Srinagar, Apr 6: Kashmir University, Vice-Chancellor, Prof Talat Ahmad on Friday felicitated Valley’s grass root innovators at an interactive meeting of the budding technocrats at the varsity campus.
 Many among the innovators who attended the program have earlier received awards from President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil at a function organized by National Innovation Foundation, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi.
 The national awardees who were felicitated on the occasion by VC included Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, Jahangir Ahmad Dar, Abdul Rehman Sheikh, Tauseef Ahmad Shah, Syed Nadeem Hussain, Ghulam Muhammad Sheikh and Ajaz Ahmad Wani.
 The event, Innovators Meet, Felicitation of National Awardees- was organized by Grassroots Innovation and Augmentation Network (GIAN) Cell, KU.
 The innovation included singing lantern, Electrical Spinning Wheel, modified car for specially abled persons, walnut cracker   and walnut de-huller, poll climber, blanket washing machine, modified iron cutter,   modified kerosene stove and electrical painting brush.
 Appreciating the talent of the innovators, Prof Talat said encouraging the people with innovative ideas will help the state to explore new job avenues in private sector.
 “We need to integrate the basic research with the applied technology to make sure that the innovations by our young entrepreneurs and innovators find application and markets,” he said.”
 Responding to a question on delay in setting up of the permanent National Innovation Center at the KU campus on pattern of the institutions in other state universities, Prof Talat said: “Establishing of an institution is not story telling job. It takes time and we are at it.”
 He said the university does not have a department for philosophy when Kashmir has produced rich philosophers.  The varsity does not have Anthropology department, he said. “Kashmir is full of rich culture but strangely many faculties are missing in the university. It needs great thinking.”
 Registrar KU Prof S Fayaz Ahmad said “It is great to see that the initiative in shape of establishment of USIC-GIAN cell is bearing fruits today and we can see the results on ground. The innovations of these technocrats who have been scouted at our centre are spreading to various parts of the world and we are getting a good feedback from potential clients.”
 Director USIC, Prof (Dr) Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Bhat said the institute supports grassroots innovators by scouting them at different levels. The Cell been established through MoU between NIF and KU.
 Prof Bhat who is also Chairman, GIAN Cell, said many innovations are in demand in national market while some foreign countries like Australia are in touch with them over some innovations. “We will soon organize an exhibition to highlight the achievements of the innovators,” he said
 Technical officer, GIAN, Er Shabir Ahamad Kutay said the main aim of the institute is to guide future entrepreneurs towards making their ideas viable business.
 Official documents show that GIAN Cell has till date created a bank of more than 1200 technology innovations/ideas scouted/documented apart from polling up information on 2500 methods of traditional knowledge practices.
 While the official documents said total number of prototypes developed are 25 the cell has filed equal number of patent to the NIF for approval.  
 Innovation scouts, Syed Nadeem and Sabzaar Ahmad Wani said their job is to scout for innovators in assigned areas and take their technology to Cell. “We travel to different areas for scouting prospective innovators and bring their technologies and hidden talent to fore,” they said.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 6 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 6 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 7 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST