HT Digital,
Guwahati, Feb23: Satish Choudhary, a resident of Satpakhali in Assam’s Kamrup district, has won the ‘Dinanath Pandey Smart Idea Innovation Award, 2024’ for his innovation of a solar eri spinning machine.
The award was presented at the Regional Science Centre in Guwahati’s Khanapara. The event was a part of the Innovation Festival, organised by North East Zone Headquarters of the National Council of Science Museums in association with National Innovative Foundation (NIF).
Over 50 participants from across the northeastern states showcased their innovative ideas at the festival. Nani Gopal Mahanta, adviser to the Education Department of Assam Government, presented the award to Choudhary. Choudhary won the award for his solar-operated portable eri spinning machine named ‘Saraswati’, inspired by his mother.
His innovation aims to revive the traditional eri spinning culture of the region. The machine is compact, smooth in operation, works on a solar-recharged battery, and has many ergonomic features.
The award was instituted by the family of Dinanath Pandey, a master innovator. The Innovation Festival has been providing a platform to people from various fields in the northeast region since 2015.