This story is from March 2, 2020

IITs, IIMs should focus on innovation to solve grassroots problems, says Sonam Wangchuk

Educational institutes are aping western classroom models that do not cater to Indian requirements
IITs, IIMs should focus on innovation to solve grassroots problems, says Sonam Wangchuk
Ramon Magsaysay awardee and educator Sonam Wangchuk.
Educational institutes are aping western classroom models that do not cater to Indian requirements
The approach towards innovation in educational institutes is presently lopsided with a focus on tech-led inventions that do not do much to solve the social and developmental problems plaguing the country, says Ramon Magsaysay awardee and educator Sonam Wangchuk.
"Indian institutes are aping western classroom models without adapting it to be socially relevant for Indian society.
While we need drones and robots, we also need solutions to water shortage, food crisis and pollution in the country. Premier institutes such as the IITs and IIMs need to herald this change to provide tech-based solution for developmental issues," says Wangchuk, who is the founder of Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), an alternative schooling system that teaches students through a hands-on approach.
While speaking at the Aegis Graham Bell awards, he called upon innovators and entrepreneurs to solve the basic challenges in the country and provide better quality of life to the common man. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, he also urged the community to 'to live simply so that others may simply live'.
"People should follow an eco-friendly lifestyle and should look at ways for giving back to the society and nature," says Wangchuk who recently launched a crowdfunding campaign called 'I Live Simply' movement. On the ilivesimply website users' can pledge contribution in form of lifestyle changes that will help the environment such as pledging to not use of single use plastics.
The awards felicitated many young innovators from across India. One of the awardees was Fatehpur's Radhesh Agrahari (33), who was awarded under 'Innovation in Clean Tech' category. He has been working to tackle water and land pollution caused by chicken feather waste. He has developed a patented process that converts this waste into high-quality cotton and natural fabrics.

"Around 23.17% of the pollution in water bodies is due to the butchered chicken waste that pollutes rivers and canals. The untreated waste emits sulphur dioxide and other harmful gases that also pollute land and air," says Agrahari, who conceived the idea while pursuing his Masters in Textile Design and Crafts from the Indian Institute of Crafts and Design, Jaipur in 2011.
"For our design thinking classes, we were asked to find an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution to a social problem. While brainstorming, I realised that 1 kg of butchered chicken produces around 400 gm of waste. The untreated waste fills our water bodies and landfills leading to pollution. UP and Delhi alone produces 3 lakh tonne of chicken waste every year," says Agrahari, who graduated from the Northern India Institute of Fashion Technology (NIIFT), Mohali.
From 2011 to 2016, Agrahari carried out extensive research on various sanitisation processes that can be used to treat the waste and convert it into a raw material for natural fabrics. He also filed for patent for the technology in 2018.
He set up his enterprise in the tribal belt of Jhalwar, located 190 km from Kota, Rajasthan, and is now empowering the natives financially through the production of cotton from chicken feathers.
Other awardees include LivNSense Technologies for Innovation in Artificial Intelligence ; Intelligence Node for Innovation in Data Science ; Wijungle for Innovation in Cyber Security; Letstrack dor Innovation in Internet of Things; Hethi for Innovation in Robotics Process Automation ; Wipro for Innovation in Managed Services ; Porter for Innovation in Digital Transformation; Idea Bridge for Innovative Enterprise Solution; Parallel Wireless for Innovation in Cloud; Wipro (Smart Track Mr Sujan) Innovation in Blockchain; Niki for Innovation in eCommerce; Xcellence in Bio Innovations and Technologies for Innovation in Health Tech; Odo Technologies and Simplilearn for Innovation in EdTech; Yulu Bikes for Innovation in Governance Tech; NiYo for Innovation in FinTech; Bobble AI for Innovation in Consumer Tech; Uber and ShareChat Innovative Mobile App for Consumer for Reliance Foundation in Application for Social good.
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