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HomeScienceModi govt throws Covid-19 innovation 'challenge' to Indians, will fund winning ideas

Modi govt throws Covid-19 innovation ‘challenge’ to Indians, will fund winning ideas

Science & technology dept's National Innovation Foundation has announced Challenge Covid-19 Competition looking for ideas to supplement govt's efforts towards fighting pandemic.

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New Delhi: Have an innovative idea that can help India fight the coronavirus pandemic? The National Innovation Foundation (NIF) will now fund citizens who have developed Covid-19 related solutions, and scale up their innovations.

The NIF, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, has invited citizens to participate in its Challenge Covid-19 Competition and share ideas that can supplement the efforts of the Narendra Modi government in slowing the outbreak, an official statement said Saturday.

“Total incubation support will be given to the technologies which are able to address the problem,” NIF director Vipin Kumar told ThePrint. “Funding is not an issue. We are committed to convert all the good ideas into workable products.”

“Everybody has some idea or innovation in their minds, but people don’t know whom they should be sharing it with. People share on social media that they have innovative ideas, but as long as it is just a message — it does not help the cause,” said Tushar Garg, a scientist at NIF.

“NIF is one organisation which is open to the common man for sharing ideas and connecting them to the right people,” Garg told ThePrint.

Professor Ashutosh Sharma, secretary, Department of Science & Technology said in a statement, “The initiative being launched will not only create awareness, but will intimately engage a wide cross-section of society with diverse backgrounds in providing and implementing solutions.”


Also read: How loss of sense of smell could indicate Covid-19 infection when there is no other symptom


What the NIF is looking at

The NIF has identified eight focus areas to guide people. The prime among them is contact-less devices.

“Post coronavirus, there is going to be a huge demand for contact-less devices. For example, in China they are keeping toothpicks in elevators so that people don’t have to press buttons with fingers. This is not a permanent solution, but the intention is honest and scientific in nature,” Garg said.

“Once the lockdown is over, we will need to think about how we would interact with devices that many people touch regularly – elevators are just one example,” he added.

Other focus areas include reduction of coronavirus transmission; sanitisation of bodies, homes and public places; supply and distribution of essential items, especially to the elderly living alone; healthy food for nutrition and boosting immunity; gainful engagement at home; varying needs of different population segments; and personal protection equipment and rapid diagnostic testing facilities for healthcare capacity building.

“People have come up with frugal innovations in the area of PPEs – like low cost masks or easily available sanistisers. People have local solutions for such things, but for making them a national reality they have to be scientifically validated,” Garg added.

The details of ideas and innovations may be sent to campaign@nifindia.org and http://nif.org.in/challenge-covid-19-competition. Entries will be accepted on a rolling basis until further notification.


Also read: This is how senior citizens are coping with erratic essential supplies and medical care


 

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17 COMMENTS

  1. Covid- care of village in day- By working on alternative 3 random days. Using this ,Every sector will increase Upto 75% economy with safety precautions and rules.

  2. Hi , I’m Arvind N from Bangalore . I’m a MBA student . I have a idea of a new product which will help the present people and will have high demand for the product … This might reduce the covid 19 cases . Please do contact me for the product details 9901440248

  3. 1.Govt can can send ration to poor pople with the the help of e commerce site .I think this will reduce corruption.as now a day most of the people have mobile.
    2 this pandic has changed lot of things around us .so many innovation r happening.Being a teacher I felt extremely happy when I came to know that Dr H C Verma sir from IIT Kanpur made an app which is going to be immensely useful for all students in India. This should have been done long back .
    Atlast IIT ‘s open ed Thier window to outsider to gain knowledge based on practical from bestest professor.i hope they will make such more app on other than physics of all subjects so that students from remotest area ,even poorest can gain knowledge.because knowledge is power.
    There r many such ideas comes to my mind can’t write everything.
    Ppl can work at least 3 days in week from home.,will also helpful in social distancing.
    Govt should start some reliable yoga episode like Ramayana as many ppl are feeling depressed and scared.TQ

  4. The above information is very useful & important for us….I support the innovative ideas given by our government to remove this virus from our country….

  5. In resent time we should install an air ioniser with uv lamps either LED /tube with sufficient watt to kill virus. This is not much costly to huge productions and govt should innovative for it. This is my idea to introduce for future to homes/ office/work yard especially to hospitals

      • Some article read 60 degree c will kill the virus. Can you increase room temperature with heater,or lpg stove.
        You should not stay inside and keep
        Doors closed. Will this work ?.think and consult others.thank you. Try for 15 miniutes. Stop heater and stove immediately.

  6. you want to get the correct treatment of people who are seriously I’ll. And this information is useful for us.

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