Indian wins 'BRICS-Young Innovator Prize'

Ravi Prakash, an Indian PhD scholar has won the USD 25,000 BRICS-Young Innovator Prize for inventing an affordable indigenous milk chilling unit for smaller and marginal rural dairy farmers. Prakash, PhD scholar of ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Bangalore, was a part of 21-member delegation sent to Brazil by the Department of Science and Technology for the 4th BRICS-Young Scientist Forum (YSF), 2019.

India won the first prize, carrying USD 25,000, in the forum, the Department of Science and Technology said in a Facebook post. "India won 1st prize of #BRICS -Young scientist forum's conclave during November 6-8, 2019 in Brazil. Mr. Ravi Prakash, a PhD scholar of ICAR-NDRI, Bangalore, received prize for inventing an affordable indigenously designed milk chilling unit for small to marginal rural dairy farmers," Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

The prize was awarded to Prakash, who hails from Bihar, for inventing an affordable indigenously designed milk chilling unit for small to marginal rural dairy farmers, the Facebook post said. The technology can be used for chilling milk from the point of production by bringing down the temperature of raw milk from 37°C to 7°C within 30 minutes using nano-fluid based phase change materials, it said.

This innovation is of great socio-economic importance for all the developing countries by preserving quality and safety of milk just after production. This innovation will add value in farmer's kitty, it said. During the 6th BRICS Summit (Fortaleza, July 2014), Prime Minister Narendra Modi mooted the idea of youth engagement and desired to develop an innovative mechanism to engage, network and connect BRICS youth.

Subsequently, India's proposal on the creation of a BRICS YSF gathered unanimous support and endorsement by the BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministers at the 2nd STI Ministerial Meeting (Brasilia, March 2015). The BRICS Young Innovator Prize aims to recognise and reward the best results related to research, development and innovation projects that represent technological innovation and a potential contribution to the science and technology sector of the BRICS countries, the Facebook post added. It is in special recognition of young talented entrepreneurs and researchers, whose outstanding innovations will make a profound impact on the socio-economic environment and conditions of life in BRICS societies.

These bright young students, researchers and entrepreneurs drawn from science, engineering and allied disciplines will represent BRICS next generation scientific and technological leadership, the department said. BRICS is the acronym coined for an association of five major emerging national economies -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. This year's event is being held in Brasilia from November 13-14 under the theme BRICS: Economic Growth for an Innovative Future.

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