On the occasion of the 38th Foundation Day of the University held on November 19, 2023, IGNOU awarded its innovator students with the Best Innovation Award-2023. The awards were given away by Shri Vinai Saxena, Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and Prof. Nageshwar Rao, Vice Chancellor, IGNOU. He congratulated the winners and appreciated the innovative work done by IGNOU students. The First Award was given to Mr. Bichitra Nandad Das, a student of MA-JMC Programme of IGNOU for his Innovation High Speed Alloy (HSA) Billet. The Second Award was jointly given to Mr. Kunal Ambasta, a student of MACOL Programme of IGNOU for his Innovation KAYA – Interface and Mr. Dhruven Dilip Bhalerao, a student of BSCANH Programme of IGNOU for his Innovation Chakravyuh – Solid Waste Removal Drainage System. The Third Award was given to Mr. Souvik Haldar, a student of the MBAFM Programme of IGNOU for his Innovation Hornet : A Darkweb and Cryptocurrency Investigation and Intelligence Platform The winners have been awarded with Cash Prizes along with Trophies and Certificates. In addition to this, three Consolation Awards were also given to encourage the Innovators. Mr. Shashidhar K. a student of PGDFSQM Programme of IGNOU for his Innovation Bio-brick (Bio-Styrofoam), Mr. Hemant Singh, a student of MBA Programme of IGNOU for his Innovation System and Methods for Seed-ball Broadcasting Drone for Rapid Afforestation and Land Restoration of Degraded Forests during Monsoon Season using Data Science and Ecology and Mr. Kasthurirangan B. a student of MTTM Programme of IGNOU for his Innovation A Data Capturing Food Safety Thermometer.
(The attached doc has the details and photos of the Learners who have been awarded) In consonance with the Government of India’s initiative to promote the culture of innovation in the country, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has been recognizing and promoting the major contributors in the area of research and innovation among its faculty and staff for more than a decade. In order to identify, recognize and nurture the innovators from amongst its stakeholders, the National Centre for Innovation in Distance Education (NCIDE) at IGNOU is making all efforts to reach the stakeholders of the system.
Considering the students to be the most important stakeholder of the system, the University has formulated a scheme for identifying and recognizing the innovator students of IGNOU and instituted a "Best Innovation Award” given every year to the best innovator students across the country. Dr. Oum Prakash Sharma, Director, NICDE mentioned that like previous year this year also entries were invited by the NCIDE from IGNOU students for the Best Innovation Award-2023. After evaluation by a Committee of Experts, a total of seven best entries were selected for the Best Innovation Award-2023. Further, he said that besides awarding the innovators, NCIDE has been mentoring and handholding such innovators by way of providing various kinds of support and training to them in taking their innovations to the next level and commercialization of their innovations.
