Look at Yerwada jail in Pune, which has about 3600 inmates. They have to make around 10000 chapathis or rotis for lunch and the same number for dinner. They apparently had a dough-making machine. A convicted inmate was very innovative, saw the process in practice then and he was not happy: Machine wasn’t working well, it was not mixing dough well and quality of rotis was not good. With his innovation, the quality and speed improved. You know, I used to talk so much about the importance of Indians patenting their inventions, that people used to refer to me as ‘patentkar’, rather than as ‘Mashelkar’. This had been known to these inmates also. So they went to the Superintendent and said some Mashelkar talks about patenting, whenever we have a new idea. So we wnt to patent this. Can we take a patent on this?’ I am told that a pune patent attorney Mr Ponkshe, who is no more, helped them! A jail inmate innovating, can one imagine! Continue reading
Tag Archives: awards
Overcoming Inertia: children show the way
Most of us in India have seen city bus drivers driving away even before the passengers have either boarded the bus or gotten down. They are in rush to get passengers before other buses get them. It doesn’t matter if some of the old people, children or women fall down and get injured. What did we do … Continue reading
Former President Smt Pratibha Devisingh Patil visits grassroots innovation exhibition at Mughal Gardens
The former President of India, Smt Pratibha Devisingh Patil expressed a deep interest in the innovations presented at the Seventh Biennial National Awards for Grassroots Innovation and Outstanding Traditional Knowledge. On 7th March, 2013, she invited the innovators to her Tughlak Lane residence. She interacted with all the innovators, carefully listening to their individual stories and … Continue reading
List of Awardees 2013
On March 7, 2013, the Seventh National Award function for Grassroots Innovations and Outstanding Traditional Knowledge was held at Mughal Gardens, New Delhi. The National Awards were given away by Hon’ble President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee. A total of 68 innovators/traditional knowledge holders and five communities were awarded and appreciated in the award function. … Continue reading
7th Biennial National Grassroots Innovation and Traditional Knowledge Awards
Today, the Biennial National Grassroots Innovation Awards, held in Mughal Gardens, goes into its seventh round. In his speech, Shri Pranab Mukherjee said that we are in a decade of innovation that needs prudent solutions to persistent problems. The President pointed out that the state indeed cares for knowledge-rich but unknown people of this country. … Continue reading
IGNITE 2012 results are out!
NIF announces the results of the IGNITE 2012 Awards and the selected creative children will get awards at the hands of Bharat Ratna Dr A P J Abdul Kalam on 10th November, 2012 at 3pm, RJMCEI auditorium, IIMA. Those interested in attending the function may write to Nitin at ignite@nifindia.org for the invitation. A few passes will be … Continue reading
Biju Varghese wins CNN-IBN’s India Positive Award
Biju Varghese, an innovator from Mukkoothuthara, Kerala has won the India Positive Award 2012 organised by CNN-IBN for his retrofitted car kit for the physically challenged. Varghese has been previously awarded a National award at the Fourth Biennial Award Function of the National Innovation Foundation. The car kit can be attached as a unit onto … Continue reading
The pain of back bending – Challenge to overcome centuries of inertia
Submit your ideas for the Gandhian Inclusive Innovation Challenge Awards to the National Innovation Foundation until October 30th, 2012. NIF invites innovators in the informal and formal sector to offer solutions to the following three challenges, all concerned with the drudgery that the women of India, especially the resource poor women of India, have to … Continue reading