ICMR-NIN Launches SHINE Programme 2026 for School Children in Hyderabad
The National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) in Hyderabad inaugurated the Science and Health Innovation for Nextgen Explorers (SHINE) Programme 2026 on Tuesday. The two-day outreach initiative was launched to introduce school children to the broad fields of science, nutrition, and public health through interactive learning activities and practical scientific demonstrations.
The event was formally inaugurated by Dr. Bharati Kulkarni, Director of NIN, at the ICMR-NIN campus in Hyderabad. Around 800 students representing nine different schools are participating in the outreach initiative. Nearly half of the attending students are from government schools serving children from underprivileged communities, giving them the chance to visit a premier national nutrition research institute.
During their visit to the Hyderabad campus, the school children are experiencing science through direct interaction with experts, guided demonstrations, and practical hands-on activities designed to foster curiosity and understanding.
The SHINE Programme 2026 presents a wide selection of interactive exhibits and demonstrations created specifically to make scientific concepts engaging and accessible to young learners. Among the key attractions featured during the initiative are interactive nutrition games, student diet surveys, and practical demonstrations of home-based techniques for the detection of food adulteration.
In addition to the activities hosted at the ICMR-NIN campus, school children are also taking part in SHINE activities at regional research facilities. These outreach sessions are being held at Model Rural Health Research Units (MRHRUs) situated at Janampet in Mahbubnagar district, Telangana, as well as at Chandragiri in Andhra Pradesh.
Through this combination of campus visits and regional outreach at MRHRU centers, the two-day initiative provides hundreds of students from government and private schools with direct exposure to national research in public health, nutrition, and science education.
