Anokha – A Mega Student Event - Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

When 4000 students from all over the country come together with one purpose, the results are not merely beneficial; they have the power to create lasting change.

For instance, fourteen teams of students participated in Innovate; in addition to prize money the winners also received an opportunity to actually implement their solutions.

The team that placed first proposed the development of vertical axis wind turbine farms on campus to reduce dependency on power consumption from the main grid.

Other winning teams proposed paper recycling machines and book banks of used books to be availed by needy students.

Innovate was only one of 50 competitive events at Anokha, the annual tech-fest of the Amrita School of Engineering at Coimbatore campus; winners took home prizes worth over Rs. 1.5 million.

Student participants had the opportunity to attend workshops and conferences, many of which were focused on sustainable development.

The Ecopreneur Challenge which was part of the Green I conference had student teams developing business plans for diverse eco-products such as waterless composting toilets and resource-efficient bricks.

“We want to encourage the technical talent available in the country to focus on environmentally-friendly solutions to problems we see all around us,” the student organizers shared.

Such a perspective was emphasized also by R. Venugopal, Vice-President, Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions, Coimbatore, as he spoke about technical developments that don’t damage the environment, during the inauguration.

“Don’t forget your core values,” said N. Saravanan, CEO, Nissan Ashok Leyland Technologies, Chennai, speaking to the participating students.

The Anokha team didn’t; even while the fest was going on, the students made sure that waste was collected from various spots on campus and sorted into plastic, paper and compostable items.

Also remembering their core values was the student team that put together a beautiful exhibition of articles made by Origami, the traditional Japanese art of paper folding. The money collected at the exhibition was donated for charitable purposes.

Other popular events were the aero-modeling show featuring remote-controlled small aircrafts, the bike stunt show and an exclusive expo of vintage and new cars and bikes. The auto expo emphasized the need for driving safely.

On all three fest evenings, participants delighted in musical and dance performances by Amrita students and faculty.

“Now we are more aware of the ways in which technology can be sensibly used for the benefit of society,” shared several participating students, as the fest concluded.

February 22, 2012
Coimbatore Campus