Around 800 students from nine schools, including government institutions, visited the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) in Tarnaka on Tuesday to gain firsthand exposure to scientific research during the first day of the two-day Science & Health Innovation for Nextgen Explorers (SHINE) Programme 2026. The programme was inaugurated by ICMR-NIN director Bharati Kulkarni in the presence of scientists, technical staff and teachers. The initiative aims to introduce schoolchildren to the fields of science, nutrition and public health through interactive learning experiences. She said programmes such as SHINE help foster curiosity, scientific temper and an appreciation of evidence-based approaches to health and nutrition. SHINE activities were also conducted at the Model Rural Health Research Units affiliated with ICMR-NIN at Janampet in Mahbubnagar district of Telangana and Chandragiri in Andhra Pradesh, said a press release.