Rashtrapati Bhavan to Host Week-long ‘festival of Innovations’ From March 12 to 19, 2016

Rashtrapati Bhavan will host from March 12 to 19, 2016 a week long Festival of Innovations in collaboration with the National Innovation Foundation (NIF).

The Festival will open with the inauguration of an Exhibition of Innovations on March 12, 2016 by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee. The Exhibition will remain open between 1000 to 1700 hrs for the public including all visitors to the Mughal Gardens during the above Festival.

Besides the above, the Festival of Innovations will included three exhibitions, two workshops, four group discussions, two award presentation ceremonies and a roundtable on different topics.

Some highlights of the Festival are:

· A keynote address by Shri Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Laureate on March 13, 2016.

· Presentation of Visitor’s Award on March 14, 2016 in the categories of ‘Best University’, ‘Innovation’ and ‘Research’ to Tezpur University, Prof. Rakesh Bhatnagar of JNU and Molecular Parasitology Group of JNU respectively.

· Presentation of Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Award on March 13, 2016

· Exhibition of posters on outstanding achievements by National Innovation Clubs and outstanding Technology Business Incubators (TBIs); exhibition of outstanding innovations in medical science and bio-technology; and exhibition of outstanding innovations related to Swachh Bharat on March 15, 16 and 18, 2016 respectively.

· Roundtable sessions on topics such as (a)Inclusive Innovation; (b)Leveraging Science, Technology and Innovation; (c) Education for inclusive innovation development; (d) Inclusive Innovation Incubation & Acceleration Models for Innovative Start-ups; (e) Innovation and Skill Development; (f) Incentives for Innovation in Public Policy & Programmes; (g) Social Innovations for large scale change; (h) Public Service delivery; (i) innovations in medical science and bio-technology; and (j) Financing options for funding innovations. The key recommendations of the roundtable discussions will be presented to the President.

Expected panelists in these sessions include Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST; Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog; Dr. Girish Sahni, Director General, CSIR; Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Director General, ICMR; Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Director General, ICAR and representatives from SIDBI, NABARD, Dena Bank, ICICI Bank, Bandhan Bank as well as foreign participants from countries such as France, USA, UK, Singapore, Australia, Finland, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Malaysia, South Africa, Cuba, Canada, China.

· Group Discussion on Incubation and Acceleration Models for innovative start-ups; Innovation and Skill Development; Incentives for Innovation in Public Policy & Programmes; and Social Innovations for large scale change.

· A session with Academicians, Technology Business Incubators and senior officers of India and abroad on Inspiring Innovations on March 15, 2016.

· An interaction of scientists with grassroots innovators on March 16, 2016.

· Meeting of representatives from National Innovation Clubs of Central Institutes of higher learning from across the country on March 15, 2016.

· A coding competition on March 19, 2016 to develop web and mobile applications in hackathon style (non-stop rapid development) on subjects such as student attendance, authentication of examinees during examinations, monitoring of entry into public monuments and monitoring of public toilets etc.

· Workshop of innovative and creative children on March 14, 2016 and a workshop with farmer innovators and Community Workshop Coordinators on March 18, 2016.

This release issued 1350 hrs.