ChatGPT, private classes, YouTube: How Pune students studied for NASA test

100 students to visit NASA, European Space Agency, or ISRO.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Aug 7, 2026 09:31 AM IST

Zilla Parishad school students use ChatGPT, private classes, YouTube to prep for space agency trips

Students with parents and teachers at IUCAA for the third and final round of the selection process. (Express Photo by Soham Shah)

With dreams of NASA in their eyes, 258 students from zilla parishad schools from across Pune district lined up at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA). Over three days, they were interviewed by professors and external staff for an opportunity of a lifetime. Twenty five of them will be selected to visit NASA in the United States, while another 25 will visit the European Space Agency. Another 50 will visit the Indian Space Research Organisation in Bangalore.

This is the second year the Pune zilla parishad has conducted the Space Research Centre Visit initiative. In 2025, 25 class 6 and 7 students had visited NASA while 50 had visited ISRO after being selected from over 13,000 over three rounds of selection. This year, the number has increased to 19,254.

The young students employed various methods to study for the test: Artificial intelligence, private coaching classes, YouTube videos, and textbooks.

“I prepared using AI, ChatGPT. I looked up the main topics and tried to understand them. I uploaded photos of our syllabus and got all the important information. It gave me Marathi information about gravitation, ISRO, NASA, etc. My teachers had sent me the syllabus in May itself,” said Sachit Bhondwe from Velu Zilla Parishad Primary School in Bhor Taluka. His teacher had sent the syllabus to him in May.

Shekhar Gadadane, the father of Saanvi Gadadane from Wablewadi Zilla Parishad School, said his daughter attended a 13-day course at a private coaching class to prepare for the second and third rounds of the process.

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Others like Siddhika Bhalero of the Khadkale Zilla Parishad School 1 in Maval Taluka had prepared on their own. She said, “I had no clue about the exam. But somehow I passed the first two examinations. For the third round interview I prepared using the questions sent by my teachers.”

“I watched lectures on YouTube. I looked up “ISRO-NASA preparation” and got a few videos. For the interviews, I have learnt about ISRO and NASA, their foundation dates, their full forms, the chairman, and about scientists,” said Vivek Rathod, a student at the Zilla Parishad school in Jategaon Budruk.

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This year, of the total students that appeared for the first round, 1,654 were selected for the second round consisting of a computer-based test. Finally, 258 students were selected for in-person interviews at IUCAA, out of which 100 will be selected for the three educational tours. This makes for an acceptance rate of 0.51 per cent, less than that of Harvard, Oxford, or even the IITs. In addition to this, 50 students will visit locations like Jantar Mantar and Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.

Soham Shah

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More

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