Japan’s Sakura Science Programme 2025: 34 Indian Students Selected

Thirty-four bright young students from government schools across India are set to represent the country in Japan as part of the Sakura Science Programme 2025, an international youth exchange initiative that blends science with cultural learning.

Organised by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), the programme will run from August 17 to 23, bringing together students from seven nations — India, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia.

India’s contingent includes 13 boys and 21 girls, drawn from government schools in nine states and Union Territories — Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Lakshadweep, Odisha, Puducherry, and West Bengal — along with students from Regional Institute of Education (RIE) demonstration schools in Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, and Mysuru. They will be guided by three supervisors during the trip.

The Sakura Science Programme, launched in 2014, aims to nurture scientific curiosity among students while fostering international friendship. India joined the initiative in 2016, and since then, more than 630 students and 90 supervisors have travelled to Japan under its banner.

Before their departure, the students were formally flagged off at an event hosted at NCERT, New Delhi, in the presence of Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), along with senior officials Professor Prakash Chandra Agrawal and Archana Sharma Awasthi.

Calling it a “golden opportunity,” Sanjay Kumar urged the students to make the most of the exposure, noting that Japan’s advanced technology and systems could spark inspiration for future innovators and deepen bilateral cooperation between India and Japan.