Bengaluru, Sep 25: Young innovators from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands will be part of a regional platform seeking practical solutions to community problems, as Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi urged India’s youth to develop innovations with relevance beyond the country. Addressing the Seva First Innovation Challenge at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru on Friday, Joshi said solutions should respond to real-world needs and have the potential to benefit people globally. The challenge covers Andaman and Nicobar Islands along with five southern states and two other Union Territories.
Joshi said more than 65 per cent of India’s population is below 35, describing the country’s young population as an opportunity to identify problems and turn ideas into workable solutions. He called on students and young innovators to use curiosity and skills to address issues affecting ordinary people.
The minister said the initiative would bring together students from schools, Industrial Training Institutes, polytechnics, colleges and universities. He emphasised that innovation should begin with identifying a problem and then developing a practical response, citing issues such as water wastage, garbage disposal and traffic management as examples of challenges that require solutions.
For participants from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the challenge places the Union Territory within a wider southern regional framework for innovation. IISc Bengaluru will serve as the South Zone Nodal Institute, coordinating technical evaluation and mentorship across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
Joshi said promising ideas would receive support beyond the prototype stage through mentoring, incubation and pathways towards real-world adoption. He said the final round of the challenge would be held in Delhi. The Education Ministry has said the initiative is intended to help young participants move ideas from problem identification and testing towards implementation.
The minister also pointed to emerging areas where young innovators could contribute, including renewable energy and green hydrogen. He said IISc researchers had developed technology to extract 99 per cent pure green hydrogen from agricultural waste and biomass. He also highlighted the need for indigenous technologies to store renewable energy and help stabilise the power grid as solar and wind generation expands.
Joshi linked the innovation effort to India’s target of becoming a developed country by 2047, while stressing the role of young people in addressing national challenges.
The Seva First Innovation Challenge is being organised for young participants across the five states and three Union Territories, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Registration for the challenge is scheduled from September 25 to October 24, according to the Education Ministry.
