Children's Environmental Concerns Find Voice At IIT Kharagpur's Young Innovators Program

Kolkata:

The theme of 'Energy and Environment' received top billing at IIT Kharagpur's Young Innovators Program (YIP) 2019, with a majority of the participating school students electing to find their own ways to combat pollution and promote conservation. In its third edition, the contest drew students from Classes 8-10 from schools all over India and abroad to brainstorm on the themes of Health and Cleanliness, Hardware Modelling, Product Designing, Disaster Management, Financial Inclusion, as also Energy and Environment, according to a statement from the Institute.

The grand finale of YIP was held at the IIT Kharagpur campus over three days ending on November 10.

The team that walked away with the trophy for 2019 was Team Divyang from KiiT International School, Bhubaneswar. Students Pritesh Deb, Divyan Sahoo and Ankit Pradhan designed a green water dispenser for the use of the differently-abled. Operated by foot or body weight through a simple lever mechanism, the user could use the water to take a shower, water plants or bathe a guide dog.

The first runner-up was Team Kriyative Bhavanites from the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavans Public School, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. Siddhanth Yellanki and Shreyas Bhargava won the prize for their activated charcoal smoke filter made from coconut shells and corn cobs that could be fitted on vehicles to reduce emission.

The second runner up was Team Innovativeloops from Brahm Prakash D.A.V School, Hyderabad. P. Pranavaditya, Raj Bhattacharjee and Shreyas Biradar of the team, inspired by the Chandrayan mission, have developed an Astron telescope with 7 plane mirrors set in honey comb structure that can capture bright and high quality image during a space mission.

"What is important to remember is not only the necessity of innovation, but also the importance of implementation," said Prof. Sriman Kumar Bhattacharyya, during his inaugural address.

IIT Kharagpur's alumni as also corporate sponsors such as Indigene and ICICI made YIP 2019 such a success.

Among several other notable innovations was Sakhi - a biodegradable sanitary pad - made from natural materials such as cotton, dry leaves, resin and coconut husk by the students of Delhi Public School, Ruby Park, Kolkata.

The project won "special mention" from the judges - consisting of a multi-disciplinary team of faculty members of IIT Kharagpur - for its boldness, given the social stigma surrounding the subject of menstruation.

"YIP is not a contest, but a platform where students can showcase their ideas and mingle with others so that greater ideas can emerge," said Prof. Anandaroop Bhattacharya, Associate Dean, International Relations.

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