I visited the Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun from 29th-30th May, last week as part of the CPYLS (CSIR Programme of Youth For Leadership). The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) offers the top 50 of the class Tenth students from the State as well as CBSE and ICSE Boards a 2-day paid trip to their nearest CSIR Labs, accompanied by a guardian.

Attending the CPYLS-2008 turned out to be enriching in many more than one ways. The best part was not being honoured for something I had achieved over a year ago, a feat I’ve always maintained was never as huge an achievement as it is touted as, but instead, the fact that it made me cognizant of my weaknesses, as a student and as a person, it opened a new horizon of the varied feats yet to be achieved by me, in my life, again, both as a student and as a human being.

I come from an academic background, visiting labs and interacting with scientists of high statures was not something I missed growing up, but probably this fact led to my taking these opportunities for granted.

A friend’s mother was speaking to some of the other parents, one of them said, “Ji, hamare bete ne humein yeh labs dikha diye, warna humein kya pata, labs kya hote hain…”(It’s all because of our son that we have been able to see these labs, otherwise who are we to know what these labs are…)

Two things said by two of the IIP scientists in their lectures never left me. Dr. Adhikari suggested in his lecture on Biotechnology the need for India to win her second independence. The first Independence was the one we won against the Britishers, the second one, more than 60 years after the first, is the Energy Independence. We made our country self sufficient in food, now with the international energy crisis, today India has to become self sufficient in energy.

The second was said by Dr. M.O. Garg, Director, IIP, We have to learn to be proud Indians. I’m sure I will have a lot of trouble taking this piece of advice myself, but yes, it has to be done.

It was a whirlwind of lectures, presentations and lab visits, and just two days after it, I’m having trouble recalling everything we did and were shown. I do remember the feedback speech by one of the Uttarakhand Board students. We know it’s difficult for them to speak in English, we, the so-called convent educated students find ourselves sweating when it comes to speaking extempore even on topics we are well-versed with, but he spoke for over 10 minutes, using the most appropriate words, and expressing all of our feelings, in the most beautiful manner. He mentioned how the trip opened a new chapter in his life, and how he would go back home and write a diary entry about everything he had done and seen, exquisite feelings, expressed so simply and poetically. It was certainly a Kodak moment!

I’m still unsure about my future, and what I will choose to become. But yes, I want to do something like those people, something that makes a difference, not to me, but to my country. I want more such people to get to see what we do, to receive the exposure that we do, to get the life they deserve. There’s one thing I’ve come across in my 17 year old life, every man works hard. The poor man works hard to survive, the rich one works hard to sustain and substantiate his wealth. We are all working hard in life, achieving success of a certain level, let’s give the real Indian the chance to taste success, and not just the ability to feed his family twice a day. I will try and strive for it.