Manipal University, the pioneer in providing world-class education, in association with INK – India’s foremost platform for the exchange of cutting-edge ideas and inspiring stories – announced the winners of the 6th edition of Teenovators. St. Josephs Boys High School, Bengaluru won the first prize for their project infra- sound fire extinguisher, Abhaya School, Hyderabad won the second prize for their project V-watch, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Naval Base, Cochin won the third prize for their project mercury extractor. Two consolation prizes were given to Samatha International School, Ahmednagar for their project Carbondioxide Eliminator and Gurukul Global School, Chandigarh for their project Musical Colors. The first day of the event saw ten student teams presenting their projects to Dr. Shashi Tharoor, author and member of parliament at the event. The day included an interactive session with Dr. Tharoor. The second day saw the students showcasing their projects to an eminent panel of judges. Ten projects made it to the final round of which three were awarded the final price.
Speaking about Teenovators 2016, Dr Narayana Sabhahit, registrar, Manipal University said, “We are delighted that there are so many excellent and inspiring entries from across the country. The level of interest amongst the students is remarkable. This competition shows just how aware students are of challenges around them and how committed they are to making real, lasting and positive change in their global society.”

Speaking at the event, Lakshmi Pratury, CEO and founder, INK said, “Teenovators is one of the best platforms for high-school students to showcase their exceptional talent and out-of-the-box ideas. Through the programme, we’ve been encouraging high school students to develop the sort of thinking that will allow them to be better prepared for this new innovation-led economy. We give them an opportunity to come up with bold, innovative ideas and whether they end up being successful products or not, the courage to present here will keep them moving forward.”

A national innovation challenge for students from class 9 through class 12, Teenovators invites projects based around Behavioral and Social Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Physical Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Sciences and Life Sciences. This community of teenage students aim to use their imagination to solve real-life problems and create a long-lasting impact.

This programme enables young adults to develop the confidence and insight required to generate a novel idea or new approach; the motivation, commitment and resilience required to pursue that idea; and the leadership, energy and dynamism needed to communicate the idea and drive it forward from concept to reality.

In the Preliminary Challenge phase, each school submitted a project synopsis during September-October 2016. Teams shortlisted from this phase designed a solution and presented it to a panel of judges in each region. Toppers from this phase were selected for the finale. The finalists were mentored and guided by industrial partners to develop working models of the solutions proposed. Finalist teams presented their projects before a panel of judges at Manipal University and the top three winners received the prestigious TEENOVATORS of the Year certi?cate and cash awards totalling up to INR 10 Lakh.

Last year, students from 400 schools across 8 cities participated in the contest and demonstrated their ideas in Technology, Environment Conservation, Green Technologies, Farming, and Healthcare, etc. This year, young minds from over 450 schools from 10 cities – Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune, Kochi and Chandigarh participated in the competition.

Nestled on a plateau in Karnataka’s Udupi district, Manipal University is synonymous with excellence in higher education. To learn more, visit http://manipal.edu/mu.html.

INK is India’s foremost platform for the exchange of cutting-edge ideas and inspiring stories. To learn more, visit http://www.inktalks.com/.