GUWAHATI, April 24 - Students must not be satisfied with limited knowledge but should venture out for more experience. They should look for the unusual in the most common things of life.
These remarks were made by master innovator Dr Uddhab Bharali during an interactive session with the students of Royal Global University (RGU) on �Innovation and How to find the Right Direction in today�s World of Innovation� at the RGU today.
The Padma Shri award-winning innovator who has 153 innovations and 20 state and national awards to his credit, said it was for the first time in India that Padma Shri was given for grassroots innovations and that he felt very humbled for the recognition. This award has given an impetus to innovators across all spectrums, he added.
Bharali spoke on the ideas and ethics of innovations and the end users of these products. He shared his secret for innovations: �I know what I know and I know what I do not know. I am very much concerned about what I do not know�. This realisation helps him explore and find out the different aspects of �What I do not know�. Confidence is the most important ingredient in his innovations, he revealed.
He said smart ideas are required to utilise knowledge gained and one should be dedicated and sincere. He expressed surprise that engineers are unemployed. But in reality they should not be job-oriented but job creators, he said, adding engineers should apply their practical knowledge to create jobs and not be content with theoretical knowledge alone.
Bharali said knowledge and practical application should go hand in hand. He added that he was fascinated by the beauty of innovation and that innovations should be affordable and applicable for the end user. Through innovations new areas for employment should be generated. Innovations should also be business-oriented for full sustainability, he remarked.
He advised the students not to bother about criticism. Answering their questions, he said he is fully involved in innovating an alternative to plastic. India should place itself in the area where it would be known for innovations, he further said.
It may be noted that the master innovator�s inventions like cassava peeling machine, pomegranate de-seeding machine and others have generated enough money for him to take care of orphans, senior citizens, widows and differently-abled people.
RGU Vice Chancellor Prof SP Singh; Prof B Banerjee, Principal, Royal School of Engineering & Technology; Prof Anuradha Devi, Dean, Royal School of Applied & Pure Sciences; faculty and students were present on the occasion.
