The Department of External Affairs. Not many know of its existence, let alone its functioning. This lack of recognition does not faze Sampath Kethineedi, who was eager to speak to the APOGEE English Press. Sampath, the coordinator of DeXA, believes that his department’s work speaks for itself. They conduct Aarohan, a countrywide science oriented test for high-schoolers.

Aarohan, DExA’s first born, was not always a science oriented test. In its initial form, it aimed to be a mock BITSAT to test the aptitude of high-schoolers. It quickly changed into a test meant to evaluate the scientific proficiency of its takers. When the necessity of this change was questioned, Sampath quickly retorted, “Everyone wants to be an engineer nowadays! Isn’t it necessary to show students that there are other options available?” Participation has fluctuated over the years; initially 2000 students wrote the test but the very next year the number dropped. “Not a problem,” he exclaims before pointing out that this year 3200 students have registered. He is optimistic about participation in the coming years; he predicts exponential growth due to the enormity of their target audience – the high-school goers of India. After the initial written round in December, twenty to forty students are invited to APOGEE; during which they will have access to several workshops to foster their scientific curiosity as well as Prof Shows and other means of amusement.

Sampath pointed out that DExA is a mere three years old and that this infancy is an advantage; since the department has no fixed role, he feels the necessity to constantly innovate and carve out a legacy for the department. This has led to the inception of Outreach – a new initiative by DExA and Sampath’s pet project – which aims to externalize APOGEE and publicize it across the country. Two day “mini-APOGEEs” are conducted in three zones – namely Delhi, Jaipur, and Kolkata. Some of the fest’s kernel events (Stock Market Simulation and International Coding League to name a few) are conducted in these zones and colleges in the neighbourhood are invited to partake in these events.

When asked what BITSians could do to help DExA, Sampath replied that it would be fantastic if more BITSians could publicize Aarohan in their high schools. This would increase not only participation for the fest but also the revenue generated, helping it on multiple fronts. One wishes Sampath and DExA all the best in their efforts.