E-Paper
‘Pragaash-Nurturing Innovation Ecosystem in J&K: Kashmir’s young minds gather to draw an innovative punch
Some 200 school students, ranging from Class 8 to 12, from various schools of the Kashmir valley on Tuesday displayed their models and products to tackle and provide innovative solutions to agricultural problems, environmental sustainability, technology driven monitoring and design thinking
An agro robot for multiple agricultural practices, an online alarm system hidden in handbag for women’s safety, a colour compass for colour blind, a water turbine driven life-saving air tube and much more developed by school children from Kashmir awed the audience with their innovations at a congregation of young innovators in Srinagar.
Some 200 school students, ranging from Class 8 to 12, from various schools of the Kashmir valley on Tuesday displayed their models and products to tackle and provide innovative solutions to agricultural problems, environmental sustainability, technology driven monitoring and design thinking.
Among the innovators was a group of three girl students from Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Amira Kadal in Srinagar who were displaying their creation – a handbag with a smart button which can send one’s location when in danger.
“Day in day out, we have been going through the disturbing news that women are not safe in public places. According to a research 12% of these women could have been saved, had their current location been traced. That is why we found a solution and developed a smart handbag,” said one of the lead students Ayra Fatin Mir.
“The bag has inbuilt gps tracker, a led light and an alert buzzer with two sensors,” said another girl of the group, Huzaifa Khan.
The event--Pragaash-Nurturing Innovation Ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir-- was organised by school education department in collaboration with NITI AYOG, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), UNICEF and Pi-Jam Foundation with an objective of fostering a thriving innovation culture and creating a conducive ecosystem for students, the government said.
Aadil Farooq and Najmu Saqib from Boys Higher Secondary School in north Kashmir’s Sopore developed a prototype of ‘remote controlled life saver tube’. “We would see how people drown before any human could jump in the water and swim towards them to be rescued. This tube has propellers and can be immediately thrown into water to immediately reach the drowning person,” said Adil Farooq, a Class 10 student.
Minister for health and education Sakeena Itoo emphasised the critical importance of nurturing creativity and innovative mind-set among the students in order to aspire for an economically developed Jammu and Kashmir. “The system of education is changing and days of gaining knowledge behind closed doors are gone. Young, bright school going children are now more interested in innovations and practicals apart from regular classroom activities,” she said.
Shoaib Dar from Pi Jam Foundation, a non-profit organisation helping to foster problem solving and creativity, said that Pragaash’s objective is to provide a platform for all our students across J&K to showcase their innovative and creative skills. “The whole idea is how to build an innovation system for children in J&K so that they are prepared for the 21st century,” he said.
