Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog in association with UNICEF and MyGov has announced top 30 winners of the Gandhian Challenge, which was organized to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
As part of the challenge, participants had to find innovative solutions based on Gandhian principles for new world challenges such as global warming, increasing violence and intolerance etc.
The wait is over, the result for #TheGandhianChallenge is out! ????
— AIM (@AIMtoInnovate) November 19, 2019
AIM accolades 30 students from #AtalTinkeringLabs & community schools across India for bringing Gandhian principles to life through their innovative ideas.
Congratulations, students!
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The Gandhian Challenge was open to students studying in classes 6-12 in two categories - Art and Innovation, and Science and Technology and Innovation.
More than 3,800 children and nearly 3,000 Atal Tinkering Lab schools as well as community schools participated in the challenge.
The Challenge encouraged children to read and understand Mahatma Gandhi's principles and apply them to come up with innovative solutions for New World challenges.
Some of the innovative ideas that the students submitted include a design of low cost mechanical equipment to clear blockages in sewage pipes, which would ease the work of sewage workers. Another entry uses IoT solutions to monitor the health of ageing parents. This information can be accessed remotely via a mobile app.
Mr. R Ramanan, Mission Director AIM, NITI Aayog, said, "The Gandhian challenge was to stimulate the latent creativity and innovative thinking of every student be it in art, science or technology. This challenge proved that children are extremely observant of the pain and problems around them and think out-of-the box to depict and ideate solutions to solve some of these problems."
The Challenge was timed to coincide with the global celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). On 20 November 1989, world leaders united around a common cause and adopted the CRC, an international agreement on childhood that helped transform children's lives. Each year, 20 November is celebrated as World Children's Day.
Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, the UNICEF India Representative congratulated the winners and said, "The Gandhian Challenge is a fitting celebration of Article 12 of the CRC, which guarantees every child the right to be heard, to participate, and to play a role in the civic life of their society,"
Mr. Abhishek Singh, CEO MyGov, said that the overwhelming response to the Challenge shows the commitment to Gandhian values in the society.
"Very often, the question is raised as to whether the values of Mahatma Gandhi that inspired the world are still relevant in a world dominated by technology, global warming, and sadly, beset by strife? The answer is a resounding yes, if the recent Gandhian Challenge is any indication," he said.
The winners from the challenge will be awarded certificates by Mission Director - AIM, UNICEF Representative in India and CEO, My Gov.
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