Srinagar: Iqrar Rashid was heading towards his home from Beerwah town, where he attends school when suddenly he saw an ambulance at a high speed hitting a speed breaker.
“I thought about the patient who needed immediate medical attention and how his life has been put to increased risk by the speed breaker. There and then, I thought that I should contribute from my side and come up with an innovation that will help the ambulances or any other vehicle to get advanced information about any possible road block lying ahead,” said a beaming Iqrar.
Ten months down the line, Iqrar was awarded for his idea by the former President of India Pranab Mukherjee at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
Iqrar, who hails from Chewdara village, two kilometres from Beerwah in central Kashmir’s Budgam district bagged the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam ‘Ignite award 2017’ for his innovative idea on advance speed breaker detector system.
Iqrar belongs to a poor family and most of his family members are farmers. However, his grandfather, who also works as a farmer provided every opportunity to the teenager to fulfill his dreams. A student of 12th class in Government Boys Higher Secondary School Beerwah, Iqrar is the lone student awardee among 5000 students who submitted their ideas from Jammu and Kashmir.
“I am very happy with what he has achieved and hope that he continues to do so in future. I am illiterate but my focus is that my children should study and do something good for their future,” said Abdul Rashid, father of Iqrar Rashid.
Iqrar was provided with every opportunity by the Gyan Cell in the University of Kashmir headed by GM Bhat. The officials of the Gyan cell were very helpful to Iqrar in achieving this feat. This award comprises Rs 52000 cash, memento and a certificate.
Notably, the invention relates to an apparatus which is mounted or retrofitted to the vehicle that incorporates an externally mounted system which can detect the speed breaker much in advance. At least 65 thousand students from different corners of the country had participated in the competition and 56 winners were awarded by the former President of India Pranab Mukherjee at the ceremony of National innovation Foundation on 22 December in Gujarat.
Iqrar says that he could not turn the idea into a prototype due to lack of resources in the valley.
“There are more talented people than me in our state but state government does not provide any platform for them to showcase their talent,” says Iqrar.
Meanwhile, his idea was turned into a prototype and National Innovation Foundation-India is considering to convert his prototype into a product for the commercial market.

Guest