TechTop: Girls team creates history

For the first time in the history of TechTop, an all-girls team from Sahrudaya College of Engineering & Technology, Thrissur, bagged the first prize comprising a Degree C Award of Rs one lakh for the project, ‘Bioreactor for complete decolourisation of textile dye effluent’ at TechTop 2012.

The team also won the All-Women’s Team award comprising a prize money of Rs 20,000. Dr Babu Paul, IAS, former Additional Chief Secretary,  Kerala, gave away the prizes to the winners at the valedictory function of TechTop-12.

The winning team of girls Jibin Jose (guide), Ariyalatha Jose, Dency G B, Liji J Thomas and Rai George found out an eco-friendly method to decolourise and reuse 99 per cent of textile effluent by using agricultural wastes and potential micro organisms. This successfully solves the huge water consumption and pollution caused by the textile industry that contributes 30 per cent of the country’s export revenue.

The second prize of Rs 50,000 sponsored by Kerala Sasthra Bhavan was won by Raajdhani Engineering College, Odisha, for the project,  ‘Possible construction materials adding sequestration of CO-2 to combat greenhouse effect.” The third prize of Rs 30,000 sponsored by TCS was won by Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, for the project, ‘Developing next-generation MRI viewers for automatic detection and analysis of brain tumours, empowering the current diagnosis with reduced manual errors and increased efficiency while saving time and money.

The consolation prizes were awarded to two teams; College of Engineering, Chengannur, Kerala, for the project on ‘Speech bee’ and St Joseph’s College of Engineering, Tamil Nadu, for the project, ‘Experimental analysis of a single-cylinder diesel engine using bio-diesel from waste cooking oil under variable compression ratio.’

Congratulating the winners, Dr Babu Paul said: “The kind of prototypes exhibited here is a testimony of the talent in these students who, if nurtured well, could bring in a revolution in technology. I wish these innovations are researched further and developed to be inventions that will be helpful for humanity,”

The seventh edition of the most sought-after event by engineering students across the country, ‘TechTop - national innovation contest’, had been going on for the past two days. Fifteen colleges contested for the coveted recognition and showcased some path-breaking prototypes at the exhibition.