“Until we get equality in education, we won’t have an equal society.” Spoken by Sonia Sotomayor, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, the words echo sharply across regions of the world where education is not guaranteed.
In the far northeastern corner of India—where villages are located in forests, on mountains, and along riverbanks—rural classrooms often operate with limited resources and even fewer opportunities. In districts such as Dhemaji, Assam, and the rural areas of Kharagpur and West Bengal, learning STEM often is just a distant dream.
I grew up in rural areas, and I saw how curiosity for science collided with poverty. Many students’ futures rely entirely on getting good grades to determine whether they are “worthy” of studying technical subjects later. One low grade on an exam can completely derail their future. More importantly, the absence of fully equipped laboratories, trained mentors, or exposure to STEM careers prevents many children from even being able to imagine an engineering career.
This is not just an educational issue. It is a matter of equity, directly aligned with U.N. Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to ensure a quality education for everyone.
The challenge is one that organizations such as IEEE, with its global technical community, are positioned to address. As technology becomes more imperative for everyday life, proficiency in electronics and programming is no longer optional—it is essential.
STEM outreach programs
In December 2020 volunteers from the joint student chapter of the IEEE Antennas and Propagation–Microwave Theory and Techniques (IEEE AP-MTT) societies at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur launched a grassroots STEM outreach initiative with support from the IEEE Kharagpur Section.
I coordinated the initiative, which started when I was secretary of the student chapter. (I also was its vice chair and chair from 2020 to 2022.) Today I am a student ambassador for the IEEE MTT Society and the IEEE Young Professionals cochair of the IEEE Benelux MTT-AP joint chapter.
The program’s mission was simple: make hands-on electronics accessible to students who had never seen an Arduino board.
It began with training in the fundamentals of circuit building—LEDs, switches, breadboards, and batteries—and progressed into Arduino programming, automation, and sensor integration. The volunteers emphasized teamwork and friendly competitions to keep students engaged.
Through straightforward, relatable demonstrations, even complex topics such as electromagnetic concepts were explained in ways that the students could understand. The methodology not only increased understanding; it also sparked enthusiasm. In the first year, nearly 100 students from five schools benefited from the curriculum. The model is now known as Teach, Train, and Build (TTB). The initiative was recognized in 2021 with the IEEE Darrel Chong Student Activity Award.
The birth of hobby clubs
TTB’s success led to additional funding from the IEEE Special Interest Group in Humanitarian Technology (SIGHT) program in 2022. This support from IEEE SIGHT enabled the establishment of three electronics hobby labs in underserved schools in Assam and West Bengal. The E-HuTS (electronic hobby clubs for technical development in rural schools) labs became permanent areas where students learn, experiment, and innovate.
The inauguration ceremony for the E-HuTS was a milestone moment. To further inspire students, Mrinal Mandal, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at IIT Kharagpur, gave a motivational talk in Bengali. The immediate outcome was that a group of students built a smart home using Arduino and wireless communication modules—something they never imagined they could do.
Reducing gender disparity
A similar transformation unfolded in Assam, where the TTB program was conducted entirely in the Assamese language, ensuring inclusivity for students with limited exposure to English. After completing the program, students proudly displayed their IEEE certificates.
One of the best aspects of the Assam program was the overwhelming participation of female students. Many of the young women were interacting with electronics for the first time—an inspiring step toward reducing gender disparity in the STEM field.
Real impact: projects, confidence, and recognition
The more than 85 students who joined the hobby clubs in Assam and West Bengal developed almost three dozen projects including sensor-based alarms and environmental monitoring systems. The innovations weren’t replicas; they were original student-driven designs developed under the guidance of an IEEE mentor.
The initiative received a mention in the 2022 IEEE annual report and in an article in The Institute about the 2022 IEEE Education Week activities.
To ensure measurable progress of the program, the TTB team also implemented an evaluation matrix inspired by IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board guidelines. The spreadsheet tracked outputs including the number of workshops held, hours delivered, and tools provided. It also measured results such as skills development, knowledge retention, student engagement, and long-term interest.
The structured methodology made the project replicable and transparent, providing a framework for future STEM outreach efforts.
New chapters, new beginnings
The momentum from those initiatives helped spark the creation of IEEE communities in India. In 2023 the IEEE student branch at Dibrugarh University in Assam was formed, followed in 2024 by the university’s IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Society student branch chapter. The groups have become centers of volunteer activity, ensuring long-term sustainability.
This year the TTB team organized TechnoFest: Udhvav 2.0, which brought engineers, scientists, lecturers, and members of the IEEE Young Professionals group together with students in the region. For many participants, it was their first opportunity to interact with real innovators and role models, turning the festival into an energizing platform of inspiration and exposure for rural youth.
A visit to Vidhya: The Living School
Also in 2023, thanks to a grant from the IEEE MTT-S Ambassador program, IEEE volunteers visited Vidhya: The Living School, in Dhemaji. The session took place outdoors that October amid breathtaking natural landscapes, demonstrating that learning thrives even outside of a traditional infrastructure.
Another important milestone came in 2024, when the IEEE MTT-S SIGHT group provided a grant of US $1,000 to the school for its Vidhya Shakti project to install solar panels to provide uninterrupted and sustainable power to the school.
The student ambassadors met several distinguished figures who have made notable contributions to STEM education in India. They included Pranjal Buragohain, founder of the Vidhya school; chemical scientist Binoy Kumar Saikia, a recipient of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award for Science and Technology in India; and astronomer Kishor Baruah, known for creating programs for visually impaired students.
Another heartwarming stop was at the Tai Phake School near Naharkatya, where one of the first E-HuTS labs was established in 2022.
The initiative has grown far beyond its original mission. It now:
- Connects universities with remote schools.
- Empowers underprivileged students.
- Nurtures future IEEE volunteers.
- Reduces gender barriers.
- Creates sustainable technical ecosystems.
- Builds a culture of giving back.
What began with a few breadboards and LEDs is now shaping the future of budding engineers across India. More than 100 students have been affected, dozens of projects have been built, and schools now have functioning electronics labs. New IEEE student branches have sprung to life, and communities once isolated from STEM education are becoming part of the growing technological landscape.
The journey continues, driven by connection, compassion, and the belief that every student, no matter where they live, deserves access to quality STEM education.
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