Five students from Bihar will win all-expense-paid trips to Japan to learn about the latest scientific innovations there.

The Japan government's Science and Technology Agency has written to Super 30 founder Anand Kumar to select five students with scientific temperament. Super 30 will conduct a written test on August 28 to select the students.

Students from classes X, XI and XII are eligible to appear for the hour-long test that will carry 30 questions, 10 each from physics, chemistry and mathematics. The basic idea will be to judge the students' potential in science subjects.

The tour is likely to be conducted in the first week of November.

"This is will be a great opportunity for students to learn the latest scientific innovations there," Anand said. "Five students, selected through written test, will be sent to Japan where they will be part of the Sakura Science Plan and spend a week in that country to learn and see scientific innovations for much-needed exposure in the company of experts. The Japan government will bear the entire expenses."

To ensure maximum participation of students in the written test, Super 30 plans to create awareness through social media. "Our team will also visit various schools in Patna to spread the word about the test," Anand said.

A team from Japan will visit Patna on September 21 to interact with the selected students about the tour programme.

Students sounded excited about the opportunity, though some wished there were more than five seats up for grabs.

"This kind of study tours can be very helpful for students to learn about the latest innovations in the world of technology," said Mohammed Salman Mozaffar, a Class XI student at St Michael's High School, Patna.

"As Japan is much ahead than many developing and developed countries, this study tour can be a great advantage for us."

Echoing Salman's views, Nishant Pandey, a Class XII student at St Dominic Savio's High School, said: "Apart from knowing about the latest innovations, study tours inspire students to opt for research work in latest technology."

In 2015, Kunal Kumar, a Super 30 alumnus studying chemical science engineering at IIT-Guwahati, got admission to the University of Tokyo based on a Japan government global science course programme for which students are selected based on their educational qualifications and interview.