A project paper titled ‘3D Geo-Data Management in Geo-RDBMS in Multi-user Access and Creation of Web-based Environment for Semantic Query Execution’ — a smart city development blueprint — has won engineering students Poorvak Kapoor (23), Dhruv Bajpai (22), Akshay Bhasin (20) and Abhinav Bhadoria (20) of IMS Engineering College, Ghaziabad, the first prize in version 6.0 of Unisys India’s Cloud 20.20 online technical project contest. The results were announced on February 20.
Bangalore-based Unisys India — a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pennsylvania-based Unisys Corp, USA (annual revenue $10.5 billion (Rs.65,372 crore) — introduced the contest in 2009 to encourage new thinking in engineering colleges countrywide.
Following several rigorous rounds of evaluation, including a technical paper challenge, webinars and telephonic and face-to-face interviews, these youngsters with the support of their Unisys mentor Siddharth Dash and college faculty guide Vaibhav Kumar, bested 1,413 entries from 894 colleges countrywide, including entries from the premier Indian Institutes of Technology, International Institutes of Information Technology and National Institutes of Technology. The Rs.1.25 lakh first prize was awarded together with a job placement offer from Unisys.
“After conceptualisation, we spent 16 hours a week for six months to design and develop a 3D geo-data application (aka smart city modeller) which harnesses solar energy. Using python (a high-level programming language) and Google Earth, we developed the application which generates a virtual 3D representation of any architectural structure and the sunlight it receives, and suggests alterations to the structure’s architecture such as the strategic placement of windows, doors and ventilators to let in maximum natural light. Our objective is to build smart cities in smart times,” explains Akshay, the quartet’s spokesperson.
Encouraged by their famous victory against formidable opposition, the innovative quartet is set to scale new heights. “Even though we are preparing intensively for our final semester examinations, we are also in the initial stages of designing a top-secret and high potential web development application followed by a start-up company,” says Poorvak.
Way to go!
Balasubramaniam K. (Bangalore)
Manya Agrawal
Dehradun-based Manya Agrawal (17) was crowned paralympics champion in the 10 m women’s pistol event in the National Shooting Championship 2014 held in Pune last December. This is the third consecutive time this class XII student of the city’s top-ranked (all-India #4) Ecole Globale International Girls School (EGIGS) has won this event. Moreover, after bagging gold in the World Shooting Championship in Suhl, Germany, last July, she has qualified for the Paralympic Games scheduled for 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. 
Born without a left arm, Manya took to the state-of-the-art indoor shooting range of Dehradun’s Unison World School in 2011.
“I received great encouragement from our principal Veena Singh who insists that all girls master at least one sport. Unfortunately, my coach Shivlal Dogra shifted to EGIGS two years ago and I was obliged to follow him, reluctantly,” says Manya, whose mantelpiece at home displays trophies won in three district-level, three state, three national and two international championships.
But success has not come without effort to this gritty markswoman. She is in the well-equipped indoor shooting range of EGIGS for two hours in the morning and 90 minutes again in the evening every day. “Living with one arm is a challenging proposition.
But this sport has significantly improved my concentration which has helped better my grades,” says this cheerful sportsperson.
A multi-dimensional individual who plays the piano and loves reading the works of American novelist John Green, Manya gratefully acknowledges the strong emotional and financial support of her father Dinesh and mother Sangeeta, her coach and teachers of both her schools. “Without their sustained support, I couldn’t have achieved even half of what I have,” says Manya.
Aware that shooting cannot be a career option, this spirited teenager has chalked out a back-up plan in the civil service failing which she will enter the family business. “I intend to remain busy and make a contribution to society,” says this never-say-die sharp shooter.
Go girl!
Megha Rathi (Bangalore)