Education Minister Gajendra Yadav says scheme is promoting scientific thinking and innovation; five students who visited Japan also felicitated
TFP Bureau, Raipur, October 10, 2026: Chhattisgarh Education Minister Gajendra Yadav on Saturday honoured 40 students selected for the INSPIRE-MANAK Award scheme at a programme in Raipur, encouraging them to develop innovative ideas and use science to address everyday challenges.
Addressing the students at the conference hall of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in the BTI Ground complex, Yadav said the initiative of the Union Department of Science and Technology was helping nurture scientific temper, creativity and innovation among children.
He said around 80,000 innovative ideas had emerged from Chhattisgarh and stressed the need to identify students’ talents and provide them with opportunities to develop their ideas. Citing examples such as drone technology and solar energy, he urged students to work on inventions that could benefit society. He also acknowledged the role of parents and teachers in encouraging young innovators.
Education Department Secretary Kamalpreet Singh said innovation involved not only inventing something new but also finding better ways to perform existing tasks. He encouraged students to experiment, learn from mistakes and pursue their ideas with confidence.
Singh said students should not underestimate themselves because of their rural or tribal backgrounds or social circumstances. A person’s success, he said, depended on capability, hard work and mindset rather than background. He added that language was only a medium of expression, while subject knowledge and the ability to perform were more important.
Five state participants who visited Japan for a learning experience following the INSPIRE-MANAK competition in July were also felicitated. Participants Raman Das Manikpuri, Samiksha Sahu, Sunayana and Saiyad Ali shared their experiences from the visit.
The programme was attended by Director of Public Instruction Rituraj Raghuvanshi, senior Education Department officials, teachers and students selected from various districts.
The INSPIRE-MANAK scheme is implemented by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, in collaboration with the National Innovation Foundation. It aims to promote scientific thinking, creativity and innovation among students in Classes 6 to 12. Selected students receive an incentive of ₹10,000 to develop projects or models based on their original ideas and can showcase their work at district, state and national-level competitions.
