The ‘S.P. Dutt Award for Innovation and Impact’ has been instituted as a prestigious award for excellence for first year B.Tech students of Plaksha University. The award will recognise 2 teams every year for the best Innovation projects.
Cash prizes up to Rs 2 lakh will be awarded to the winners, depending on the merit of the projects.
To qualify for the award the students will be organized in 4-5 member teams, which are truly diverse (not only from diverse economic, geographic and cultural backgrounds but also representing gender diversity and inclusiveness). All the projects will be presented to a jury comprising representatives of academia, the university program team, and industry experts.
The cash prize will enable the students to further their project by way of buying equipment for testing and prototyping, traveling for field research, attending academic seminars and conferences, printing and fabrication services, and/ or other such expenditures required for their project in the further semesters.
The award celebrates S.P. Dutt, a former Air India official, whose real passion lay in tech and innovation. He was a progressive thinker who completed an MS in Applied Science from New York University and was a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He also ran a dedicated YouTube Channel showcasing original meccano marvels- trains, ships, planes, robots- crafted by him. Dutt was also instrumental in organizing “Know India” seminars in many parts of the world to promote India abroad along with the Department of Tourism and other tourism and travel stakeholders.
About innovation projects:
Plaksha University is committed to undertake research and find innovative solutions to our country’s social and community problems including smart agriculture, affordable health systems, sustainable urban systems, and water-food-energy nexus. The award will recognise 2 teams every year with the best innovation projects in the Innovation Lab & Grand Challenge (ILGC) Studio. ILGC Studio is a series of courses, running through all 4 years of the undergraduate program, that introduce students to society’s challenges and how these can be solved using technology. The ILGC Studio courses are a unique and signature element of Plaksha’s undergraduate program and offer an opportunity for students to develop an interdisciplinary appreciation for engineering and develop a perspective of problem-solving.
Students embark on this integrated, project-based journey from Day 1 and work on different projects throughout the four-year program. While students focus on problem-solving, fieldwork, and innovation, they get exposure to building leadership skills, honing business acumen, and developing teamwork.