“Nothing is impossible” is a universal quote that stands relevant through several decades. And recent trends brings “Nothing is waste” as an emerging quote. As technology advances, we see new possibility to deal with waste management. A 12th-grade student bumped into an issue which threatens our whole ecosystem. He attempted to solve it and succeeded in it. Sriram Shankar, a 17-Y-O kid, extracted diesel from waste plastic successfully.

The First Step:

Shriram has bumped into the subject called Garbology. The fundamental concept of it ignited the spark in him. Garbology says that nothing is wasted. It is only how we see it. There are possibilities to extract something useful from the wastes.

One day, during a beach cleaning activity, Sriram found plastics all over the beach. The knowledge gained form carbology urged him to find a solution to this annoying issue created by plastics. We all know how much threatening the plastic pollution to the marine life.

Quest to solve the issue:

Since his intention to solve the issue is genuine, he looked out for support and guidance. Hi-tech research institute, thrangambaadi reached out to support him. Mr. Murali from this institute supported Shriram on his quest to solve the issue.

Shriram decided to extract some useful material from plastics. After an 8 months of effort, he extracted diesel from the waste plastic materials. Every week, after Friday class in the evening, he travel to Thrangambadi. Till Sunday evening he worked on his project and return to school for Monday class. The routine continued for several months. Sometimes he bunked class to put extra effort in his project. He developed the whole project with the support from project guide. So it required a lot of effective time to succeed.

Supportive people:

Anyone can push their limit, if they get enough support from the family and friends. His parents, Principal Mrs. Suganthi Viswanathan of Aklavya International School, Pondicherry and Mr. Murali from High-tech Research Institute, Tharangambadi, were helped him to a greater extent.

Appetite for ideas:

Shriraam urged himself to find ways to encourage ideas to bring a positive impact in our society. He believed if all ideas get the same exposure as him, they could solve most of the problems in our society.

To implement this idea, he found the platform called ‘Change Maker Fest’. This platform welcomes ideas from age, language and region. Because he believes that life changing ideas are there from all corners of the world.

During COVID-19 lockdown, he created a temporary breathing aid device which can be used as an emergency ventilator for a short time. This device is currently under scrutiny at some of India’s Leading Medical Institutions such as JIPMERS, Puducherry and AIIMS, Delhi. 

He also realized that business and social responsibility are not two different things. And entrepreneurs are finding it difficult to strike a balance between the two. So he created an initiative called “Imagine Earth” along with his friends. It is to showcase the talented and teach others on how we can achieve the common goal.

The kid is visionary, humble and confident. We are sure that he would achieve great in any field he choose to explore. We wish him a great success in his life and looking forward for many more life changing ideas from him.

Language proficiency has numerous benefits. Learning a second language other than mother tongue unlock a whole world of possibilities. It boosts confidence, enhance memory power, better learning capability. While the benefits could help to achieve great, someone achieved great in learning a second language at a very young age. Deepthi, an 11-Y-O kid completed BA degree in Hindi. It includes clearing several levels of examination.

Deepthi Balasubramaniam, who is in her 6th grade doesn’t sound like she achieved a great thing. The humility is her biggest strength. But she cleared various levels of examination from Parichaya to Praveen Uttarardh in Dhakshina Bharath Hindi Prachar Sabha.

Starting Point:

Deepthi noticed her neighbour aunty speaking Hindi fluently. An instant interest towards learning Hindi grew in the young mind. Parents supported well from the beginning. Even her school friends were intrigued to see Deepthi speaking Hindi. The initial encouragement from the surroundings boosted her confidence.

Learning a language:

She would need a good mentor to continue this unique journey. Shanthi teacher and Kowsalya teacher were encouraging and supporting her. Deepthi completed her BA in Hindi language. But her talents doesn’t stop with learning a language.

She is a dancer, skill winner from LKG to 5th grade, participant of all activities. Winner in science club competition, champion/gold topper in Brain-o-Brain skill development programme. Her good handwriting skill has also secured her prizes. She is the proud holder of Vyshya Achiever award in 2016 for Hindi, Brain-o-Brain and handwriting.

Inspiration and hobbies:

Deepthi is exploring her various talents and interests. And it is not stopping with competitions and learning skills. Her hobbies also indicates her wide range of interest. She loves to collect stamps, old coins and rupee collections.

Dr A P J Abdul Kalam sir is her inspiration. True to his belief in young minds, the young minds are taking him as an inspiration. His wisdom is making a positive impact in our society for sure. Deepthi is learning things just like any other kid. But there is a pinch of interest in whatever she do or learn. And her humble nature adding more positivity in her life.

We wish her to achieve great in her field of interest.

Creativity comes naturally to kids. The levels may vary but every kid has the ability to do something new. It happens specifically because of their brain cells growth. So, parents should allow their kids to do and learn new things. It may end up a lifetime journey for the little champs. Krish, the world record holder in the drawing is one such example. What started as a playful activity to draw whatever he see, turned out and earned him a world record. But drawing is not the only skill Krish has in his arsenal.

The Spark:

Krish was like any other normal kid around us. But he was scribbling things at a very young age. Even his colouring skills surprised his mother, Revathy. One day, during his pre-KG, he went for an inter School level Memory power competition and won the first prize. Revathy found her son’s talent, decided to spend time in nurturing him. Since then, she took his son to various competitions. Krish has exposure to a variety of contests than many other kids. His biggest strength is sportive mind and the curiosity to learn things.

The Curious kid:

Unlike most kids, Krish prefers to explore or do experiments rather watching TV. He is more inclined towards learning things. Any of his friends visit home, he made them do something useful or teach them new things. He loves art and crafts work. He faced a lot of failures at initial stages in competition but learned to enjoy the process and gave his best.

The Inspiration:

He is inspired by the great Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam ayya, and his golden words are fuel for Krish’s journey. He wants to achieve greatness in his life. As Dr Kalam sir told, he is dreaming big and working hard to become a great person in his life. He won a lot of competition is drawing, carrom, fancy dress, handwriting and so on. He also won drawing competition conducted by Food Bank Coimbatore and received the Award from IPS officer. He cherishes that moment as the best in his life. His mother is clear about not to pressurize him for better academic performance. Instead, she is focusing more on developing his talents and skills.

World Record:

Krish and his mother were planning a world record attempt. They approached the kalam book for records. It was an 8 long hour of continuous drawing. He covered a wide range of topics which includes Save trees, No food waste, Save electricity, Avoid disposable plastics, Don’t pollute the earth, Stop global warming, Stop child abuse and so on. Since the topics are relevant to the present situation, his record attempt gained a lot of attention across the country. The Kalam Book for Records provided him with the world record title for a long duration of drawing.

He also received the “Saadhaniyaalar virudhu”(achievement award) from Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Trust for Educational and Greenery. Krish loves the craftworks too. He watches online videos and tries new things. He built several craftworks within a short span of time.

The best part of his achievement is, he bought many gifts for his mother with the prize money. He even conducts Hindi tuition for same age kids in his area as a support for another teacher. Krish is a bright kid who is curious to learn. He believes if everyone put enough effort, it is possible to achieve greatness.

Final thoughts from Revathy:

Never compare your kids with others. Every kid is unique and parents must find natural talent. Small, casual discussion with your kids can change their life for good. Never say no to your kids who come to you with interest to talk or share something. One such incident changed Krish life. It could reveal your kid’s talent too. Pay attention and never discourage your kids.

Inspiration can come at any point in our life. And for kids, as they grow up, their natural talent get exposed. When your kid asks for help or shares something that he or she has done, please pay attention. Those little talks can reveal your kid’s talent. Something similar happened in Vinusha’s life. She is on a quest to start baking institute in India at an affordable cost. She is just 9-Y-O kid, but she owns a brand called “Four Seasons Pastry”. She bakes cakes and wants to make the learning process easier for other kids.

The Spark:

 One beautiful day, Vinusha wanted to prepare a cake with her friend. She wanted the cake as a surprise for her mother’s birthday. But the cake had more surprise to everyone, including Vinusha. Her mother loved the cake, and Vinusha loved the making of the cake. She was discussing it all day long. After a few days, she made another cake for her father’s friend and received wonderful feedback for her cake. Vinusha’s parents are not from the food industry, and their kid’s talent surprised them. Since Vinusha was interested in baking, they wanted her to learn it properly. 

The Learning Stage: 

After the initial spark, vinusha went for a two days baking class. But she could get only theoretical knowledge. Her parents wished to provide her hands-on experience. So she started visiting bakeries in and around Chennai. She learned the baking techniques from a home baker. Meanwhile, she made her cake products. Online videos were her primary source to learn. At present, she is learning as an intern under Chef Lakshmi Reddy. Her parents took her to several expos and events for her to get more exposure in baking technology. She loves cooking and baking, hence visited the food-related exhibition as well. It includes Bakers Technology Fairs, Food Tech Expo, India Bakery Expo, and so on.

Recognition:

 She was honoured as the “Young Baker” at India Bakery Expo by Mr Dharmendra Pratap Yadav, IAS MSME Secretary, Govt of Tamil Nadu. She is also the youngest member of TiE Chennai chapter. She got featured in Jaya TV’s “Adupaangarai” show, where she cooked along with Chef Damu and received appreciation. She shared her entrepreneurship journey at Startup Pitch festival at IIT Madras conducted by Start-up Salsa.

Entrepreneur: 

During the initial stages, Vinusha struggled to find quality courses in baking techniques. And few bakers who were willing to spend time and energy in sharing knowledge. So she started her journey as an entrepreneur. She planned to expand her skill with a brand called “Four Seasons Pastry”. She wishes to gain popularity with the brand and use the money to build a baking institute for kids to learn at a nominal cost. Her parents knew the risks of her taking the business path and honed her mind for the same. After sending to a few self business coaching class, they allowed her to make a decision. The business aspect of baking was all her own decision. Parents are supporting in all possible ways. 

Vinusha parent’s final thoughts: 

“This generation of kids are exposed to a great amount of information. They get to know a lot of things and gradually know more than us. Parents should respect that aspect and encourage their kids. After teaching the good and bad, parents should leave the kids to explore by themselves. This freedom and space could bring the best in kids.”

Have you ever seen your kid beating utensils for some music? Pay attention; he could become a great drummer, just like our Sarvesh. He is a child prodigy in playing the drums and won numerous awards across the country. His journey is an inspiration for all kids and parents.

3-Y-O kid:

Sarvesh’s drums journey begun at 3. His parents noticed him beating some objects for the music/songs played at home. But his beats were aligned well to the music, and his parents were able to find the difference. He had a natural talent for playing the drums. Thus started the incredible journey as a drummer. Since then he won many awards on state and national level. 

Within nine years, he has completed more than 200 shows. He made several guest appearances in functions and performed for the audience. He is also known for performing on special days, for social cause and so on.

Recognitions:

Sarvesh won many awards and determined to learn, perform better every day. He made a world record in Bharat Book of Records by playing drums at The Largest Full Drum Kit Ensemble at Chennai in 2016. 

He won numerous titles like Favorite Child performer, Little Champ of the year (2016, 2017), Little Young Drummer, Young Achiever, Little Child Prodigy, Iyal Isai Mannar, Ilam Isai Kalaingan, Ilam Isai Kavingar, Isai Ilavarasan, Ilam Isai thiramaiyaalar and the list goes on. He won all these titles by performing in various events across the nation.

He achieved great not just in performance but also in education. He completed Grade 8 in Drum Kit with distinction from Trinity College of London at 11. But his thirst for knowledge grew bigger day by day. He graduated LTCL Drum Kit with distinction at 13 from Licentiate of Trinity College, London. Only very few have completed this degree in the world, and our Sarvesh is the youngest among them. This graduation is equal to any other UG course.

He wants to do a lot more in learning drums. Currently, he is pursuing PG degree FTCL Drum Kit and Grade 4 in Theory of Music from Trinity College of London.

Visionary, open-minded Champ:

Once he finishes the PG degree in Drum Kit, he wants to do Doctorate in implementing Carnatic music in western. Such a visionary kid, is so humble, down to earth and open to learning new things other than drums as well. He is learning Kalari, a martial arts since a 3-Y-O kid. He can play Mridangam, Konnakol, Flute, etc.,

He has a craze for Robotics and wants to learn and do something great in Robotics in coming years. And for the passion, he wants to become a great music director in future. He believes that everyone has a talent and deserved to be identified, recognised. If done well, everyone can shine bright in this world. 

His parents believe that kids can manage passion and academics well. Because extracurricular activity improved the focusing power in Sarvesh and he could study better as well. So they want other parents also to encourage their kids. Never compare with other kid’s talent.

 The day to day interaction with kids is crucial because that is how they found drum prodigy in Sarvesh. And you could too find your kid’s natural talent. Good luck!

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Climate change, global warming is real. There is a lack of awareness. Even among the first citizen of few countries. You can debate whether it is true or not. But what will you do if a 13-Y-O girl asks you about climate change. What will happen if she asks the global leaders? It would be an alarming situation for current generation leaders to answer. Yugratna Srivastava achieved this feat, more than just a milestone. It was the need of the hour. She was invited to address the UN assembly in New York at 13.

Yugratna was not a normal kid. She stopped the exams halfway and left for the New York to address UN assembly. This is not some random event. She was invited by the UN secretary general. On Sep 9 2009, her father, Alok Srivastava, a botany teacher in government college, Lucknow received a letter. It was an invitation from UN. Only after several media approached her father for photographs and information, he realized how important invitation was to his daughter. She travelled to various countries for guest talk. It was a normal thing for Yugratna’s parents.

            Yugratna was involved in social reforming activities from 2006. She had the concern and care towards the environment and humans. She has been working with Tarumitra, a NGO. Her hard work and determination earned her visits to Norway, Nairobi, South Korea as their brand ambassador.

It was a proud moment for all the 3 billion kids of the world. Yugratna was representing all of them. She asked questions on behalf of our nature and all the upcoming generations. Her questions were not some preparation by experts. It was all from her experience in the NGO and her experience.

            She was so much concerned about climate change which is damaging our environment to a greater extent. She spoke to the world leaders and informed about the Himalayas melting condition, polar bear death due to lack of food, 2 out of every 5 people do not have access to clean drinking water, increase of earth temperature.

She registered a crucial point. Climate change doesn’t know nation borders or the politics behind every nation. While leaders make policies sitting in air conditioned room, she asked them to remember the people who are struggling to survive.

            Her speech was from the bottom of heart and definitely an eye opener for not only the nation leaders but also for all of us. Yugratna is one of the proud girls of our country who is ready to fight the climate change and didn’t hesitate to even ask questions to the global leaders. Let’s wish for a better change in near future for climate change.

Image: The Hindu

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App development for various smartphone platforms is advanced level programming. But this duo owns a company and became the youngest app developers in India at 14 and 15 respectively. Meet Shravan kumaran and Sanjay Kumaran who found the firm called Go-Dimension, an app developing company for both android and iOS platforms.

Unlike other kids who achieved great in their life, for this duo it was all about breaking the normal routine life of 9-5. They want to do what they love to do. The duo decided to learn the ins and outs of application programming, by buying essential books and learn the things to the depth. That is how they learned to code.

            Kumaran brothers needs investment only for gadget purchase and their father jumps in for all monetary requirements. They learn code, buy gadgets and develop new apps. So far they have created more than 11 apps for both the major smartphone platforms. Their first app was Catch me Cop, a game app in iOS platform. They also developed various other iOS apps like Alphabets Board, Prayer Planet, Car Racing, Super Hero Jetpack, Color Palette and an emergency dialler both for elders and youngsters called Emergency Booth.

The duo went beyond the app development and created their own VR device. The normal Virtual Reality device would cost more than Rs.26000 but their product cost less than Rs.1000. This is a great breakthrough in VR section. The kids are unstoppable and the true motivation comes from within their mind. Within a few years, more than 50% of smartphone users should be using the app is the duo’s vision. It might be tough but completely possible.

Their first app was submitted in iOS platform and appeared in the Apple store within a week. And it grabbed the attention of cnet.com which is a famous site for all technology related information. This is a great achievement for the duo considering their effort right from the scratch of learning app development.

So far the pair has developed 7 apps for iOS, 3 apps for android and recently launched their first app for Windows platform. They have own website with all essential information to learn about their venture Go-Dimension.

Mobile application development is not an easy task to do for kids at their age. It requires great amount of effort, dedication and knowledge. But the kids just like that purchase books, learned the necessary content and jumped into application development. This is a pretty straightforward, bold and hard way to learn things. But with interest, this learning journey could be adventurous. We wish the duo for his future endeavours.

Image: The Better India

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Necessity might be the mother of invention. But with science and technology in place only curiosity can be the mother of invention. Curious questions lead to new possibilities and breakthroughs. A simple question changed the life of Bisman Deu and her invention is all set to change the pollution level in various locations all over the world.

Bisman Deu used to visit her native home once in a while. During a walk in evening she witnessed a huge rice husk burning smoke. Many around the smoke felt suffocating. Well, it is a normal event for people in North India. Because the two major crop grown there are wheat and rice. Both leaves huge amount of waste husk which will be burnt at the end of cultivation.

So such black smoke is common. But Bisman thought were on that black smoke. She researched on pollution related to rice husk and found it has dangerous particles which gets airborne. With few essential data about rice husk and pollution, she decided to find a solution for this never ending misery.

First few attempts were about making useful materials from the waste of rice husk. She collected some rice husk, mixed with resin and baked it in oven. The result material was sturdy, cheap and could be used as building materials. She continued the research and improved her product. She coined the name ‘Green Wood’ for her unique material. She participated in 2013 at HPs social innovation relay competition and won the first prize by competing with 43000 students all around the world.

UNICEF noticed her invention and invited her over as a keynote speaker and panelist for an event in New York. This is a great achievement for her which boosted confidence. Green Wood attracted companies from all over the world. But she is confident to make a better version of it and then launch in market.  But this is not the first experience for Bisman as an entrepreneur. She started selling psychedelic pencil decorations to my classmates in 4th grade. So there is no place for first time fear

Bisman also found the campaign called Colour the World Pink. The primary focus is to promote entrepreneurial skills among girls. She believe girls can do more than just a 9-5 jobs. She also wants to share information about money satisfaction. This could bring in hope for girls to take up leadership skills and creating their own path to success.

She appeared in several forum talks across the nation. She divided her time between academics and spreading leadership skills among girls. She enrolled in graduate degree on Economics, politics and environment science. She had been invited to be a guest speaker and member of Advisory Executive Council of the esteemed Women Economic Forum.

Her parents are of a great support for all adventurous attempts. In fact she turned the kitchen into mini laboratory during the earlier days of Green Wood development. It is still in progress and would hit the market at the right time with a better version of it. We wish Bisman to inspire more girls with great leadership skills.

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Muscle flexibility can bring ease of movement for the human body. It is the least benefit one can receive. But it is also possible to make world record if that body flexibility is utilized properly. Gagan Satish holds a record for being the farthest limbo skater of the world. He achieved this by limbo skating under 39 cars with just 5 inches of ground clearance within 29 seconds measuring around 230 feet distance. His amazing flexible body helped him to achieve this rare milestone. But it took lot of effort from him along with great support from his parents.

Gagan Satish is a Bangalore based school student who loves skating. He kick-started skating journey when he was just 3 years old. Her mother first noticed his son’s abnormal flexibility and believed in him. He was first rejected by local skating board for being too young. But with parents support and belief, he underwent proper training.

During the training time, he used to hurt his face, arms due to ridiculously close to floor type skating. He can fall flat while skating under the vehicles. So sometimes his face meets the floor and with greater speed the chances of injury is high. Sometimes while training hurt his face and it would bleed. But he always faces it with a smile and focused on completing the training. As part of his trainings, parents help him with warm up workouts to harvest the maximum benefit out of his unique flexibility.

He woke up early morning and trains for some time until goes to school. He continued the training in evening as well. It took several months of rigorous training before his world record attempt. His father, Rajanna was nervous throughout the record attempt event. But was the happiest person once his son achieved the great success. The entire attempt was filmed using local camera and shared in social media. He is a kind of celebrity among his area members.

Gagan set his eye on world championships for limbo skating. He also wants to participate in Olympics on behalf of our country. His achievement was registered by Indian book of records as ‘ Farthest Distance in Limbo Skating Under Cars’. He plans to do the same beneath100 cars. If achieved, this could bring more light on this unique kid.

He trained under specialist coach Yatish Gowda. The coach believed in his potential from day one. Self-realization is the secret of success. In that way, Gagan is an experienced person irrespective of his age. Limbo skating in India is not an easy thing. We should appreciate his will power. Without will power no man, irrespective of the age can win such great heights.

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Accidents, a man-made disaster combined with fate can change a person’s life to extreme level. Most of the time it makes a negative impact due to the disability it brings along as after effect. Only brave souls use it as an advantage and come out in flying colours. Chandeep Singh is one of those brave souls who achieved great after losing both his arms to a 11,000 voltage power. It happened in 2011, when he accidentally came in contact with high voltage power lines above his house.

Normally the electricity flows through body and comes out of limbs. But for chandeep it found the way through his guts. So it was not just his arms damaged, but the whole body. Doctors were busy in rescuing him and couldn’t save his arms. Both arms were amputated upto his shoulders. He was a bright kid and excelled well in academics and sports. He loved to play football but his interests widened to various sports activities. Mostly he won gold medals. But the accident couldn’t hold him back from hitting the sports arena.

After 3 painful months, he decided to come back. This time he chose to try skating where balancing is the core requirement. Without both the arms he struggled in the beginning. He practiced for 90 minutes every day after the school time with able bodied skaters. His parents encouraged him and played a key role in his achievements. They were happy; his progress healed the pain in their heart. But for Chandeep, the accident was a catalyst to his achievements.

He participated in National Roller Skating event and won bronze medal in 2012. It was just one year after the tragic accident. His proud father, Surinder Singh carries a two pages long list of all his son’s achievement with him all the time. The bronze medal was just a beginning. He set his aim on other championship events. His long term practice and grit paid off when he won gold medals beyond national level. He won gold from Taekwondo Championship both Asian and International level.

Meanwhile he focused on his studies as well. Before the incident he did his schooling in Air Force School, Jammu. He again resumed studies at Banyan International School, finished his class 10 and 12 with excellent marks. Later he joined MBSCET, Jammu and pursued Electrical Engineering. It is not an easy task to excel both in academics and sports after losing both his arms.

He won two more gold medals from Kimunyong Cup Taekwondo Championship in South Korea. This isn’t the end game for Chandeep. His brave heart aimed next at world championship. He wants to become a world champion is para-skating and participate in Olympics for India. He found support, inspiration from legendary athlete Milkha Singh.
Recently the USA based Golden Book of World Records recognized him as the fastest para-skater under 100m category. This is a great achievement for Chandeep and moving in the right direction to fulfill his dreams. This hungry mind also wants to become an IAS officer. We wish him all the success and he is a true inspiration for the young generation. Nothing is impossible if you have to guts and grit to dream big.