The 11th National Level Exhibition and Project Competition (NLEPC) under the flagship INSPIRE– MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge) scheme was inaugurated by Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST), today at the India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO), New Delhi.

A total of 360 students from schools across the length and breadth of the country are showcasing their ideas and innovations at the two-day exhibition. The exhibits include a wide range of innovations, representing a variety of S&T domains, aimed at addressing societal problems and solutions aligned with national priorities such as digital technologies, inclusive innovations for the differently abled, sanitation, and solutions for everyday challenges like handling kitchen tasks more efficiently amongst others.

Prof. Karandikar walked through the exhibition and interacted with young innovators from diverse regions of the country. He emphasized on the immense potential of the students, highlighting that over 360 innovative projects were selected for the exhibition from 7.96 lakhs submissions. He called on these young innovators to continue their efforts towards solving societal challenges using science and technology as well as encouraging local schools and colleges to motivate future leaders in this field.

Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairperson, NIF India, noted that these students share a common dream of propelling the nation forward through science and technology.

On this occasion, senior officials from DST and NIF, including Dr. Namita Gupta Head, INSPIRE MANAK, DST, Dr. Arvind Ranade, Director NIF, Dr. Vipin Kumar, Chief Scientist, NIF, Shri Mahesh Patel, Scientist G NIF, Dr. Sandeep Bansal, Scientist C, DST, along with State and District officials, teachers, and other state dignitaries, were present. The students explained their projects and innovations to the visitors and jury members demonstrating their creativity and problem-solving abilities.

The NLEPC, which is open to the public from September 17-18, 2024, stands out due to the diversity of innovations, representing geographical balance and addressing issues that align with the nation’s vision of a sustainable and inclusive future.

The INSPIRE– MANAK is a flagship scheme under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) with the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) – India, an autonomous institute of DST, as its implementing organization. It is designed to foster creativity among young minds by inviting innovative ideas from students across the country.

For the 11th NLEPC, 360 innovative projects have been selected from over 7.96 lakh submissions received from States and Union Territories across India. The top 60 innovations from this exhibition will be felicitated on September 19, 2024, at a special Winners felicitation ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, where Dr. Jitendra Singh, Hon'ble Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Science and Technology & Earth Sciences, Government of India will felicitate the winners.

The exhibition is a symbol of the critical role that young innovators play in shaping the future of India by utilizing science and technology to solve real-world problems. It is a one of its kind exhibitions because of the diversity of innovations and the geographical balance it represents.