Ahmedabad

The National Innovation Foundation (NIF), an autonomous body under union government’s department of science and technology, meant for promoting innovation among common man, has decided to rename its prestigious IGNITE awards for children as Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE awards in the fond memory of the former president.

Dr Vipin Kumar, Director and Chief Innovation Officer of the NIF which is based in Ahmedabad, today said that the decision has been taken so that creative children continue to draw inspiration from late Dr. Kalam. ‘NIF will continue to announce the awards of IGNITE competition every year on October 15th, Dr Kalam’s birthday, which is celebrated as the Children’s Creativity and Innovation Day by it,’ he said.

In order to promote creativity and originality in children,NIF, had been organizing IGNITE – a national competition of original technological ideas and innovations of children up to the age of 17 years, in or out of school (upto class 12 only). Starting in 2008, in the last seven years, 142 awards have been given to 202 children by Dr Kalam. The total number of submissions from school children received during the various IGNITE campaigns have been 71200, the Director said.

– DeshGujarat