National Innovation Foundation to reward 38 students for innovative ideas
An automatic spike system near traffic signal, a wheel-chair convertible to crutches, a cell phone with inbuilt charger were some of the innovations that won the IGNITE 2013 award, the National Innovation Foundation - India (NIF) said today.

The IGNITE awards are given for the national competition of original technological ideas and innovations of school children.

This year, the competition that was held between September 1, 2012 and August 31, 2013, had received 20,836 submissions from students of 301 districts in 33 states and union territories.

IGNITE competition is organised by NIF in association with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), various state education boards and others.

NIF Chief Innovation Officer Vipin Kumar said that a total of 38 students from 25 districts of 17 states and union territories will be awarded for their innovations and ideas on November 19 at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA).

The awards will be presented by former President of India Dr A P J Abdul Kalam. An exhibition of all award-winning ideas would be displayed at the venue.

NIF, an autonomous body of the union government''s Department of Science and Technology, has been actively engaged in promoting creativity and innovation and IGNITE is an effort to focus primarily on the creativity of the children and promoting original inclusive and compassionate thinking about them.