Dr. SAJAD AHMAD MIR
The INSPIRE Awards—MANAK are looking for science and technology-based ideas and innovations from millions of middle school and high school students across the country. MANAK, which stands for “Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge,” is a student-led initiative to foster an environment of innovation and creative thinking in order to address societal needs through science and technology.
The “Innovation in Science Pursuit of Inspired Research” (INSPIRE) scheme is the country’s flagship programme for promoting innovation among schoolchildren, with million minds augmenting national aspiration and knowledge. INSPIRE is a joint initiative of the Government of India’s DST and NIF. Students aged 10-15 years and studying in grades 6 to 10 must submit their science and technology-based ideas to their schools by the deadline to participate. The goal of the INSPIRE scheme is to target one million original ideas and innovations based on science that have societal applications in order to foster a culture of creativity and innovative thinking among students.
Not only is innovation required to maintain a competitive advantage, but it is also required for the growth and development of institutions, industries, and countries in a global world. By improving products, processes, and services, innovation improves the quality of people’s lives. As a result, staying ahead not only in cutting-edge research but also in innovations becomes critical. The Government of India recognises the importance of innovation in governance and designated 2010-20 as the “Decade of Innovation.”
Creativity is almost inborn in children. Every child is creative; the degree may differ, but the basic manifestation does not. Our children’s originality, creativity, and innovative spirit must be encouraged. This will be useful when they become leaders in our society in the future, ensuring a creative, inclusive, and innovative future for the country. Our society’s inclusive development requires opportunities for children to ensure an aversion to inertia and a reverence for innovative problem-solving methods. Children who are creative, impatient, and imaginative are among the nation’s most valuable assets. Instilling Hamdardi (empathy), tekhleeki salahiyet (creativity) and Ishtiraq (collaboration) will make them deserving citizens of not only India, but the entire world.
In view of that, Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the National Innovation Foundation (NIF)—India are revamping and implementing the INSPIRE Award—MANAK to align it with the action plan for the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India’s “Start-up India” initiative. This is an opportunity for all states and Jammu and Kashmir UT in our country to ramp up and use the remaining time until September, 2023, to catch up with states that are leading the way in the INSPIRE Awards-MANAK,2023-2024.
This scheme is being implemented in the following steps:
- Regional workshops, audio-visual tools, and literature were used to raise awareness and capacity among district, state, and school-level officials across the country.
- Organizing internal idea competitions in schools, and online nominations of two to three best original ideas in any Indian language by the respective Principal/Headmaster via the E-MIAS (E-Management of INSPIRE Awards MANAK Scheme) portal. The schools must register on the E-MIAS portal.
- The National Innovation Foundation (NIF) will choose the top 100,000 (one lakh) ideas/innovations with the potential to address societal needs using science and technology. The INSPIRE Award of INR 10,000 will be deposited into the bank accounts of the selected students via the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme which will then Participate in the District Level Exhibition and Project Competitions (DLEPC), .
- District and state governments organise the DLEPC, and the top 10,000 ideas/innovations are chosen out of 100,000 for State Level Exhibition and Project Competitions (SLEPC).
- The SLEPC further shortlisting the top 1,000 ideas/innovations out of 10,000 for the National Level Exhibition and Project Competition (NLEPC). At this stage, the NIF will provide mentoring support to students for prototype development in collaboration with reputable academic and technological institutions in the country. It is worth mentioning, Ideas and innovations will be chosen based on their novelty, social applicability, environmental friendliness, user friendliness, and comparative advantage over existing, similar technologies.
- Now, at the NLEPC, 1,000 of the best ideas/innovations were displayed, and the top 60 innovations out of 1,000 will be shortlisted for national awards and future direction.
During the years 2021–22, a total of 52720 students from all over the country were selected for the INSPIRE Awards—MANAK. The award money, INR 10,000, has already been transferred directly to their bank accounts through the Public Financial Management System.
In the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, around 1000 students with 1000 ideas in the form of projects or models competed at the DLEPC, INSPIRE Awards-MANAK, 2021–22, from Kashmir Division alone, and were narrowed down to 95 students with 95 ideas who then competed at the SLEPC, INSPIRE Awards-MANAK, 2021–22. Out of 95 students, the 11 best were selected for the NLEPC. From Jammu division, we are having six ideas for the NLEPC. As a result, 17 students from Jammu and Kashmir UT will compete at the 10th NLEPC, which is going to be held in New Delhi in February 2023. The SLEPC was organised by the Department of Education in Science and Mathematics, SCERT, Jammu and Kashmir, on January 2, 2023, in Kashmir Division, at its Bemina Srinagar complex, and on January 3, 2023, in Jammu Division. It is worth mentioning that in the Kashmir division, Dr. Tasaduq Hussain Mir, Director School Education, Kashmir, was the chief guest; Mr. Fayaz Ahmad Fayaz, JD Center Office, SCERT, J&K, was a special guest; and Mr. Mohd Shareef Deedhar, Joint Director, SCERT-KD, presided over the inaugural function. In the Jammu division, the exhibition was inaugurated by Dr. Ravi Shanker Sharma, Director School Education, Jammu, and Mr. Iftikhar Hussain Hussain Chauhan, Director Finance, School Education Department, J&K.
Undoubtly, the New Education Policy (NEP), 2020 seeks to foster creativity and critical thinking in children in order to foster innovation and logical decision-making and this component of the NEP-2020 is in line with INSPIRE Awards-MANAK. So, a continued emphasis on innovation by school students is equally important, owing to the fact that science and technology based ideas and innovations can play a significant role in bringing people out of the crisis and making the country self-sufficient (Khudkafeel). As a result, State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Jammu and Kashmir in collaboration with the DST and NIF are make the most of the time by encouraging our students to think creatively and attempting to generate as many ideas as possible from them.
As the Nodal Officer for the Kashmir Division of the INSPIRE Awards-MANAK, I would like to encourage parents, teachers, and schools that are not yet a part of this scheme but can encourage their students to actively participate and submit ideas and innovations through their schools. Besides being a significant step toward realizing the NEP-2020, it is in the economic interest of our country in general and our UT of Jammu and Kashmir in particular.
(Author is Sr. Academic Officer (Physics), SCERT, Bemina Srinagar and also Nodal Officer, Kashmir Division, Inspire Awards-Manak)
