Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveNational Youth Parliament Festival: Ensuring youth participation in democracy

National Youth Parliament Festival: Ensuring youth participation in democracy

Written by: Amrita Priya

We cannot always build the future for our youth but we can build our youth for the future.

– Franklin Roosevelt

(March 12, 2023) In 2017, during the December 31 episode of his radio programme, Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his desire to make the youth of India the think tanks of democracy. “I have an idea to organize mock parliaments in every district of India, where the youth between 18 and 25 can sit together and brainstorm on ‘New India’, find ways for the country’s betterment and chalk out plans,” he had said.

Shortly after, the first edition of the National Youth Parliament Festival (NYPF) kicked off in 2019, with the objective to help youngsters understand the workings of Parliament, and become integral forces of democracy. Since then, after competing for selection in the district and state-level mock parliaments, successful youngsters get the opportunity to participate in the annual event – National Youth Parliament Festival at Parliament complex, New Delhi.

Fourth edition of NYPF

The fourth edition of NYPF launched with the theme ‘Ideas for a Better Tomorrow: India for the World’ commenced on 2nd March 2023 in the Central Hall of Parliament, New Delhi. The event saw the participation of 87 state level winners competing for the top three positions, with 29 finalists speaking in front of a national jury in the Parliament Declamation Contest. The remaining 58 attended the proceedings. The jury members included, members of parliament and also secretaries from the ministry of youth affairs and sports.

Hon’ble Lok Sabha Speaker Shri @ombirlakota, Minister for @MIB_India and @YASMinistry Shri @ianuragthakur and MoS Shri @NisithPramanik with participants of National Youth Parliament Festival (NYPF) 2023 in Parliament Complex.@loksabhaspeaker @sansad_tv @parliament_lib pic.twitter.com/eDdNbiCFse

— PRIDE | LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT (@LokSabha_PRIDE) March 2, 2023

Speaker of Lok Sabha, Om Birla, who felicitated the winners in the Central Hall of the Parliament, mentioned that the very spot in which the winners were gathered was also witness to the transfer of power from Britain to India. “It was here in the Central Hall that India’s freedom fighters and Constitution makers prepared the supreme law of the nation – the Constitution of India,” he said. Just as it is done in parliament sessions, live streaming of NYPF 2023 was done by the ministry of youth affairs and sports.

Speaking on the occasion, Anurag Singh Thakur, minister for youth affairs and sports remarked:

District Youth Parliaments (DYP) were conducted to select members for the State Youth Parliament (SYP). More than two lakh youngsters from 748 districts of all the states and union territories of India participated at 150 venues nationwide.

The minister for youth affairs and sports also pointed out that girls have outnumbered boys in NYPF and lauded them for their active participation. Global Indian puts the spotlight on the winners of this year’s edition.

Aastha Sharma

Winner of first prize

Hailing from Loshta village in Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh Aastha is a second year BSc student of Centre of Excellence College, Sanjauli. The daughter of an apple orchardist stirred the audience with her powerful speech bagging the first prize. Quoting Franklin Roosevelt she said, ‘we cannot always build future for our youth but we can build our youth for the future.’

Talking on the behalf of all youngsters she mentioned, “we all have set our goals for 2047 and have dreams of a future-ready India. Youth has the potential of doing so. The only need is to provide them with resources and a good chance.”

Naresh Chhetri

Winner of second prize

The youngster from Sikkim was all praise for India and its leadership. “We have been divided into the first world and the third world but making it ‘one world’ is an initiative that has been taken by India,’ he said. “The whole world is looking at India not just as an export market but a competitive force that can globally lead,” he added.

Naresh who hails from Mangan district of Sikkim, also talked about G20 Presidency of India and how its theme ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or ‘One Earth. One Family. One Future’ reflects India’s perspective that the world is one big family.

Mahira Khan

Winner of third prize

Speaking in the context of the ‘Millet Mission’ and the ‘National Health Protection Scheme,’ Mahira Khan said, “Today our jowar, bajra and ragi are being celebrated as super foods all over, and the world looks at ‘Ayush’ for a healthy lifestyle. In us lies immense abilities to solve any internal or external conflict through peace, passion and compassion.”

Mahira hails from Raipur, Chhattisgarh from where she pursued her bachelors. Currently pursuing masters in mass communication from Jamia Milia Islamia University, the youngster belongs to a family of businessmen who have encouraged her to participate in several national level oratory competitions in the past.

Watch the full valedictory function of NYPF 2023 on YouTube

Name*

Email*

Name*

Email*

0 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Published on 12, Mar 2023

Share with

ALSO READ

All the right moves: Indian chess prodigy Prraneeth Vuppala journey to grandmaster status

(June 8, 2023) Prraneeth Vuppala’s parents introduced him to a variety of sporting activities when he was just six. Tennis interested him and so did football. Like most children, he loved swimming too. But it was chess that fascinated him the most. He only took about a week to learn the basics and how to make the right moves. The young Indian chess prodigy and his early passion for the game led him to a chess academy where he sharpened his skills in no time. Thereafter, he went about checkmating his opponents across the globe, winning national and international tournaments one after the other. All of 16, he recently became the India’s 82nd Grandmaster after he achieved the required 2,500 FIDE rating points. “Despite all the wins, I don’t think one can still master the game of chess,” smiles Prraneeth in an exclusive chat with Global Indian. The Indian chess prodigy defeated Grandmaster Hans Niemann of USA in the penultimate round of the Baku Open 2023 held from May 4 to 22 in Baku, Azerbaijan. “I don’t get distracted by anything during a game and remain focused on it completely. Without bothering about winning or losing, I just go out there and play. The

n. “I don’t get distracted by anything during a game and remain focused on it completely. Without bothering about winning or losing, I just go out there and play. The grandmaster title is part of the process and I feel great about it,” says the teenager, who has become a role model for many budding chess players not only in his home state of Telangana but across the world.

[caption id="attachment_30877" align="aligncenter" width="487"] Chess prodigy Prraneeth Vuppala[/caption]

The Baku Open

In the Baku Open, Grandmaster Niemann’s attack on the kingside did not work out the way he wanted and Prraneeth scored a win. “Prior to the game, I do prepare against the opponent, try to analyse their moves and check their opening lines. But when the tournament actually starts, I don’t think about the opponent at all. I just play,” says the young grandmaster. He is the sixth from the state of Telangana to have achieved the title.

Prraneeth was among the 119 players, including 32 Grandmasters, 29 International Masters, 11 World Grandmasters and Women International Masters) from 14 countries who took part in the Baku Open. The nine-day, nine-round Swiss League tournament was organized by the Azerbaijan Chess Federation and the Ministry of Youth & Sport of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Upon his return to Hyderabad after winning the grandmaster title, Prraneeth was accorded a grand welcome by the Telangana state government.

He was felicitated by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and announced a reward of Rs 2.50 crore. “Meeting the Chief Minister along with my parents was a matter of great pride. He congratulated me and wished me well for my future tournaments and assured all support,” says Praneeth, whose intelligent moves on the chess board in a short span of time surprised many.

Earning his grandmaster norms

[caption id="attachment_30878" align="aligncenter" width="535"] Prraneeth with Telangana CM, K. Chandrashekar Rao[/caption]

Prraneeth has achieved three Grandmaster norms during the course of his chess career. In March 2022, he earned the first one and achieved the International Master title in Hungary. In July the same year, he achieved his second norm at Biel Master Tournament in Switzerland. He achieved third GM norm at the second Chessable Subway Formentra Open in Spain, Sunway Sitges and Lorca tournaments in Italy.

“The tournament in Hungary was tough. I lost the first round but that did not bother me. I kept my focus on the game, analysed where I was going wrong and improved it. I won other rounds to win my first grandmaster norm,” recalls the chess prodigy, who also participated in world chess tournaments held in Armenia and Budapest earlier besides Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. He also achieved his second International Masters norm in the Vergani cup in Serbia.

The prodigy’s journey

Hailing from Allagapada village in Miryalaguda Mandal of Nalgonda district of Telangana, Prraneeth’s father V Srinivasa Chary works as Assistant Commissioner in GST while his mother Dhanalaxmi is a junior lecturer at a Government college. “They encouraged me all through which made me what I am today,” says Prraneeth, a Standard XI student of Viswa Chaitanya Junior College, Tarnaka in Hyderabad.

Prraneeth held the titles of national champion (under- 7 to under-14) before he earned the international masters and grandmaster titles. Till 2021, he trained with noted chess coach Rama Raju at the RACE academy. Now, he trains with Israel Grandmaster Viktor Mikhalevski.

Earlier, the 16 year old used to do yoga and meditation. “Now I mostly rely on normal workouts in between the tournaments which helps me remain focussed on the game and agile to all the moves by opponents,” informs Prraneeth, an admirer of Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen.

What’s next

The chess Grandmaster says his next target is to reach 2,600 rating points and is already working towards it. “My ultimate goal is to become the world champion by achieving 2,800 rating points,” says the youngster who is all focused on his next tournament — the Asian Continental tournament in Kazakhstan which starts this month.

While he regularly practices in chess to fine tune his skills, Prraneeth likes to read books about chess and chess players. “It not only motivates me, it is also interesting to read and analyse their moves which helps me in my game as well,” explains the prodigy who puts in 8 to 10 hours of practice everyday. He even plays chess online with multiple players.

In between his academics, which he also excels at, Praneeth makes it a point to indulge in football and tennis with his friends. “There are many more tournaments to come and I constantly prepare myself for them,” he says.

Reading Time: 6 mins

Shriya Bopanna: From Miss India America to Forbes 30 Under 30

(October 4, 2023) Miss India America 2020, Shriya Bopanna who is also an activist, author, and on-air personality has been named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Austin list of 2023, "I am honestly still shocked and incredibly grateful for making to the list," Shriya told Global Indian. "There is a certain amount of validity I feel in being authenticated and it has been a dream of mine to make it to Forbes 30 Under 30 since I was 16," she added. The multi-talented changemaker who also works as a project manager and business analyst at Accenture in the United States, looks at the Austin list as a stepping stone to eventually making to the entire North American list of Forbes. [caption id="attachment_33374" align="aligncenter" width="473"] Shriya Bopanna[/caption] In the world of pageantry Right from her school days, Shriya Boppana had been passionate about advocacy, and deeply involved in raising awareness and funds for causes like anti-sex trafficking. She would do whatever it took to achieve her goal – show up at community events to hand out flyers, volunteer, do community service, and more. “Over time, these community spaces weren’t big enough for some of the initiatives and in college, I

ght from her school days, Shriya Boppana had been passionate about advocacy, and deeply involved in raising awareness and funds for causes like anti-sex trafficking. She would do whatever it took to achieve her goal – show up at community events to hand out flyers, volunteer, do community service, and more. “Over time, these community spaces weren’t big enough for some of the initiatives and in college, I stepped on the Miss India DC stage as an ambassador for the Save our Stars Foundation to raise money for an HIV clinic in Nepal,” Shriya says. This turned out to be a great turning point in her life.

Little did she know that she would end up participating in the competition and also winning the first runner-up title. “After that, I had no plans of competing in the nationals of Miss India America 2020 until some friends encouraged me to show up. I won completely accidentally – no training, no planning, no preparation,” says the youngster. “That crown catapulted me and my advocacy into the media limelight overnight and I got featured everywhere from ABC to the Wall Street Journal,” she says.

[caption id="attachment_29357" align="aligncenter" width="451"] Shriya Boppana[/caption]

Opportunity to host her TV show

After her win in the Miss India-America contest, Shriya’s popularity caught the eye of producers at Fox 5 Plus/GTV who offered the youngster her segment on-air, Becoming a Voice with Shriya Boppana.

“My show has hosted popular voices from political candidates such as Deja Foxx of the Kamala Harris Campaign to Maria Thattil, Miss Universe Australia, all the way to Jared Isaacman of SpaceX’s Inspiration4, and reached more than six million households. My efforts in educating the public on gender-based violence got hugely successful,” Shriya says.

After doing a season of the show the youngster stepped down to work for Nickelodeon and AwesomenessTV in talent casting. By that time, Shriya already had more than twelve years of experience in theatre acting under her belt.

“I guess the opportunities that I got after winning the crown were a ripple effect of my win. I had only planned to do two things in life – acting and advocacy,” she says. The unplanned foray into the world of pageantry and subsequent win turned out to be a game-changer, helping her reach her goals more easily both in advocacy and acting.

“I received a lot of love, support, and attention from the media and audiences. I cannot thank everyone enough for consistently believing in me and providing me opportunities to grow,” she adds.

These days, Shriya has a nine-to-five at Accenture, while continuing to film season 2 of her Fox 5 Plus show with GTV. “I have incredible guests lined up for the new season, it's so exciting!" she shares

Acting - a passion

As a schoolgirl, Shriya was deeply interested in theatrical arts, musical and films. She has won awards for her performances in short films like Love is Louder, which was a semi-finalist at the All-American High School Film Festival. Shriya was also cast in a full-length feature film, Water with a Slice of Lemon, which debuted in DC theatres in 2018. In 2020, she starred in the Chinmaya Mission-sponsored short film, ‘Been on Sale’.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBXxhGMDkUk[/embed]

Her interest in performing arts has led to several achievements in the sphere of dancing as well. Shriya has competed nationally for her premiere collegiate Bollywood fusion dance team – Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Sahara, winning multiple trophies for her alma mater. As much as she likes competing, the youngster loves to organise events. She has been the youngest board member of the National Bollywood Dance Championship, Legends in the US. Her academic training in marketing helped her in taking up the role of the Public Relations chair at the non-profit, Desi Dance Network Inc for two years where she raised awareness about South Asian performing arts.

The multifaceted beauty queen

A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Shriya majored in business administration with a double concentration in marketing, and leadership and organisational effectiveness with a minor in psychology.

At the CMU campus, her advocacy was in full swing. She worked for minority, religious, generational, and socioeconomically weaker communities to strive for equality on the campus against battles supporting sexual assault victims, LGBTQ+ members, immigrants, international students, and ‘everyone in-between’.

[caption id="attachment_29356" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Shriya at one of the Carnegie Mellon University's functions[/caption]

Always a good student and multi-tasker, Shriya has represented CMU as the vice president of communications in their chapter of the American Marketing Association and volunteered as the vice president of marketing for the Carnegie Mellon Business Association, and vice president of internal affairs for CMU Women in Business.

“I am in the midst of applying for an MBA programme with the aim to elevate my social impact organisation - ‘Becoming A Voice’ into an official non-profit,” she shares.

Continually striving to achieve new milestones, Shriya is preparing to apply for the role of the 13th official US youth over server to the UN. “With all my work with the UN Foundation over the years, I aim to contribute in the national policymaking on child rights and sexual safety if appointed,” she remarks.

Winning along the way

The youngster loves participating in contests. In 2018 she won the Deloitte Start-Up Case competition bagging the third position. She was the only CMU freshman chosen to compete that year. Along with her team members, Shriya took her BusyBus business idea into the world of real-time technology and was even nominated for Forbes 30-under-30 in the consumer technology category.

The multifaceted beauty queen also dabbles in the freelance design and marketing world when time permits. “I kick-started my content creation career after winning Miss India America and have partnered with many incredible brands like Amazon Prime, Bumble, Handshake, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Adobe, Tangle Teezer, Mugler, and Tommy Hilfiger to name a few,” she says.

[caption id="attachment_33382" align="aligncenter" width="683"] Shriya Bopanna[/caption]

Love for India

Shriya moved to the US with her parents when she was just five and a half years old, but her tie with India is strong. “I visit India at least once a year for a month at a time, minimum. It’s important for me to stay in touch with my extended family,” she says. “I was raised in Indian culture for a good portion of my developmental years and find joy in mixing both the American and Indian identities as much as possible. Whether it’s the clothes, the media, the food, or the religion, I partake in all aspects of my daily life to keep my roots strong and home-grown,” the youngster shares.

Significant collaborations and initiatives

In 2021 Shriya Boppana joined the Obama Foundation and Michelle Obama’s Girls Opportunity Alliance partnership.
As STF Global Youth Ambassador advocating for girls’ rights, she teamed up with famous actress, Brooke Shields to raise awareness for sexual health education of girls for the #GirlsGetLoud campaign.
She has partnered with the popular beauty brand, Bobbi Brown, for their ‘Pretty Powerful’ campaign.
Shriya holds sexual assault clinics in partnership with Bachpan Save the Innocence in India. In their partnership, they have sensitized above 6000 individuals at more than 320 orphanages, schools, slums, and colleges with over 10 different programs like safe and unsafe touch, consent and puberty, digital safety, cybercrime, sexual abuse, and trafficking.
The Indian American youngster conducted light-hearted discussions about mental health and relationships, and self-health as a radio jockey on Radio Zindagi, reaching more than one million listeners in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and the Indo-Caribbean community.

Follow Shriya Boppana on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and her website

Reading Time: 5 mins

Young Global Indians leading social change through innovation

(December 29, 2022) "The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible - and achieve it, generation after generation," remarked the American writer and novelist, Pearl S. Buck. Her words continue to ring true - young people are bringing their innovative spirit to tackle the world's problems. Global Indian looks at young innovators from India and the diaspora whose brilliance, innovation and empathy are creating ripples of positive change in an afflicted society. Global Indian takes you through some of the top young innovators of 2022. Zain Samdani [caption id="attachment_17918" align="aligncenter" width="426"] Zain Samdani[/caption] As a 15-year-old visiting India from Saudi Arabia, Zain Samdani had no idea that this family vacation was set to change the course of his life. A meeting with his partially paralysed distant maternal uncle left him “shocked.” In the era of technology, seeing his uncle dependent on others for every small thing was nothing short of a horror. That encounter nudged this robotics enthusiast and innovator to develop Neuro-ExoHeal, an exoskeletal hand rehabilitation device that utilises neuroplasticity and Azure technology to help patients with neurological damage recover faster at an affordable price. The innovation not only left Google CEO

. A meeting with his partially paralysed distant maternal uncle left him “shocked.” In the era of technology, seeing his uncle dependent on others for every small thing was nothing short of a horror. That encounter nudged this robotics enthusiast and innovator to develop Neuro-ExoHeal, an exoskeletal hand rehabilitation device that utilises neuroplasticity and Azure technology to help patients with neurological damage recover faster at an affordable price. The innovation not only left Google CEO Sundar Pichai impressed but also made the 21-year-old win Microsoft 2022 Imagine Cup World Championship, considered the ‘Olympics of Technology,’ with more than 10,000 participants from 160 countries.

Siddhartha Mandala

He was 12 when the infamous Nirbhaya rape case shook the nation in 2012. People took to the streets asking for justice, and his mom was one among them. Curious about the protests and confused about the word ‘rape’, Siddharth Mandala joined his mom for one of the protests. After surfing the internet, he understood the gravity of the issue and decided to do everything in his capacity to prevent sexual assault. This awareness led to the birth of Electroshoe, a small badge that can be clipped onto any footwear, or worn as a ring or pendant and can be easily activated during any threatening situation by pressing. “It pulls out two sharp pointers, mimicking stun gun’s mechanism, and pierces through clothing, and even skin to electrocute the attacker,” explains Siddharth who took two years to build a working prototype; and another three years to create a market-friendly product by interviewing over 500 women across India and California.

[caption id="attachment_20860" align="aligncenter" width="467"] Siddhartha Mandala[/caption]

Hari Srinivasan

Hari Srinivasan was first diagnosed with regressive autism at the age of three. From being a very active and social child, Hari suddenly became a crying, fussy baby who did not want to be around other kids. Some two decades later in 2022, Hari made history by becoming the University of California, Berkeley’s first non-speaking graduate with autism. And that is not all. With a 4.0 GPA, a major in psychology and minor in disability studies, Hari was also awarded the prestigious P.D. Soros Fellowship. The young graduate is now headed to Vanderbilt University for his PhD in neuroscience.

“There were several issues that my family and I faced due to my medical condition during the initial years. However, with the support of my family, I was able to break several stereotypes. Later, my faculty and peers at UC Berkeley helped me a lot on my journey," he said. The scholar, who is also a published poet, received the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans. “I do have some time to come up with a research topic for my PhD,” Hari told Global Indian, adding, "My work will focus around the human nervous/sensory system. However, I am yet to narrow it down.”

[caption id="attachment_18246" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Hari Srinivasan[/caption]

Maya Burhanpurkar

Growing up as the climate crisis unfolds around them, young innovators around the world know that change lies with them. In 2013, on a trip to the Arctic, Canadian researcher Maya Burhanpurkar learned firsthand about the devastation being caused by climate change. "It struck me that the icebergs we were seeing could be some of the last anyone would ever see. And that it could be alarmingly soon," she told Global Indian. She got as much footage as she could of her surroundings, also interacting with the local community to learn how their lives had been impacted by the climate crisis. That resulted in 400 PPM, a documentary film with appearances by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, astronaut Chris Hadfield and the famed explorer Wade Davis.

As she watched her grandfather's condition deteriorate from Alzheimer's, a distraught young Maya wondered if she could help. She tested two drugs used in the early stages of Alzheimer's treatment on daphnia, a common species of waterfly. "“He was taking a lot of other drugs as well and I wanted to see how the cocktail was affecting his heart,” she explains. “I noticed the drugs regularised heart rate, whether it was high or low. I never followed it up in a more rigorous setting but it certainly was fascinating.” The experiment fetched her the top place at the Canada-Wide Science Fair, at which she is a two-time winner.

[caption id="attachment_16083" align="aligncenter" width="520"] Maya Burhanpurkar[/caption]

Now a Rhodes Scholar, Maya has done cutting edge research at Harvard University, where she graduated summa cum laude with highest honours, collaborated with University of Toronto and the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory. She is the winner of the Gloria Barron Prize 2016.

Reading Time: 5 mins

Sparsh: The Children’s Climate Prize 2022 winner merging innovation and sustainability

(February 14, 2023) It was 3.30 am in Singapore, and Sparsh was neck-deep in an assignment when an email popped up on his laptop. It read that the 17-year-old has won the Children's Climate Prize 2022 for his innovation - a thermal floater. "I was shocked and didn't know what to do. I screamed in joy, and I think I might have woken up some of my neighbours," laughs Sparsh, as he connects with Global Indian. The National University of Singapore student, who has received SEK 100,000 to develop his project (which converts energy from the sun into electrical energy), is ecstatic that he can now show his idea to the world. "I might be biased, but I think it's a revolutionary idea," adds the teenager, who hails from Patna. The idea first struck him when a family member back home fainted due to extreme heat, owing to a two-day blackout. "This annoyed me. Renewable energy is available in plenty but none of it is provided to us through regular supply of energy." He dove deeper into the idea, and started researching on the net, and realised that renewable energy is costly and takes up a lot of land space

ugh regular supply of energy." He dove deeper into the idea, and started researching on the net, and realised that renewable energy is costly and takes up a lot of land space (for installation). "That's when I decided to come up with a solution that was cheap, efficient and compact at the same time." Sparsh was all of 14 when he resolved to find an answer.

[caption id="attachment_27504" align="aligncenter" width="577"] Sparsh won the Children's Climate Prize 2022[/caption]

An interest that turned into passion

Electronics was something that fascinated the Patna-born even as a kid. Like most kids, he would dismantle all the toys to know what was inside. "Whenever I saw the television, I wanted to know what was inside it," he smiles, adding, "When our TV stopped working, I asked my dad to not trash it, as this was my chance to take a sneak peek into it. I actually broke it down to find what was inside it, but didn't understand a thing as I was just 8," he laughs. That's when he understood his inclination towards electronics.

[caption id="attachment_27506" align="aligncenter" width="763"] How Thermal Floater works[/caption]

But things took a turn for the best when Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) made it to his school when he was in Grade 7. Sparsh became one of the first students to enter it. "The Lab allowed me to view all the opportunities with electronics,” he says. “For the next few years, I learnt about electronics, 3D modelling, animation and coding."

Building a thermal floater

His first brush with ATL opened up a pathway of opportunities, so when he saw the problem of power outage in Patna, he knew he had to find a solution. While renewable energy was the solution, he still had to create an idea that was feasible and cheap to use the energy. The next two years went into research, a period he calls "challenging." "With no prior knowledge on thermo dynamics, material science and renewable energy, I had to read a lot to learn the concepts. Moreover, I had to check the feasibility of the idea before coming up with a prototype," reveals Sparsh, who came up with an impressive way to mitigate climate change by using thermal energy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pzfj9m32MA

So, what exactly is a thermal floater? "It's a device that generates electricity from the heat of the sun. Unlike the solar panels, it uses water bodies, which hasn't been explored much before," explains the innovator, who has used the Seebeck effect to produce electricity. "In the thermal floater, the hot side is the sun and the cold side is the water body. So, when electrons move from the hot side to the cold side, electricity is generated." By making use of water bodies, it reduces the pressure on land resources and helps create potential for countries where land resources are scarce. Being a clean source of renewable energy, the thermal floater also helps reduce the evaporation from ponds, reservoirs and lakes, thus providing an environmental benefit of the solar-thermal energy in areas that are susceptible to droughts, as water loss due to evaporation can add up over time and contribute to a shortage.

Winning accolades

The concept has won him Children's Climate Prize 2022, and he is now keen to bring his "revolutionary idea" to a larger audience in the coming three years. He wants to use the prize money to file a patent and work towards the making of a full-fledged prototype, so that it could reach the market as soon as possible. Currently studying computer engineering at the National University of Singapore, Sparsh plans to launch his startup in the field of sustainability in the near future. "I also want the thermal floater to reach a wider audience in the coming years."

[caption id="attachment_27505" align="aligncenter" width="703"] Sparsh is currently studying at National University of Singapore[/caption]

While he is happy to have come up with a solution through thermal floater, Sparsh had a hard time balancing academics and project work. However, in his first year of graduation, he is happy to have found the right support system in his teachers at the NUS. "It's much easier to balance studies and thermal floater project here," says the boy, who loves photography and is also working on other AI projects. The teenager wants other youngsters to take the leap of faith, and use all the available resources to take that first step. "Believe in yourself, and develop the ideas that you have. Give wings to your ideas and dreams."

Reading Time: 4 min

From cow dung to cosmos: Vinay Dharmik’s quest from Surat to Baku

(December 8, 2023) When Surat’s Vinay Dharmik met ISRO chief S Somnath at a dinner hosted by the Embassy of India at Baku in Azerbaijan this year, he felt on top of the world. Being face-to-face with the ISRO chief, the heartthrob of the entire nation after the successful Chandrayaan mission, was a memorable experience. Vinay was at Baku, having earned the invitation to present his research paper at the 74th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), following his award-winning solution in the field of aeronautical sciences. [caption id="attachment_34478" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Vinay Dharmik with ISRO Chief S Somnath[/caption] “The 74th IAC was organised by the International Astronautical Federation and hosted by Azercosmos. More than 5,000 delegates from 110 countries participated. During the conference, I interacted with astronauts and even had the chance to take selfies and get their autographs,” the thrilled eighteen-year-old said, during an interview with Global Indian. The cow-dung project Vinay, who is currently taking a gap year, had worked on a group project in school as part of ATL Space Challenge, an all-India competition launched by NITI Aayog, ISRO and CBSE. In his team project, he came up with a hypothesis about shielding astronauts from galactic cosmic rays, using an unconventional

ticipated. During the conference, I interacted with astronauts and even had the chance to take selfies and get their autographs,” the thrilled eighteen-year-old said, during an interview with Global Indian.

The cow-dung project

Vinay, who is currently taking a gap year, had worked on a group project in school as part of ATL Space Challenge, an all-India competition launched by NITI Aayog, ISRO and CBSE. In his team project, he came up with a hypothesis about shielding astronauts from galactic cosmic rays, using an unconventional material that would hardly cross anyone’s mind - cow dung. This out-of-the box idea was chosen as one of the 75 ATL winners from across the country, which saw participation from thousands of school kids of India.

After winning the award, Vinay took a leap forward, delved deeper into his research and pursued hard to finally find an opportunity to collaborate with CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) in Bengaluru and scientists from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai.

The innovative idea that involved cow dung, a material rich in cultural significance, showcased not only scientific promise but also highlighted the value of unconventional resources in interdisciplinary research. This led the acceptance of Vinay’s request by the two esteemed organizations to support and conduct further research on his award-winning idea.

[caption id="attachment_34479" align="aligncenter" width="739"] Vinay Dharmik at Baku[/caption]

While CSIR-NAL helped him in fabricating composites, BARC helped in radiation study, radiation blocking experiments and evaluation of the composites.

“I had sought guidance from CSIR-NAL for exploring the basics of composites, matrix and reinforcements, suitable binders, various resin systems, and fabrication methods in coming up with the fabrication of cow dung composites using an epoxy resin system,” Vinay remarked adding, “While they provided technical expertise, the experience was new for them too.”

When it came to evaluation of the radiation shielding efficacy of his composites, he turned to guidance from scientists of BARC in Mumbai.

With the help of BARC scientists Vinay was able to conduct further radiation studies. His dedication towards a cost effective solution eventually earned him an invitation to present his work at the 74th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), a prestigious event held in Baku this year.

The Baku experience

When Vinay learned about the International Astronautical Congress, he submitted his research paper on the cost-effective, light-weight and effective solution of shielding astronauts from galactic cosmic rays, and was thrilled to get an invitation to present his paper.

[caption id="attachment_34508" align="aligncenter" width="624"] Vinay Dharmik with astronauts at IAC[/caption]

Travelling to Baku proved to be a milestone in the youngster’s life as it happened to be his first foreign trip and that too earned on his own merit. “At IAC I was appreciated for being one of the youngest presenters and the sole author of the research paper that I presented,” he said.

The experience at the IAC has further fuelled the Surat boy’s determination to break barriers of coming from a small town where there is lack of opportunities and support, and aspire towards his dreams. “I want to aid humanity to thrive as an interplanetary species by becoming an astronaut or an engineer,” he remarked adding, “I want to make space tourism and colonization more accessible to people.”

Grateful for support

Grateful for the support that he has received, Vinay remarked, “I attribute my success to the invaluable assistance provided by CSIR-NAL and BARC. Their support allowed me to take my research to new heights. I am especially grateful to Nitin Bhosale Sir from BARC, who has played a significant role in my journey, and guided me in coming up with the research paper.”

The collaboration with scientific institutions has not only honed his technical skills but has given Vinay loads of confidence.

[caption id="attachment_34482" align="aligncenter" width="571"] Vinay Dharmik[/caption]

The Surat boy looks forward to the fall of 2024 when he will be flying to the USA on a scholarship he earned to pursue Aerospace Engineering at the University of Miami. His achievements stand as a testament to the power of perseverance and the virtues of relentless dedication towards one's dreams.

Follow Vinay Dharmik on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 5 mins