‘Grass Root Innovators’ from across AP felicitated by IIT students'

 

The packed mini auditorium at National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Rajendranagar, witnessed the audience listening intently to the touching tales of young to-be engineers, watched over by their proud mentors.

The audience eagerly lapped up the information the youngsters were sharing, not because they are coming from a prestigious educational institute but because they humbly acknowledged their mentors-the rural scientists. A new word coined there was ‘Grass Root Innovators’ those who came up with astounding inventions, driven by a basic fact ‘necessity is the mother of invention’.

The seminar showcased learning experiences of these young IITans who did an internship with these innovators as a part of their project. Each one of them showcased their innovator’s work and acknowledging their mentor Ganesham of HoneyBee who collaborated with the National Innovation Foundation to bring these innovators into limelight.
Aparanjita , Prasad, Kishore, Swaroop and Dheeraj (IIT Kharagpur), all going into their third year engineering, expressed the opinion that their project work was a hands-on experience that no university could have offered.

They were living with their mentors, watching them do and undo their inventions. Reliving their learning experiences, in the luxury of their homes! Usually a project work is almost a ritual which students like to ‘get over’ quickly because there is hardly anything new for them to learn. But this internship gave them the necessary life skills and first-hand knowledge of technology at work. One need not be surprised if a qualified scientist does this.

But the difference here is that the mentors are barely educated and economically backward villagers, who just have a belly full of fire to make it happen! Grass Root Innovators who were felicitated
Mallesham (38) This young innovator from Aler in Nalgonda district designed a loom machine that can weave five sarees in a day.

GodasuNarsimha (36) Invented hyacinth remover machine which GHMC has taken on hire to remove the weed near Golkonda Fort Lake. Guruvayya (64) Invented a sophisticated seed drill cum herbi sprayer which eases the farmers work.

Syed Subhani designed a tractor mounted boom sprayer which could spray insecticide over 10 hectares of crop in seven minutes. He was not present at the function as he was busy elsewhere.

Each of these innovators shared their experiences with the audience. Godasu Narsimha said he dreamt of becoming a mechanical engineer, but somehow landed in to civil engineering in spite of it he attended mechanical class lectures. Machines fascinated him the most and he would dismantle any machine or tool he could lay his hands on, be it a toy, tractor or computer!

Guruvayya, the wise farmer patiently shared his touching story where he just wanted to ease farmers troubles of sowing seeds, as it was very expensive to hire labour.

Not to forget Mr Ganesham of Honey Bee and Palle Srujana the organiser and compere of the programme. His lively narrations, interspersed with sharp and witty remarks kept the audience thoroughly engaged!

The seminar ended with J A C S Rao, Director RTP, NIRD made an open commitment and promise to anyone who has an innovative idea and that he would give any kind of monetary support on behalf of NIRD to manifest the thought into reality.

Dr Kalpana Sastry, Principal Scientist NAARM, D Brig Ganesham and J Srikar VP were also present.

                                                          Courtesy: Hans India Daily News Paper

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