Union Minister Jitendra Singh interacts with student achievers in science, tech on National Girl Child day

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s exhortation that “innovation is the key to realising the dream of new India”,  Singh reiterated all government support and help to young achievers and emphasised on his belief that empowerment of girls will lead to a better tomorrow.

During the online interaction, Digantika Bose,  a first-year BSc student from Bengaluru, talked about her development of virus-destroying masks that she claims were preventive against the coronavirus also. The project was shared with the Department of Science & Technology. She sought the minister’s help to market the mask. He has promised her to help undertake an evidence-based trial before its marketing.

Manisha Ramola, a first-year BSc student from Uttarakhand, has developed an Artificial Intelligence-based solution that she has designed to provide in-depth information on medicinal leaves and herbs with just a single image. The minister complimented her for coming up with an innovation that combined ancient herbal medicinal  knowledge of the Himalayas with a contemporary and  futuristic concept of AI.

Nishi Goswami from Panna in Madhya Pradesh demonstrated an AI-based Chatbot that would provide consultation services like that of a  doctor and users could seek answers related to health or medical queries. The minister brought to her notice that just as she had developed an AI-based interface between a patient and a doctor, the same could be extended and linked with telemedicine.

Vinisha Umashankar from Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu presented her solar ironing cart, while Manya Joshi, a class 12 student from Delhi, initiated a forecasting project for natural disasters. Anushka Shrivastava, a class 12 student from Bhopal, came up with an eco-friendly water bottle.

The Minister said that the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Earth Sciences will take all steps for fruition of innovative ideas and asked them to fully associate themselves to take help and support. He noted with appreciation that young daughters of India are taking a lead in scientific innovations.

“The Ministry of Science and Technology has taken several steps to popularise science stream at higher secondary level among girl students”, said Singh. Referring to the DST’s new programme , he said ,’Vigyan Jyoti’ initiated in100 districts across the country in  2019-20 was aimed towards encouraging meritorious girl students from classes 9 to 12 to pursue education and career in science and technology particularly in the areas where women are underrepresented. 

Similarly, he pointed out that the MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge) Awards Programme under the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research’ (INSPIRE) scheme that targets to generate one million original ideas/innovations rooted in science and societal applications to foster a culture of creativity and innovative thinking among school children specially between Classes 6 to 10. He informed that in the year 2020-2021, it brought 6.53 lakh ideas from more than 2 lakh middle and high schools across the country and the best of them were short-listed and showcased at district, state and then at the national level exhibition and project competition.