indicators and traffic light generators.

Field visits to the Indian Institute of HAMS, Dr H N Science Centre, and RRI’s radio astronomy observatory at Gauribidanur were conducted as part of the programme.