Global Indianstory Global Indian Exclusive‘AI’ Aye to teen inventor Prisha Shroff’s wildfire tracker, drone & other tech

‘AI’ Aye to teen inventor Prisha Shroff’s wildfire tracker, drone & other tech

Written by: Suruchi Kapur-Gomes

(February 26, 2022) When inventor Nicola Tesla remarked, “Be alone, that is the secret of invention; be alone, that is when ideas are born,” a brilliant 15-year-old girl from Chandler, Arizona, inadvertently followed his diktat. Teen inventor Prisha Shroff sat alone, contemplating solutions to world problems. Et Voila, she solved some, and is on her way to solving many more.

Finding a problem, solving it, and moving on to the next is Prisha’s modus operandi. A mind that runs riot on witnessing something disconcerting, the teen inventor dives into her cauldron of extensive tech and coding stack – and out of that Stem hat a solution is born!

An Intel Innovator, she also had a national honourable mention at the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing. Included in the Smithsonian Sixteen Innovators to Watch in 2022, the honours, they keep on coming. Her 2021 invention – An AI-based Wildfire Prevention System won the Broadcom Masters Lemelson Award for Invention, Wells Fargo Sustainable Earth Innovation Award and the 3M Young Scientist Award.

Prisha Shroff with one of her inventions

How a wildfire triggered a fire in her

Prisha witnessed the devastation by wildfires on her way back from LA. Troubled, she researched into AI and tech. Her answer was a Wildfire Prevention System which uses real-time NASA and NOAA meteorological data to predict wildfires. The system alerts and even deploys a drone carrying flame retardant. Just 15, her proclivity to use tech began at just six years of age. Yes, that young.

“I used an engineering design process to build the WPS. The first time, it used only one input parameter, temperature, and image processing to predict hotspots, and had low accuracy. I revised it, and it uses real-time data of six input parameters from Nasa and Noaa to accurately identify hotspots,” teen inventor Prisha Shroff explains in an exclusive with Global Indian. One nods, not fully comprehending, but yes, a serious problem has a solution.

Her WPS is 98.6 percent accurate today. And it combines artificial intelligence to analyse temperatures, soil moisture, precipitation, vegetation, health and wind.

Prisha Shroff

“The fire lasted 86 days, causing 1,032,648 acres of land burnt, and 935 structures destroyed,” recalls Prisha. “I was happy to realise that the solution can be used in the real world to prevent wildfires,” says the teen inventor who is now exploring patents, and working on improving it.

When tech calls, Prisha answers

Her interest in computing and technology thanks to her project-based learning elementary school saw her master ‘all things coding.’ “My teachers encouraged me to keep asking questions. The scientific method and engineering design process were stepping stones to computing and technology. They were the life changing- foundation blocks of my education,” reveals the teen inventor.

Soon, Prisha was leveraging this power to “make things happen,” while peers and experts looked on in awe.

“One day, my mom showed me the code of a digital clock which used an arduino board to tell time. A few lines of code to tell the time…,” left her wonderstruck, and suddenly the world of coding became the framework to mind-boggling inventions for a wee girl – a WPS, a self-cleaning solar panel, a water-saving showerhead, a solar-powered drone, and an arduino-based leak detection device.

A clubber who Stems change

Shroff inhabits a world of block codes, and programming ozobots. A self-taught coder, she learnt on code.org, and soon transformed a few lines of code into a functioning website. As part of the drone club, Prisha wasn’t just flying drones for fun, but learning about the physics of flight. “I discovered that the drone’s flight time was so small, which hindered functioning. So, I developed solar-powered drones,” says the teen inventor. At the 3D printing club in school, more inventions followed – a medi-kit. Unsurprisingly, even the video game design club saw her create an educational game.

AI fascinates this little genius. An Udacity course followed by a Kaggle one, Prisha is now ever-ready to solve real-world problems. That is, if she hasn’t already.

On winning the Broadcom Masters Lemelson Award for Invention 2021 with a prize of $10,000, the teen inventor says, “My thoughts were happiness as I had created a solution that had a positive impact. It boosted my confidence, and inspired me to never give up.”

Nurtured in academics

Prisha’s parents Romish (from Mumbai) and Prital Shroff (from Baroda) have strong academic credentials. Her father, a computer engineer, did his MBA from Chicago, and now works at a US Fortune 500 company. Her mother, was motivated by her father to study further, and has an MS in computer science from Penn State. She works at a tech firm, also a Fortune 500. Prisha’s Gujarati upbringing ensures she visits her grandparents and cousins in India frequently.

“She’s always been this motivated kid who wants to go change the world,” says her mother Prital while her brother is inspired by how Prisha’s mind works.

Prisha Shroff

The ninth grader from Hamilton High School, LA is not all geek. She plays the piano, sings and reads. “When I play the piano, I feel peaceful, calm and in my element. Singing boosts my confidence. I am the happiest when I am composing my own songs,” says the artsy scientist.

Elon Musk, a role model

Teachers, project heads, parents, have all mentored this sponge of knowledge. Yet the the teen inventor’s bigger inspiration is, “Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshbhai, a peaceful, enlightened master, and spiritual visionary. He teaches us to become better people through practical examples and stories. His mission is to realise one’s true self, and serve selflessly. He teaches us 5 S’s – satsang (timeless wisdom), sadhana (spirituality applied), seva (selfless service), sanskruti (culture), sports.” It does explain Prisha’s single-minded focus on doing good.

Prisha Shroff with family

Elon Musk, her role model, she feels is an “amazing visionary with brilliant ideas” “His electric self-drive Tesla cars, SpaceX, exploring commercial flights to both Earth and the lunar orbit, Musk has even created Boring, a company that works on building the hyperloop,” says an excited teen inventor who advices, “Be curious, dream big and never give up.”

A 15-year-old teen scientist who understood a Nasa problem then went on to invent a self-cleaning solar panel, she explains “Solar panels face dust that decreases efficiency. Nasa declared its Opportunity Mars rover unresponsive after its solar-powered robot went silent during a dust storm.” Prisha increased efficiency with her self-cleaning, self-detecting solar panel system (with a dust sensor that activates a wiper system).

It hard to fully grasp a teen and her brilliant scientific mind. “Prisha the scientist and Prisha the 15-year-old are the same person! I enjoy hanging out with friends, playing board games with family, and baking with my brother!” she giggles.

Onward with an incredible sense of self, the years ahead can only be meteoric. She wants to be an entrepreneur, and create solutions. “I am going to change the world with solutions that improve day-to-day lives and the planet. The future will only decide what I will build, but I will be solving real-world problems,” vows the teen inventor.

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Published on 26, Feb 2022

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Ishaan Leonard Rao: The young piano prodigy bridging cultures and genres

(June 27, 2023) Ishaan Leonard Rao was two years old when he hummed ragas with Pandit Ravi Shankar. He was much too young to remember the experience, but it’s an anecdote he has heard many times over the years from his parents. As it happens, quite a few of Ishaan’s early musical experiences predate his memories. The young piano prodigy is the son of two virtuosos - his father, Pandit Shubhendra Rao is a sitarist and a long-time disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar. His mother, Saskia Rao-de Haas is trained in both the Western and Hindustani styles, and designed the Indian cello, which she uses in her Hindustani concerts. [caption id="attachment_31469" align="aligncenter" width="697"] Ishaan Leonard Rao. Photo (and featured image) by Bandeep Singh[/caption] The young piano prodigy is not really given to talking about his achievements, which already make up quite a long list. He has trained in the piano for 12 years, and in the sitar for seven. “I was five when I fell in love with the piano and decided to make it my instrument,” he tells Global Indian. This month, during his break from Berklee, Ishaan will begin his solo tour across India, performing five concerts across

love with the piano and decided to make it my instrument,” he tells Global Indian. This month, during his break from Berklee, Ishaan will begin his solo tour across India, performing five concerts across Bengaluru, New Delhi and Mumbai. The tour will take him to some of India's most prestigious cultural venues, including the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, the NCPA in Mumbai, the India International Centre in Delhi and the Bangalore International Centre.

"This programme will have a classical piano repertoire, with Hindustani and Carnatic-inspired music," Ishaan says. "And some jazz I picked up last year at Berklee, along with some South American influences. I have really tried to show who I am as a musician," he adds. His journey is only just beginning, but Ishaan is already crafting a style that is uniquely his own, inspired by his deep knowledge of Hindustani and Western classical music, as well as the many influences he encountered travelling with his parents as they performed around the world. In this concert, he will also combine elements of modal jazz, which has been studying at University, with ragas, as he explores John Coltrane (Naima), Dave Brubeck (Rondo A La Turk).

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A post shared by Ishaan Leonard Rao (@ishaanleonardrao)

A childhood steeped in music

Growing up in Delhi, music was always "a given for Ishaan Leonard Rao, which is not surprising, all things considered. “I didn't know anything else through my childhood," he remarks. Music isn't merely a part of Ishaan’s world, something he loves or is good at - it is life itself. He was listening to music even before he was born and doesn't even recall the first time he picked up an instrument. By the time he met Pandit Ravi Shankar, he had learned around 15 ragas, even though he was still a toddler. "My parents had taught me ragas by then, not necessarily in a regimented way but I had learned how to identify them.” When they sang him to sleep as a child, the lullaby would be based on a particular raga. It came naturally to him too.

"The unique combination of Hindustani and Western classical music has shaped me so that I can understand music quite intuitively. Indian music teaches you how to train your ear in relation to other notes, if you hear a 'sa', you know every other note in relation to that. Western music shapes your understanding of absolute pitch." Although he's comfortable with sheet music, the piano prodigy is happiest playing by ear.

That wasn't all. Ishaan would also accompany his parents across the world, and has been meeting people from different cultures and heritages for as long as he can remember. "Hindustani and Western classical music are the most familiar to me but I have never really confined myself to a genre," he says. From the time he was born till about the age of 15, Ishaan was on the road with his parents for a "good three to five months of the year." Having a South Indian father and a Dutch mother also lent itself to cultural exploration - "I grew up speaking Kannada with my father and Dutch with my mum. And then I was travelling a lot. I became used to different cultures, am cognizant of my cultural heritage and find it very easy to acclimatise and feel at at home in either part of the world." It lent itself also to his explorations as a musician.

[caption id="attachment_31452" align="aligncenter" width="363"] Pandit Ravi Shankar with Ishaan[/caption]

A love story with the piano

Ishaan began training in the piano at the age of six, and showed great talent for it. “I have had four teachers along the way - Justin McCarthy, Raj Bhimani, Svetlana Radashkevich and Dimitris Lambrianos,” he says. He has also has also taken master classes by Polish pianist Raphael Lustchevsky, French pianist Martine Dellenbach and Dutch pianist Marianne Boer. Ishaan dedicated himself to the piano, going to class once a week and spending a couple of hours a day practicing. By the time he entered his teens, he knew beyond doubt that he wanted to be a pianist, not just a musician. "I'm really focussed on my instrument and I'm still in that process of completely mastery. That's not something you ever really achieve, but you work as hard as you can to get there," he says. And while he doesn’t claim mastery, Ishaan went on to become the youngest Indian ever to finish the ABRSM Grade 8 exam and the youngest to receive the ARSM performance diploma at the age of 12.

The young piano prodigy gave his first concert at the age of nine, performing the first movement of a Mozart sonata and a piece by Chopin. It's a big achievement for someone so young, but he quickly says, "They weren't particularly complex pieces. As a child, you tend to progress quite quickly through technical difficulty. Bringing out the music from that is as much of a journey," he explains. "Being a classical pianist is about a lot more than technical mastery. He went on to perform in India, France and Australia before making his New York concert debut at the age of 14, as part of the Chhandayan All Night Concert at the Society for Ethical Cultures.

Bending genres, breaking rules

He names Chopin, Debussy and Bach as composers he admires deeply but Ishaan doesn't want to confine himself in any way. It's why he chose Berklee College over a conservatory like say, Juilliard. "I love the traditional piano repertoire but I don't want to be confined to it. I'm in the process of developing my own musical voice, I would say." At Berklee, he has trained in modal jazz, and is also in a Klezmer ensemble.

His parents always encouraged the exploration. "When I was growing up, I quite liked just following the path that was set for me. I didn't realise that I instinctively wanted to go outside the path and break those rules. But you have to know the rules to break them. Over the last year, even though my primary focus has been on my classical repertoire, I feel a lot more comfortable with my own expression through them, rather than playing them the way they are supposed to be played." This exploration also includes adapting the piano to ragas, although he does so differently from his mother, who designed the Indian cello to create an instrument better suited to playing Hindustani classical music.

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A post shared by Ishaan Leonard Rao (@ishaanleonardrao)

Ishaan Leonard Rao's musical journey is a testament to his exceptional talent, dedication, and diverse musical influences. From his early exposure to Hindustani and Western classical music to his explorations in jazz and fusion genres at Berklee College, Ishaan has developed a unique musical voice that reflects his deep understanding of different traditions. His commitment to his instrument, the piano, is evident in his achievements and performances at a remarkably young age. With a blend of technical mastery and artistic expression, the piano prodigy is poised to make significant contributions to the world of music and continue to carve his own path as a musician.

Follow Ishaan's work on his website and on Instagram.

Watch out for the cyber criminals: 22-year-old cyber expert Vaibhav Jha upskills natives and foreigners

(May 8, 2022) Young India is making its mark. From teen entrepreneurs running unicorns to prodigies in science and the arts, India’s youth are shining. Take, for instance, 22-year-old cyber expert Vaibhav Jha, who was lauded for being one of the youngest cyber security trainer in May 2021. By that time, he had already worked as external cyber security researcher with the Ministry of Electronics and IT providing inputs for framing DPR for cyber security labs in India. An expert at 19 On April 28, 2022, CERT-in, a government-appointed nodal agency, issued a new cybersecurity directive. As cyber threats loom, for individuals and nations alike, 'hack the world before it hacks you', maintains Vaibhav which incidentally happens to be the title of the book that he has written. The young ethical hacker has been keenly spreading awareness on security online through various initiatives. Over 25,000 school and college students have learned the ropes of the cyber world through Vaibhav's training sessions under Niti Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission. His research paper on car hacking and cloud security fetched him the budding researcher award at an international conference at Amity Dubai. Vaibhav was only 19 when he trained Indian Audit and Account

learned the ropes of the cyber world through Vaibhav's training sessions under Niti Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission. His research paper on car hacking and cloud security fetched him the budding researcher award at an international conference at Amity Dubai.

Vaibhav was only 19 when he trained Indian Audit and Account Service (IAAS) officers, and also conducted a joint training session for cops, bureaucrats and delegates from over thirty countries on safeguarding critical security infrastructure and enjoyed a short stint as a cyber security researcher for Gurugram Police as well.

Climbing the ladder

Vaibhav was in his first year of college at Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies when he discovered cybersecurity and ethical hacking. A student of computer science engineering at the time, he knew instantly that this would be his chosen domain. He did extensive research by himself, which bore fruit in his second year of college when it led to Vaibhav being asked to chair a cybersecurity conference attended by Dr Gulshan Rai, the erstwhile Cyber Security Chief at the Prime Minister's Office. It was a magnificent turning point, Vaibhav remarks, saying it ignited his desire to delve even deeper.

When he collated his knowledge, he had the material for his debut book. "My book teaches beginners on how to avoid the trap of cyber-crime," Vaibhav tells Global Indian.

By the time he was in his second year, Vaibhav had also taken his first steps as an entrepreneur. With support from the institution, he co-founded a cyber security firm with a batchmate. After he graduated, the computer engineer switched to the corporate world, associating himself with Coforge (earlier NIIT Technologies).

Driving dialogue

Led by the desire to promote cyber security as an integral fabric of our digitally-inclined society, he has organised two cyberspace conferences (CIACON) in 2018 and again in 2020. Officials from the US' Department of Homeland Security and the Indian government participated as speakers. "The conferences are for security enthusiasts," Vaibhav explains. "The idea has been to bring together cyber experts, policy makers, think tanks and cyber wizards on a single platform to discuss issues and challenges in the sub domains of cyber security."

It meant big steps for Vaibhav too, a journey that involved becoming comfortable with himself and his abilities. "I used to be nervous at the start but I have worked on my confidence levels. Now, delivering lectures, conducting training and interacting with people is my passion," he says.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4MEh116vPo&t=403s

That apart, spending time with family and friends, swimming, body building, reading books and doing his research keep Vaibhav occupied. He also has his own YouTube channel, Scorpion VJ, through which he engages people on a variety of topics that range from tech and travelling to lifestyle.

“Cybersecurity and cyber-forensics are fields that needs passion and the mindset of always being open to learning, otherwise you will not be able to counter attack the cyberattacks,” he says, to young cyber security aspirants everywhere.

'Hacks' for being cyber smart

Keep all your devices, apps and browsers up to date
Think before you click
Be vigilant while reading mails or opening attachments from unknown sources
Verify identity before sharing personal information online
Keep all your passwords unique and don’t reveal it to anyone
Report if anything seems suspicious in the cyber world

Follow Vaibhav Jha on YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram

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The young ace: Pushti Laddha is one of India’s most promising young tennis stars

(February 9, 2024) As a six year old, when Pushti Laddha held a tennis racquet for the first time, she fell in love with the sport instantly. Her parents, both huge tennis fans, only encouraged her to pursue it. Hardly three years later, Pushti was out on the tennis court playing her first tournament, surprising the audience with her aces. Ever since, she has proved her mettle in several tournaments and is now one of the most promising tennis stars of the country. “Every win is special and every loss is the best teacher,” smiles tennis player Pushti Laddha, speaking to Global Indian. From playing Nationals to being selected for the Road to Wimbledon in 2020 and playing in the ITF (International Tennis Federation) World Tennis tour (Junior Circuit), Pushti has come a long way. The latest feather in her cap was leading the Telangana State Tennis contingent as the U-19 Team Captain at the inaugural ceremony of the 67th National Games held at Jodhpur recently. [caption id="attachment_35701" align="aligncenter" width="331"] Pushti Laddha[/caption] Leading the team “Jodhpur was a great experience. There were moments in the tournament where we had to fight through and moments where we had fairly easy wins,”

t/uploads/2024/02/PHOTO-2024-01-13-22-42-21.jpg" alt="" width="331" height="441" /> Pushti Laddha[/caption]

Leading the team

“Jodhpur was a great experience. There were moments in the tournament where we had to fight through and moments where we had fairly easy wins,” says the teenager, who holds a career high ranking of 525 in the ITF, junior girls category. Her All-India ranking stands at 38 in the girls U-18 category.

Looking back, it was all worth it and leading the team into the finals was a great feeling, she says soon after her return from Jodhpur. “Though we fell short in the end, there are a lot of experiences to take away from the tournament and it definitely feels amazing to bag the silver for the state while also clutching gold in the individual event,” says Pushti, a class 12 student of Obul Reddy public school, Hyderabad.

On top of her game

Having played professional tennis for past 10 years, Pushti has remained on top of her game throughout. She ranked first in the Telangana state Tennis Association (under-10 and Under-12 category) and has an AITA (All India Tennis Association) playing experience of over 6 years. Based in Hyderabad, she toured all over the country to play various AITA series and has so far played 50 AITA tournaments.

Among the many tournaments she played, the one that stands out for Pushti was the nationals that was held in New Delhi in 2021. “This tournament was especially challenging because I went in with almost no practice for three weeks and lacked confidence. I was not in proper shape to play, so I did not expect much,” recalls the tennis player.

In her first match, the score was 2-5 and she was three match points down against a really tough opponent, but she clutched the game by winning the next 11 games in a row. “Winning that match and reaching the next round gave me a significant boost in confidence. In fact, I won the next 3 rounds after that, beating incredible opponents,” smiles the youngster.

That tournament gave her an experience she will never forget. “It taught me the importance of never giving up and why it’s important to always believe in oneself even in the toughest moments,” informs Pushti, who got the opportunity to meet the President of India for outstanding achievements in sports and academics on Children’s day in 2019.

Growing up in Hyderabad

Born in Hyderabad in December 2006, Pushti Laddha is the daughter of senior IPS officer Mahesh Chandra Laddha and Sunita Laddha. She studied at the Meridian School in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad.

When it comes to her academics, Pushti is an equally bright student who has always scored high. “I secured 97.6 per cent in Class X, which was among the top five,” shares a beaming Pushti, who even topped her class for last eight years. She was also appointed as deputy sports secretary in Meridian school.

She was awarded the best all-rounder, Math-a-Magician and general proficiency certificates consecutively for the last four years by her school. She also won gold medalist in the Euphoria Sports Fest inter-school tennis championship in 2018 and went on to receive the young Achievers award for excellence in sports and academics by Metamorphosis.

“I have plans to pursue higher studies and my family, being completely supportive, has been helping me with decisions,” says the budding tennis star, who was also awarded the Star pupil award in Grade X in a batch of 150 students.

Discipline everyday

Pushti Laddha makes it a point to practice for 4-5 hours everyday which includes tennis and gym sessions. “Tennis sessions are generally in the morning for 2-2.5 hours after which I attend school, followed by fitness sessions. I have coaches with whom I work out a schedule for each day and also for the week,” informs the teenager, who trains with her coach Praveen Bhargava at the Ace tennis academy in Hyderabad.

Throughout her tennis journey, Pushti faced multiple challenges and overcame it. “Challenges arise in every part of the journey, be it injuries or balancing sports with academics. I have realised that discipline is the only way to overcome them all,” says Pushti.

Chess prodigy Alana Meenakshi’s moves are to watch out for

(September 15, 2022) Alana Meenakshi Kolagatla was barely four when she first got the feel of the king, queen, rook, bishop, and pawn on the chess board. The child hardly had any understanding of the game, yet she was just about able to arrange the pieces in order. By the time she turned six, the chess prodigy began playing professionally. Success followed her everywhere ever since. Having won several locals, national and international championships — of which she admittedly has lost the count — Alana, now 11, has been making all the right moves. “I want to become a grandmaster as soon as possible," declares Alana Meenakshi, the World No.1 in the Under-11 girls' category, in an exclusive chat with Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_21903" align="aligncenter" width="483"] Kolagatla Alana Meenakshi, chess prodigy[/caption] Since 2018, Alana has taken the world of chess by storm with her consistent performance. She continued her winning streak with gold, silver, and bronze medals to the country's tally and went on to bag the Women Candidate Master (WCM) title when she played in Sri Lanka in 2018. “Sometimes when you're winning, you just feel you're winning and let go of it and end up losing the game

istent performance. She continued her winning streak with gold, silver, and bronze medals to the country's tally and went on to bag the Women Candidate Master (WCM) title when she played in Sri Lanka in 2018. “Sometimes when you're winning, you just feel you're winning and let go of it and end up losing the game or end up in a draw. I have never really kept track of how many games I won and lost,” informs the chess prodigy, who has travelled to Albania, China, Sri Lanka, Serbia, and Hungary among other countries for her tournaments, besides vacations. Her father, Madhu Kolagatla is a businessman, and her mother Dr Aparna Kolagatla is a scientist and a career counsellor.

A move in the right direction

The chess prodigy from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, who was also the world No 2 in the Under-10 category (December 2022) before she made it to the top, finds chess a very lonely game. “Sometimes you feel very bored, just like you're looking at 64 squares with 32 pieces. And if you don't enjoy what's going on, you don't understand what's going on,” says the chess mastermind. But at the end of the day, she says, the combinations and the tactics in the game are what draw her towards it. “People feel that chess is very hard to play and only smart people can play the game. But that's not true. If you play chess, you will become smarter. It's actually the opposite,” smiles the class VI student of Timpany school, Visakhapatanam.

[caption id="attachment_21904" align="aligncenter" width="616"] The young prodigy with all her medals and trophies[/caption]

Alana plays chess every day. “I need to work a lot to reach a certain level. I practice for about 8 hours a day. So usually it's like four to six hours coaching and then maybe two hours games and then two hours I work by myself,” informs Alana, who occasionally takes a break from the game when she is overstressed. When it comes to tournaments, her games last up to six hours.

So what does it take to become a professional chess player like her? “Hard work, talent, and seriousness. One should be willing to work a lot, even though sometimes it gets very stressful. Strategy and confidence will keep you going in the game,” feels this huge Potterhead, who has read all Harry Potter books.

She is now trying yoga and meditation to beat the stress. “My parents recommended it and though I am trying my best for the past few weeks, it feels boring sometimes,” she laughs. Before every tournament, she makes sure to check who she is playing against, prepare against them and make note of their weaknesses and strengths.

Alana’s achievements have made her parents and friends proud of her. “It feels great when family members and friends tell others that I am an international chess player and stuff like that. Parents, sometimes say I could have done better after a particular tournament,” says the prodigy, who lists her win in her first international chess in Sri Lanka as one of the major highlights of her journey so far.

Beyond the chequered world

Besides chess, Alana likes to play tennis. "I actually play tennis just for physical fitness, go swimming, and indulge in basketball once in a while," says Alana, who likes to watch all the action stuff on Netflix.

Ask her if she comes across children who love Chess, the Vizag girl feels that people should start playing chess because it develops intellectual skills, calculations, and quick reflexes. "People don't play chess because they think it's very hard and boring, but I don't think so. There are a few people who are interested in chess, who are around my age, plus or minus a few years, but many are not," says Alana, whose elder brother Dhruv is a tennis player.

What else does Alana like to do? "Fashion designing interests me but I am not very sure. I am still in VI grade so I have another three to four more years to decide," informs the champ, who like most kids her age, loves Dario for Wimpy Kid as well. She is a huge fan of Katy Perry, Dua Lipa, and Justin Bieber as well. Alana makes it a point to visit as many places as places while on a foreign trip. Recently, she was in Budapest where she visited the castle, Parliament, and many more places to understand its history and rich culture.

"Kids should do more something creative than just watching TV or spending time on mobile phones. They should go out and play or, try some arts and crafts. Maybe, they should try learning a new thing like chess," is her message to children her age.

Reading Time: 7 mins

Beyond classroom walls: Entrepreneur Saket Pathak’s tech-driven revolution to make learning inclusive for all

(November 26, 2023) When Saket was around nine years old, he went home to visit his grandparent's home in India with his parents. While he was playing with the local kids, he realised that several of those kids did not go to schools regularly, or had books to study at home. He noticed the absence of adequate resources and learning tools for proper education in schools serving underprivileged communities. "It was in 2017," says the entrepreneur, adding, "Since then I have been striving towards helping kids around the world through what I think is a resource many needy kids lack: proper education and learning tools. The experience I got from my trip in the beginning led me to the conclusion that children don't get the exposure to education that they need." Currently studying at the Silver Creek High School in San Jose, California, Saket Pathak is the founder of Learning Quest, a non-profit initiative that focusses on distributing books and other learning supplies to underprivileged children in various parts of the world. The young entrepreneur, who recently won the prestigious Diana Award, has been energetically gathering funds and books from donors globally, contributing over 8,000 books to 20,000 children in

ther learning supplies to underprivileged children in various parts of the world. The young entrepreneur, who recently won the prestigious Diana Award, has been energetically gathering funds and books from donors globally, contributing over 8,000 books to 20,000 children in the USA, India, and Africa. The Global Indian's initiatives have garnered media attention, secured several grants for Learning Quest, and served as inspiration for numerous individuals to join the noble cause.

A boy with a mission

He was only in the third grade when after learning about the gender gap in education, Saket started rooting for girls' rights. "I have been advocating for education rights and accessibility without any boundaries of gender or financial constraints since I was quite young. I even hosted local spelling bees and used the donations to give back to an organisation specialising in education," said the entrepreneur.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5Aj5_iWxIE

But the kid genius doesn't just have a golden heart and passion for an educated world. He shared, "I have been coding since elementary school and can work with the languages of Python and Java. I am also skilled in HTML / CSS, which is what, was used to create the website for Learning Quest. I am currently delving into learning about Swift, which will help the creation of the "in development" Learning Quest mobile application. All of this will help in the creation of the Learning Quest technology side." His other strength, he adds, is in marketing. "My mission was to spread the word about Learning Quest to as many people as possible and impact as many lives as possible." The Learning Quest team has buit a network of partners and collaborators and also made it onto the local news. "We will soon expand to a team of volunteers around the globe and sustain more partners in donations of books as well as scaling our mobile application," Saket explains.

Empowering minds

Founded in 2022 by Saket, Learning Quest has been exclusively dedicated to distributing books donated by individuals, schools, and libraries in the USA to underprivileged children in India. Speaking about the mission of his organisation, the entrepreneur said, "When a child is deprived of essential resources, what they do afterward and their perception of the world is changed as an effect. With proper education comes the ability to think better, earn better, and explore new horizons. But if a kid does not attend a school or lacks educational resources, their view of the world would be constrained, they pick low-income jobs early in their life and this cycle keeps going in a loop."

According to Learning Quest data, approximately 40 percent of children living in poverty lack access to the necessary education. In certain regions of the USA, both teachers and students face financial constraints, hindering their ability to provide a quality education for children. "Roughly 72 million children are affected by this issue and therefore are not prepared for the real world. This can lead to many things such as unemployment, poor health, under-representation, and even cases of exploration," he explained.

In the process of developing an app for the oganisation to make the service accessible to more and more kids, Saket has grand plans for Learning Quest. "We have already impacted many children and know how we can further develop Learning Quest for the better. We have been able to gather fundamental information to better understanding how the application should be created and which areas will be impacted the most. Going ahead, I wish to build a sustainable enterprise working in several communities or countries that are looking to grow significantly, focussing on increased efficiency," shared the entrepreneur.

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