President of India to Inaugurate Week Long Festival of Innovations at Rashtrapati Bhavan on March 7, 2015

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate a week long ‘Festival of Innovations’ on March 7, 2015 at Rashtrapati Bhavan.The Festival is being organized by the President’s Secretariat in collaboration with the National Innovation Foundation.

On the first day of the Festival (March 7, 2015), the President will give away National Biennial Awards for Grassroots Innovations. The President will also interact with a new batch of Innovation Scholars In-Residence and Writers In-Residence.

To coincide with the Festival of Innovations, and thereby create synergy between the events, In-Residence Programmes for Innovation Scholars and Writers are also being organized from 7thto 21stMarch, 2015 at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Thereafter, the President will inaugurate the Annual Innovation Exhibition organized by National Innovation Foundation.

Other events which are part of the Festival of Innovationsinclude:

·Sunday, 8thMarch 2015– A Global Roundtable on Inclusive Innovation will be held which aims at developing a universal, open, reciprocal and responsive innovation platform through sharing of strategies used by different countries. The participants of the Conference include Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus and other distinguished thinkers, policy makers, academicians and entrepreneurs.

The Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Award will also be presented on the day.

·Monday, 9thMarch 2015–A Workshop of innovative children for harnessing their creativity in order to overcome the difficulties of economically disadvantaged children.

·Tuesday, 10thMarch 2015– Meeting of National Innovation Clubs and interaction between grassroots innovators and entrepreneurs; sharing of experiences between Innovation Clubs and a Poster exhibition on outstanding achievements by National Clubs and Best Technology Business Incubators.

·Wednesday, 11thMarch 2015– Visit by Minister of Health to see the medical science and bio-technology innovations in the Exhibition.

·Thursday, 12thMarch 2015– National consultation on innovations for Clean India or ‘Swachh Bharat’.

·Friday, 13thMarch 2015– A Summary of key recommendations emanating from the Roundtable discussions will be presented to the President of India who will also address the gathering. He will also interact with leaders of banking and financial sectors about financing innovations.

The Annual Innovation Exhibition will remain open for the public includingvisitors to the Mughal Gardens.

This release issued at 1840 hrs.