GUWAHATI, Feb 12 - The Dinanath Pandey Smart Idea Innovation Award was yesterday conferred on Karuna Kanta Nath (57), a school-drop out, for his innovation.
The award ceremony was held at the Regional Science Centre, Khanapara, as part of the �Innovation Festival� organised by the Indian Council for Science Museum in collaboration with the National Innovation Foundation. The event provides a common platform to innovators, artists, performers, crafters and science demonstrators to showcase their creativity.
Nath was among the 20 odd participants who displayed different innovative tools in the two-day long �Innovation Festival�.
Since 1990, Nath has innovated altogether 28 tools so far �to help people in their day-to-day activities or other works�.
He hails from the Barabari village in Darrang district.
At the exhibition, innovator Nath displayed a set of four machines to make incense sticks. One is a bamboo slicing machine, another a bamboo bit machine, the third a bamboo stick machine and the fourth an incense stick polishing machine.
�By using these machines, we can generate 20 kilograms of incense sticks in less than an hour,� Nath said.
The set of four machines costs around Rs 1 lakh.
�I am really glad to give this award to the innovator whose tools have helped many in their day-to-day life and also helped in creating livelihood,� said Putu Devi, wife of late Dinanath Pandey, after whom the award has been instituted.
