New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary on Wednesday expressed concern at the growing challenge of e-waste and stressed upon the need to involve school children in addressing it, thereby paving the way for its systematic management.
He added that it was the shared responsibility of institutions, communities and citizens to address the issue.
The minister made the comments at the felicitation of 10 national-level winning teams and innovators of Viksit Bharat Buildathon (VBB), 2025.
The Guinness World Records certification for VBB 2025 as the "Largest Innovation Solution Competition" was also presented at the function, marking a historic milestone for school education and grassroots innovation in India.
"Growing e-waste is a challenge, and there is a need to involve schoolchildren in addressing it by paving the way for its systematic management," he said.
Chaudhary reiterated the importance of fostering confidence, creativity, innovation and independent thinking among children to mould them into future leaders.
Highlighting the Buildathon Initiative, he noted that students were encouraged to identify problems and develop solutions independently, without predefined problems or solutions. He appreciated the participation of lakhs of students nationwide and acknowledged the role of teachers in mentoring and guiding them.
Organised by the Department of School Education in collaboration with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Viksit Bharat Buildathon (VBB) 2025 was initiated to foster creative problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and scientific curiosity among school students.
Centred around four foundational pillars -- Atmanirbhar Bharat, Swadeshi, Vocal for Local, and Samriddh Bharat -- the initiative witnessed an unprecedented grassroots response, recording 2,87,967 project submissions across both Idea and Prototype Tracks.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
