Satara boy wins gold medal at 9th edition of national INSPIRE Award

The schools register their students, where the top one lakh shortlisted students receive Rs 10,000 into their bank accounts to further work on their ideas. The selection happens at district and state levels before the names are sent at the national level.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Shinde, son of a farmer couple, said, “It was during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic the idea occurred to me. Several people were participating in food distribution drives or serving food in small catering outlets. But you see, when people arrange plates and bowls on the table, they do it with their free hands. Covid-19 was at its peak and the use of hands seemed risky. Hence, I decided to come up with an idea where the plates and bowl can be arranged on the table without any human touch,” said Shinde.

Under the guidance of his science teacher, Prasad Jagnnath Yadav of Parkhandi Highschool, Shinde also added the features of the plates being picked up after the meals are finished and the cleaning of tables is also done. “The idea was to have contactless equipment, which can be used to serve food to a lot of people at the same time. When Yash discussed this idea with us, we registered him in 2020 and were financed by N.I.F. Gujarat Inspire Award Manak. Due to the pandemic, the district and state levels selections were conducted online. We were selected for the national exhibition in Delhi and we could not be happier that Yash won gold,” said Yadav.

Shinde, who aspires to be an engineer, said that he often finds himself watching programmes on science and technology on television. “I enjoy watching and learning about technology, and robotics through television programmes and I feel it is my calling. This is my first gold medal, and it is motivating for me. I could not be more elated for myself… I want to become an engineer, like my elder sister, who is studying in Pune, and contribute toward coming up with more such innovative ideas and inventions,” said the young innovator.

Back home, Yash’s father, Dnyneshwar Shinde said that he is very proud of his son and his achievement. “We are farmers here in Wai and we are proud of Yash’s achievement. We are preparing a flex banner to welcome him with,”

City girl honoured for her innovation of Convertible Commode

Meanwhile, Riya Rajkumar Gaikwad, a ninth grader from the Tal-Khed district of Pune, is among the nine students from the state of Maharashtra, who were honoured by Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology at the 9th edition of the INSPIRE Award.

A student of Shree Bhamchandra Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Gaikwad, under the guidance of her guide and mother Sable Rohini Nanasaheb, worked on her innovative idea of a Convertible Commode. “It was when my sister, Ruchita, who was three, had trouble going to the bathroom. She was afraid she would fall, and I saw my mother struggle too. I decided to do something about it and came up with the idea for the problems toddlers face,” said Gaikwad.

Gaikwad worked on the prototype at home, with her sister the best person to try it out. “The idea that Riya came up with was unique and hence we got her registered for INSPIRE. Our toilets are mostly designed for adults and while some homes may have a toilet for small children, it might not be a common occurrence. We worked on a design, where the clip attachment seat part of the toilet can be put on any public toilet and used by young children, adults and senior citizens alike,” said Nanasaheb, who teaches science at Shree Bhamchandra Madhyamik Vidyalaya.

Nanasaheb describes that the idea was demonstrated by both her daughters and the jury was highly impressed. “While the novel idea was Riya’s, it was my now five-year-old Ruchita, who demonstrated in her ways how the seat is comfortable and safe for someone like her… it is due to the novelty of the idea that Riya was honoured at the exhibition,”

“My mother was very happy when she was informed by the NIF authorities inside the exhibition that my innovation was selected among nine others in the state, in the total list of 60. Our ideas will be patented under our name by the NIF,” said Riya, who wishes to continue to come up with more interesting ideas.