PEDDAPALLI : Two schoolgirls from Peddapalli district have found an opportunity to take part in the Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE) - 2023 at Rashtrapthi Bhavan in New Delhi. The duo, Dasari Harshita and Mustyala Pujashree, had bagged the ‘INSPIRE (Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research) Award-MANAK’ (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge) at the National Level Exhibition and Project Competition (N-LEPC), hosted by the Government of India’s Department of Science and Technology in September 2022 at New Delhi.
It may be recalled that Harshita and Pujashree, both studying in Class 9 at ZP High School, Chandanapur and Alphores High School, Sultanabad, respectively, were selected by the State-LEPC committee to exhibit their prototypes at the competition. Harshita had designed a pocket-friendly welding helmet that not just blocks harmful UV rays but also filters metal fumes.
On the other hand, Pujashree came up with an axle-mounted camera for school buses that detects animals sleeping under the vehicle, in order to save them from being crushed.
FINE-2023 is being organised by the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) from April 10 to 13 and the duo have left for the national capital with District Science Officer Ragunan Rao to display their prototypes at the presidential palace. All the 60 students who were selected across the country for the Inspire Award MANAK will be exhibiting their designs.