Chandigarh:The Government of Punjab felicitated eight grassroots innovators from across the state under the ‘Grassroots Innovators of Punjab (GRP)’ programme, led by the Punjab State Council for Science & Technology (PSCST). The initiative aims to identify and
recognize home-grown innovations and provide support for product validation, scaling up, and market linkages.
The event was graced by Dr. Ravjot Singh, Minister for Local Government and Parliamentary Affairs-Punjab and Sh. Priyank Bharti, IAS, Secretary, Science, Technology & Environment Punjab. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Ravjot Singh appreciated PSCST’s efforts in nurturing grassroots talent and stressed the role of grassroots innovations in addressing region-specific challenges. Sh. Priyank Bharti informed that DSTE-Punjab is taking numerous initiatives to strengthen the STI Ecosystem in the State and GRIP is one of the pioneering program to support innovations at grassroots level for holistic development of communities at the bottom of pyramid.
Er. Pritpal Singh, Executive Director, PSCST, informed that under GRIP 3.0, over 1,000 innovations have been mapped across Punjab through extensive outreach by involving district administrations and knowledge institutions and 8 potential innovators have been awarded during the event. He further informed that PSCST has collaborated with National Innovation Foundation (NIF), Government of India to drive this initiative in the State.
Dr. Arvind C. Ranade, Director, NIF, highlighted that Punjab is the first state to implement such a comprehensive programme, adding that this model is now being replicated by several other states nationwide. He emphasized the need to develop and promote green technologies and bring them in mainstream for large-scale replication across the country.
Dr. Dapinder Kaur Bakshi, Joint Director, PSCST informed that a booklet on 40 high-potential grassroots innovations has been released during the event for wider dissemination and stakeholder engagement to promote technology transfer and commercialization.
The selected innovators have developed solutions which are cost effective, reduce drudgery with improved efficiency. An innovator from Patiala, Gurdas Singh Kaler, developed an Air Conditioned Apiary Migration Unit, a mobile solution designed to minimize stress on bees during transport. Pargat Singh of Faridkot developed S.B. Loader, an innovative device that automates the loading and storage of paddy straw bales, enhancing efficiency in agricultural operations. Talwinder Singh of Sultanpur Lodhi developed a Waste Straw Reaper Machine that produces uniform fine straw with 95% efficiency. Sirbeerinder Singh of Sri Muktsar Sahib developed a portable Kinnow Cleaning Grading Machine that can be easily towed to the harvest site and operates without electricity. Ashok Kumar Arora of Chandigarh developed Vaayu Mitra, an air purifier that provides cool, humidified, and sanitized air with low power and water consumption, achieving 60–65% purification efficiency. Among student innovators, Harman Singh developed a movable chair-cum-ladder, Harmandeep Singh innovated the Braille Bridge, and Vikas Kumar designed a brick holder-cum-carry bag, each providing practical solutions for everyday challenges.
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