Meet Suhani Chauhan, A Class XI Student To Receive Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar Award

Suhani Chauhan, a student of Class XI, Amity International School Pushp Vihar, New Delhi, has been awarded with Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar for her path-breaking innovation "So-Apt” a unique solar-operated Agri-Vehicle for small farmers, by the Hon'ble President of India Droupadi Murmu, at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. She is the only recipient for Innovation and the only one from Delhi for this highest National Award for children.

The awards are given to children in the age group 5 – 18 years for their excellence in seven categories for Bravery, Art & Culture, Environment, Innovation, Science & Technology, Social Service and Sports that deserve national recognition.

So-Apt is a multifunction, solar energy powered vehicle for agricultural use, with zero carbon emission, to benefit small farmers. The vehicle can be used for seed-sowing, spraying, irrigation, hole digging and various other agricultural needs, making it high on function and utility.

Speaking about her path-breaking innovation, Suhani added that if only 1% of the tractors used in India would use her technology, there would be an annual saving of Rs 1,800 Crores of diesel. The saving of carbon emissions per year would be about 272,000 metric tonnes of CO2 which in carbon credits is valued at about 10 million US Dollars (about 84 crores) per year. The farmers can even use the solar panels on the vehicle to power other appliances when not using it in the field or even sell any surplus they create.

On meeting Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi ji, Suhani was thrilled when the Prime Minister gave a big smile when she asked about the Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana he had launched just the day before to put solar panels on 1 crore homes and gave a detailed insight of his passion for the potential of solar energy since his days as Gujarat Chief Minister. “The Prime Minister also wants the homeowners to be able to sell any surplus energy from their roof-top solar panels to earn money, just the way I want the farmers using my agri-vehicle!”

“I will always cherish the signed watch, book and tablet that Modiji personally gifted to each one of us. We were told that we now belong to the country, not only our family and that we have a responsibility to work harder to help our country and society” recounted Suhani.

Expressing extreme gratitude and pleasure at her achievement, Suhani Chauhan said, “I am extremely honoured and humbled to receive this prestigious award from the Hon’ble President Droupadi Murmu ji and it was a dream come true for me. I have been working on this idea ever since I was in Class 8th when I visited a farm on a school trip. On seeing the plight of the small farmers and speaking to many of them, I realised that a low-cost, eco-friendly and multi-tool agri-vehicle could be transformative for them.”

“I am also extremely grateful to Minister Smriti Irani ji who spent so much time with all the awardees and took so much care of us.”

In the future, Suhani said that she is in discussions with manufacturing companies to develop her innovation further and produce vehicles to benefit small farmers across India for agriculture is the backbone of our country.