INNOVATION

With no formal education, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, of south kashmir solved his problem and made an innovation which made him honoured by receiving prestigious SRISTI SAMMAN award from the national innovation foundation of india. In candid conversation with journalist TAWQEER HUSSAIN, he talks at length about his life and innovation.
Tell us some thing about yourself?
I live at Tangpawa Sagam Kokernag; a village 30kms away from the
district headquarters Anantnag. I have never been to the school due to
the economic backwardness. Due to this reason I remain engaged to the
to the agriculture sector and also worked as daily labour in others
fields.
About your innovation?
My innovation “singing lantern” is the perfect requirement for our day
to day need. The singing lantern comprise of radio, light which runs
both on electricity and also can be charged by the solar light. It
also contains a mobile charger and a sound sensor which works in a
range of 10 meters.
How this idea of making singing lantern came in to your mind?
Since I worked in the fields’ all along the day and some times,
particularly during the autumn season I used to work in my fields till
late night. I always used a traditional lantern as the source of light
to work in odd hours. The slight wind makes the lantern off which not
only annoyed me but also disturbs my work. I always thought of
replacing it with something which can bear the wind. So one day I
modified this lantern and I fixed the battery in it in the space
provided for the oil. The wick was replaced by the bulbs and it
worked above my expectations.
What made you to put other three things in it?
I always remain adhered to the radio, no matter what the programme is.
This thing made me addict to carry a radio set all along with me. Once
I was working on my innovation, I simply tried to insert the radio
things in it and it worked. Then I fixed a mobile jack port in it
which gets the DC current from the battery and it works as the mobile
charger. When I tested it was I was successful. I was so happy that I
jumped on. Next day when I showed this apparatus to my village
friends, they named it singing lantern and soon I also endorsed this
name.
Did you received help from any quarter?
Initially I did all the things on my own. But one day I found the team
of National Innovation Foundation of India (NIF) Ahmadabad and Grass
Root innovation and Augumentation Network (GIAN) Cell University of
Kashmir Srinagar looking for the new innovators. I showed them my
lantern and they encouraged me lot. Later I went to the GIAN Cell and
where its Director Dr. G M Bhat and the Technical Officer Dr. Shabir
Ahmad helped me lot. They forwarded my file to the NIF and also
applied for the patent license. I also got the SRISTI SAMAAN AWARD
for this innovation from the NIF. Last week I received a communiqué
from the NIF that I will get the patent in the next month.
Your future plans.
Right now I am waiting for the patent license for this singing
lantern. I am also working to make the manual Generator.