Dr. Singh emphasises on encouraging innovative aptitude in school children at INSPIRE Awards MANAK awards

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space Dr. Jitendra Singh stressed on encouraging the innovative aptitude in school children for scientific progress of New India and for realizing the Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

“Around 45 percent of India’s population is below 40 years, and they are assets for the country upon whom rests the responsibility to take the country forward in next 25 years using scientific innovation,” Dr. Singh said at the award ceremony of the 8^th NLEPC (National Level Exhibition and Project Competition) of the INSPIRE Awards – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) 2019-20.

The top 60 innovators selected from a total of 3,92,486 students who submitted their innovations from schools across the country were announced at the programme. Navshri Thakur, a student from Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, bagged the first prize for her innovation titled “multi-useful kitchen machine”, Owais Ahmed from Bidar, Karnataka, bagged the second prize for his innovation “safety horizontal stretcher” and Dasari Ashok from Vikarabad, Telangana, bagged the third prize for the innovation titled “ceiling fan lifting tool”.

While releasing a compendium of the 60 innovations, Dr Singh underlined that the participation of young boys and girls in the MANAK programme indicate that innovation in science and technology has a bright future and requested officials to reach out to school children in more and more numbers.

“This is a celebration of 3.92 lakh young India scientific minds from across the country who have made themselves available to the service to the nation. The innovations of these young minds is a reflection of their aptitude to create, discover and scientifically evolve,” he said and assured the students that all efforts would be made to groom their talent and help realize their full potential.

Our focus is on how we can bring more and more students and how to guide them to realize their full potential,” said Dr. Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.

The eighth edition of NLEPC corresponds to the students selected under INSPIRE Awards – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) program during FY 2019-20. Owing to COVID-19, it was deferred last year. A total of 581 students participated, representing various States and UT’s of the country.

“Effort was to reach to children from each and every nook and corner of the country and ignite young minds, “said Dr P S Goel, Chairperson, National Innovation Foundation (NIF) – India, an organization which implements INSPIRE Awards – MANAK annually throughout the country along with Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.

“ This time the national penetration of the scheme stands out in reaching to rural areas and tier two and tier three cities and 45 percent ideas came from girls,” said Namita Gupta, Head - INSPIRE Awards – MANAK, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.

Dr Vipin Kumar, Director, NIF proposed a vote of thanks on the occasion of the award ceremony of the INSPIRE Awards – MANAK.