SHILLONG, MAY 21: More than 1,300 students were brought under the North Eastern Council’s youth and science outreach umbrella in 2025-26, as the Council expanded two of its flagship initiatives — the Ashtalakshmi Youth Exchange Programme and NE-SPARKS.
The Ashtalakshmi Youth Exchange Programme saw 581 students from universities and colleges across the country travel to the Northeast to visit premier institutions of the North Eastern Region.
Among them, 44 students from Delhi and Odisha visited IIM-Shillong as part of the exchange.
NEC said the programme forms part of its broader effort to strengthen “youth development and scientific outreach initiatives” while fostering cross-cultural academic exposure.
Meanwhile, the Council’s space outreach initiative, NE-SPARKS — North East Students’ Programme for Awareness, Reach and Knowledge on Space — gave 786 school students from all eight Northeastern States a chance to tour the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 2025-26.
The cohort included 99 students from Meghalaya.
“The visits were designed for fostering scientific awareness and encouraging young minds towards innovation and space science,” according to NEC.
