Former ISRO scientist inspires youth at Rotary Club's 'Big Bang 24' innovation competition
Jun 30, 2024
Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 30 : On Saturday, for the very first time, the Rotary Club of Coimbatore West organized an ultimate competition for students between the ages of 12 to 17.
The contest was designed to ignite the importance of innovation in young minds.
The students showcased their creativity in tackling real-world problems and became part of the change by partnering with prestigious companies.
Each team comprised four students who submitted their innovative projects from 54 schools spread across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh. A total of 166 projects were received for the exhibition event.
Judiciously named "Big Bang 24," 92 projects from 35 schools spread across three states were selected for display, with the theme of the projects being the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The primary focus of the initiative was to promote an innovative mindset among the students and help them develop the 21st-century skills now essential.
The projects were evaluated by experts, and a cash reward of Rs 1,00,000/- was given to the competition winner.
The Chief Guest of the event was former ISRO scientist Dr. Mylswamy Annadurai, who addressed the students at the end of the event and encouraged them to become part of the International Space Station on the moon.
Earlier on June 28, Dr. Annadurai had spoken about NASA astronauts Barry Eugene "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who were stuck at the International Space Station (ISS) due to software glitches and design problems in the Boeing Starliner. He said, "Any space program, when transitioning, needs to ensure that all systems for the next phase are ready. During the launch, there were a couple of delays. After boarding, both astronauts were evacuated."
He further explained, "The actual launch took place after ensuring that all countdowns and systems were in order. Now, with the system fully ready, they can return. It is part and parcel of the space game. No steps will be taken until they are doubly sure, especially when human lives are involved."