Major Achievements

Surya Jyoti for lighting up homes of poor and off-grid dwellings

Some one crore dwellings in India are estimated to be off-grid or under severe brown-out. In order to capture day light and concentrate the same inside the dark rooms, a low cost device named Surya Jyoti has been developed and tested with the support of a project from the Department of Science & Technology during 2015-16.

Surya Jyoti is a unique solar energy operated lighting device, which works during the day time in passive mode and in the night time through photovoltaic mode. The integrated PV module fitted in the dome charges a special battery during day time which in turn provides light during night. About 1000 Micro Solar domes are now working in the slums of Delhi, Kolkata, Agartala, Guwahati, Bhopal and Bengaluru. However, demand for the product is increasing manifold as more and more people are becoming aware of the unique benefits of using the product. There are about 130 numbers of Surya Jyoti at Lalbag Cluster, New Delhi and nearby areas and around 2000 units have been field tested in different climatic zones.

In order to cater to this ever increasing demand, an entrepreneurship development programme for manufacturing and installation of Surya Jyoti was organised during 18th-22nd October, 2016 in which 25 entrepreneurs and 7 voluntary organisations from 11 States of different regions were trained. The manufacturing process of the device is labour intensive and is expected to generate huge job opportunities. It is expected that once the design of the dome is made available along with assured demand, many entrepreneurs would venture into manufacturing MSD.

DST-INSPIRE

  • In order to attract students at an early age to study science and to promote creative thinking and innovation, 3,67,400 students were offered Inspire Award.

  • 1,26,789 students of intermediate level were provided internship in 708 Inspire Science Camps.

  • 39,293 INSPIRE Scholarships have been offered to very bright students (top 1% of +2 Board examination) for pursuing study in various science related courses like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, etc. at the under-graduate and up to postgraduate stage at various Colleges and academic Institutions in the country along with opportunity to engage in research activities by attaching with the Mentors during vacation period for inculcating research culture from a young age. The value of each Scholarship is ` 80000 per year including ` 20000 as Mentorship cost for research.

  • 3000 INSPIRE Fellowship have been offered to young students in the last three years for carrying out their doctoral degree programme in all areas of basic and applied sciences including Medicine, Agriculture, Veterinary, etc. for 5 years at recognized Universities/Academic Institutions/Laboratories in the country.

  • 637 young researchers have been provided an attractive opportunity as an INSPIRE Faculty for developing independent scientific profiles. The value of each INSPIRE Faculty is ` 80000 per month with 3.3% annual increment along with ` 7 lakh per year as Research Grant for a period of 5 years.