IIT Madras Students Do Nation Proud, Bag Two Of Three Top Prizes In Waste Management Innovation Challenge

Students of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have made the nation proud by bagging the first, and the third positions in UK-India social innovation challenge reports India Today.

The first place was bagged by the team which demonstrated the recycling of demolished waste concrete using solar energy. Another team from IITM won the third prize for Catalytic Degradation of kraft lignin by Ultraviolet Light and Ultrasound.

However, the second prize was bagged by a team from Kongu Engineering College, Erode, Tamil Nadu, for their project on Eco-Friendly Construction blocks from C&D Debris using the Innovative CO2 Sequestration Technique.

The competition was launched by the UK India Social Entrepreneurship Education Network (UKISEEN) and this year saw its second edition.

The competition is done in collaboration between the Social Impact Lab, University of Southampton, Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, IIT Madras, the open innovation platform 'Babele', and British Council.

The competition aims to find, fund and support innovative and sustainable solutions to the global problem of waste management. Competitors taking part in the challenge had to submit a business model for a social enterprise which tackles the issues of waste management.

The winners will receive cash prizes of £1,400, £1,000 and £500 for the first, second and third places respectively.