Students from Maharashtra have performed brilliantly at the 12th National Inspire-MANAK Exhibition and Project Competition, which encourages scientific temper, creativity and socially useful innovation among children. Seven students from the state have secured a place in the top 'Super 60' category in the country. Shraddha Ramesh Londhe of Ahilyanagar bagged the first rank at the national level and a special gold medal. School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse congratulated all the students, their mentor teachers and their parents on this remarkable achievement.
The competition at Bharat Mandapam The national competition was held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from October 12 to 14, 2026. About 800 young scientists from across the country took part. Thirty-five projects from Maharashtra, from the academic years 2023-24 and 2024-25, were presented. The top 60 projects were picked for the 'Super 60' category on the basis of innovation, social usefulness, ease of use and real-life relevance. Seven of them came from Maharashtra.
Shraddha Londhe's AI project wins national gold Shraddha Londhe, a student of New English School, Chandgaon, in Ahilyanagar district, won the national first rank for her prototype 'AI Based Teacher Assistant for Blinds'.
Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, honoured Shraddha with a gold medal, a memento, a certificate and a laptop for the project, which uses artificial intelligence to remove the difficulties visually impaired students face in their studies.
'Super 60' students from Maharashtra 1. Shraddha Ramesh Londhe, New English School, Chandgaon (Ahilyanagar district): national first rank and gold medal
2. Rajvardhan Pradip Kale, Zilla Parishad Primary School, Laxmiwadi (Sangli district)
3. Devika Suhas Tad, M.E.S. Rani Laxmibai Girls' Military School, Pune
4. Arnav Bhusari, City Pride School, Pune
5. Geeta Ganpat Dhanwade, D.E.S. Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar Guruji Secondary School, Pune
6. Shambhavi Ramnappa Ajgunde, K.L.E. Mangrule High School, Akkalkot (Solapur district)
7. Viraj Sandeep Shinde, Podar International School, Washim
Dr Jitendra Singh presented memento and certificates to all these young scientists.
From NASA to Japan: a golden opportunity from the government The state government is committed to giving students' scientific talent room to grow, Dadaji Bhuse said. Under the state's 'Vidyarthi Vigyan Vari' initiative, meritorious students have already been given a chance to visit NASA, the US space research organisation.
The students selected in the national 'Super 60' will now get a chance to visit Japan under the Sakura Science Exchange Program, run through the State Science Education Institute and the Regional Vidya Pradhikaran.