Noida, February 21. Sampark Foundation’s Sampark Smart Shala programme — a disruptive, inclusive programme to transform the learning outcomes for millions of children — has been selected one of the Top 100 entries of the prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation 100 & Change Competition. The winner to be selected from among the Top 100 will win a single $100-million (Rs.71 crore) grant. “We are proud to be included among the Top 100 in the 100 & Change competition. Poor learning outcomes of children is one of the biggest problems confronting the education system in India, and we are committed to solving this problem through our frugal, tech-driven interventions. We have already transformed learning outcomes for 7 million children in six states across the country, and are well on our way to reaching 20 million children in the coming years,” says Vineet Nayar, founder chairman, Sampark Foundation. Pramerica Awards winners Gurgaon, February 24. The 10th Annual Pramerica Spirit of Community Awards, hosted by Pramerica Life Insurance Ltd — a joint venture of the US-based Prudential Financial and DHFL Investments (India) — felicitated 30 school students for extraordinary achievement in community service. These finalists were selected from 3,200 applications received from a nationwide search for the country’s top student volunteers. Top honours in the individual category were awarded to Aranyo Ray, a class XI student of Kalyani Public School, Kolkata, for inventing safe pesticides to help jute and soyabean farmers defend their crops from pests and fungal diseases, and to Vaishnavi Pandey, a class X student of the Tagore International School, Delhi, for her project to support acid attack survivors and ensure equal opportunities for them in society. Both winners were presented with a gold medallion, certificates of excellence, a cash prize of Rs.50,000 each and a return trip to Washington D.C. Addressing the finalists, Anoop Pabby, MD & CEO, Pramerica Life Insurance said: “You have taken the initiative to find causes to support and have not let age come in the way of your contribution. Each of you has done an outstanding job that has impacted the lives of many.” Atria U’s hydroponics monitor Bangalore, february 25. Students of Atria University, Bangalore have designed a Hydroponics Monitor, an IoT-based device to support plant life and nutrient supplements. Hydroponics is a farming technique for growing plant life in water and nutrients without soil. This method of farming promises greater yields than soil-based agriculture and also reduces pesticides usage. The Hydroponics Monitor can be set up in workplaces or at home. “One can grow farm produce closest to point of consumption, eliminating storage and transport costs while harvesting nutrient-rich horticulture produce without harmful pesticides. In Atria University, we plan to set up a hydroponics farm to prove that the agri-produce required for our hostels and students can be grown right here by utilising our unutilised spaces,” said Kaushik Raju, director, Atria University. Mindler introduces SaaS New Delhi, February 20. The Delhi-based Mindler Education Pvt. Ltd, a comprehensive career guidance and…
