Hyderabad: Early exposure to science and research can help children develop curiosity, scientific thinking and an appreciation for evidence-based approaches to health and nutrition, said Dr Bharati Kulkarni, director of the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN), Hyderabad. She was speaking at the inauguration of the science and health innovation for nextgen explorers (SHINE) 2026, a two-day outreach programme that began on Tuesday for schoolchildren. Kulkarni encouraged students to ask questions, explore new ideas and view science as a means of finding solutions to societal challenges. The outreach also extends beyond Hyderabad, with hundreds of children taking part in SHINE activities at ICMR-NIN-affiliated Model Rural Health Research Units at Janampet in Mahbubnagar, Telangana, and Chandragiri in Andhra Pradesh. SHINE is an ICMR initiative aimed at building scientific curiosity and awareness of health, nutrition and research among school-going children.