Sona College of Technology has won the top prize in a challenge by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to help combat COVID-19.

The college created a platform called 'VeeTrace' to help with contact tracing of COVID-19 cases in four districts of Tamil Nadu.

The app tracks COVID-19 infected individuals and notifies when these individuals are within 10 metres, 100 metres and one-km distance.

'VeeTrace' requires only the name and contact number of the users who download this app. When a higher number of people use it, the app makes it easy to prevent community spread.

Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' virtually conferred the second 'Utkrisht Sansthan Vishwakarma Award' to the institute.

The teams at Sona College of Technology have developed products in the past that could solve some of the problems posed by the pandemic.

For instance, they developed bio chambers, automatic hand sanitisers and masks, among other things.

The students also develop Android applications integrating advanced technologies like IoT, AI and Blockchain.

The 'Utkrisht Sansthan Vishwakarma Award' is designed to motivate, recognise and honour the AICTE-approved institutions that raise their performance in the specific domain leading to significant contribution for the growth and development of the society," the university said in a statement.

Sona College of Technology's entry was chosen for first prize for 'providing institutional support to combat Covid-19 out of over 900 entries.

Finally, 35 institutions presented their work to the AICTE expert panel members and Sona grabbed top honours in "providing institutional support to combat COVID" category.