Page 32 - EW April 2023

Young Achievers

two gold medals at the National accurately detect pollution levels in
championships (2019) in Mum- differing neighbourhoods with the
bai, a silver at the All India West- help of microscopic images of plant
coast Championships (2021) in leaves — nature’s best bioindicators,”
Mumbai, and a gold at the Senior says Yuvvan.
National Regatta competition The Vivo Ignite competition —
(2022) also in Mumbai. open to classes VIII-XII students —
Contrary to popular belief, attracted 3,000 entries from across
“sailing is a testing endur- the country this year. Conducted
ance sport which requires peak over three rounds, the competition
fitness,” says this gritty teen. required participants to develop
“Therefore, I practice for 4-5 projects based on creative think-
hours every day whether I am in ing, innovation and positive social
Mumbai or Hyderabad. For my impact.
fitness and nutrition regimen, I The only child of Rajkumar Tal-
am supported by the world-class reja, executive director of Avendus
Suchitra Academy, Hyderabad. Capital Ltd, and Siya Talreja, a
And the generous YCH takes nutrition counselor, Yuvvan is a class
care of my tournament and other XI student of Mumbai’s top-ranked
PREETHI KONGARA expenses,” says Preethi. Cathedral and John Connon School.
“From the beginning, my parents
Currently, Preethi is writing her
class XII board exams. “Academics have encouraged me, sponsored all
is as important to me as my sport my initiatives including the parts to
teenager from a BPL (below for success in future life,” says this build my prototype and helped me
poverty line) household in promising sailor, who stands an improve my data collection method-
A Hyderabad, Preethi Kongara excellent chance of bringing home ology and presentation. I am equally
is making waves in an elite sport a medal from the Asian Games later grateful to my class IV computer
— sailing. In February, the 19-year- this year. science and robotics teachers who
old qualified for the forthcoming Wind in your sails! introduced and encouraged my deep
Asian Games 2023 — scheduled Somashekar Maligu (Hyderabad) interest in coding and subsequently
to be held in Hangzhou (China) in in Artificial Intelligence. Moreover
September — in the mixed 470 class unlike other Indian boards, the IB
category. To ready herself, Preethi (Geneva) curriculum that I follow
has been training intensively with YUVVAN TALREJA makes me think critically,” he says.
the Indian Navy in Mumbai for the Looking ahead, Yuvvan is set on
past 18 months. studying computer science after
Raised by her mother Kongara umbai-based coding enthu- completing class XII. “I plan to
Vijayalakshmi, a housekeeper in a siast Yuvvan Talreja (16) was expand my knowledge of machine
private firm, after her father passed Mdeclared Top 10 National and deep learning so I can develop
when she was seven, Preethi — cur- Winner for innovating an air pollu- more applications for the benefit of
rently a class XII commerce student tion detection device, by an eminent humanity,” he enthuses.
of the Marredpally Government jury at the grand finale of the inaugu- Way to go, bro!
Junior College, Secunderabad — ral edition of Vivo Ignite Science
was introduced to this sport at age and Innovation competition staged Paromita Sengupta (Bengaluru)
11 (2015). Identified by industrial- in Delhi, on February 8. As a Top 10
ist Anand Mahindra’s Nanhi Kali National Winner — ranked #4 in
initiative for children from poor the prototype category — young
households studying in govern- Yuvvan was awarded prize money
ment schools, Preethi signed up for (Rs.2 lakh) and a trophy.
a free-of-charge Naavika ‘Learn to Born and raised in the maxi-
sail’ extra-curricular programme mum city listed among the Top 10
run by evangelist Suheim Sheik at most polluted cities worldwide,
the Yacht Club of Hyderabad (YCH). Yuvvan chose to develop a mi-
“My initial training started in YCH croenvironment pollution detec-
under the tutelage of founder-pres- tion device which measures air
ident and head coach Suheim Sir,” pollution to help health manage-
she recalls. ment officials. “While researching
Within two years of training, optical sensors, generally used to
Preethi won a gold medal in the detect pollution levels in larger
Telangana State Regatta. In 2018, areas, I discovered their data for
she won a silver medal in the 1st In- microenvironments tended to
dependence Regatta in Hyderabad. be inaccurate. This revelation
These triumphs were followed by inspired me to develop a device to

32 EDUCATIONWORLD APRIL 2023