Gandhinagar: In a pioneering initiative aimed at nurturing innovation among schoolchildren, the Children's Research University (CRU) will launch "Kidnovation", a statewide programme designed to transform children's creative ideas into intellectual property and patents.
The six-month project will be formally inaugurated today, marking the 87th death anniversary of renowned educationist Gijubhai Badheka.
"The initiative is inspired by the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasizes creativity, scientific thinking and experiential learning among students. The programme seeks to identify promising young innovators across Gujarat and provide them with mentorship, technical support and legal assistance to convert their ideas into patentable innovations," TS Joshi, Vice-Chancellor, Children's Research University (CRU), Gandhinagar.
According to a CRU official, the project aims to bridge the gap between children's imagination and real-world innovation.
Organisers believe that many original ideas generated by children often remain undocumented due to lack of guidance and resources. Kidnovation intends to address this challenge by creating a structured ecosystem for innovation at the school level.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat is undertaking various initiatives in the fields of education and innovation to transform the state into a hub of knowledge and innovation.
One of the programme's key goals is to facilitate 20 to 30 provisional patent filings with the Indian Patent Office. Importantly, the ownership of these patents will remain entirely with the child innovators. The project also plans to train around 100 selected students from across Gujarat in design thinking, innovation and prototyping.
As part of the initiative, the journeys of these young innovators will be documented through 100 innovation case studies, which will be archived digitally under a "Kidnovation Log".
The project will also produce a policy-oriented pedagogical white paper on developing intellectual property awareness among primary school students, which will be submitted to the Gujarat government's education department.
"The programme will unfold in multiple phases between June and November 2026. Following the launch, teachers and school coordinators will participate in orientation sessions, while July and August will focus on idea scouting and mentoring. During September, experts will conduct prior-art searches and evaluate submissions to identify the most original concepts,'' said Nilesh Pandya, Training Centre, CRU.
A major highlight will be a two-day residential prototyping boot camp scheduled for October 15-16 at the Children's Research University campus, coinciding with the birth anniversary of former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
Around 50 shortlisted students are expected to participate in hands-on innovation workshops and showcase their prototypes. The final selection and patent filing process will continue through early November.
The project will conclude with a grand finale and felicitation ceremony on November 15, the birth anniversary of Gijubhai Badheka. Selected child innovators will receive patent filing certificates and recognition from distinguished guests during a university conclave.
Kidnovation will be implemented through partnerships with organisations that will contribute expertise in patent drafting, prototyping, innovation screening, teacher engagement, and documentation.
"The initiative seeks to create a new generation of young innovators and position Gujarat as a leader in grassroots innovation and intellectual property development among schoolchildren,'' an official said.
This report was published from a wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.