Model G20 concludes; winners felicitated at IIT Hyderabad

The MODEL G20, a brainchild of Prof B S Murty, Director, IITH to relate students with India’s G20 presidency and provide them an opportunity to participate in its discourse through this competition, came to a successful conclusion six months after it was launched in March 2023.  Like the main G20 agenda, MODEL G20 also went with the same seven agenda items:  Sustainable Development Goals, circular economy, climate change, multilateral reforms, digitalization, women-led developments and geopolitical crises.

More than 60K colleges across the country were approached for participation and finally 4000+ entries were received in the form of essays and constituted stage 1 of the competition. These essays were then reviewed by a panel of 52 reviewers from   Indian National Young Academy of Science (INYAS), who shortlisted 121 for next round at 6 zones. The zonal finals were held at six IITs in these zones to choose 32 finalists through debate competition. Then finally on Oct 13, the seven winners from each theme were felicitated at IITH.

The students also share their winning ideas with the forum, which are:

1. Divyansh Joshi, Vellore Institute of Technology, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, Women Empowerment:Women at the core of development agenda/women-led development – Women empowerment is not about making women strong; they are already strong; it’s about changing the perception of the world about their strength. Training women in the 3-step model and also made an app for Poshion-Tracker.
2. Sourav Jyoti Baishya, College of Agriculture, Agricultural University, Assam, Life (Lifestyle for Environment):Living a sustainable lifestyle to protect the environment and promote a healthier planet for future generations by protecting soil, water, health, and atmosphere and integrating wise life choices of the people with government policies to make a better future.
3. Sumirini Puppala IMS & SUM Hospital, Siksha’O’ Anusandhan University, Odisha, Progress on Sustainable Development Goals:A successful roadmap to SDGs can be achieved by profound awareness, reciprocal community inclusivity, all-strata-integration, and responsible and pan-resource utilization. Let’s put the world’s most populous nation to work and prove what a phenomenal human resource is worth!
4. Sushree Sangeeta Behera, Samanta Chandrasekhar College, Puri, Odisha, Climate change and its impact:The silent scream of the planet in perils reshaping our world, testing our resilience and urging humanity to act.
5. Hitaishi Chakravarty KD Dental College and Hospital, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh: Transforming aspirations into actions for a better and more sustainable world.
6. Anaya Degloorkar ICFAI Business School, Hyderabad, Telangana, Revitalizing Global Governance:A Blueprint for a More Effective, Inclusive, and Sustainable Future in International Governance.
7. Malvika Jayakumar, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Maharashtra, Circular Economy and Lifestyle for Environment: Examples of Circular Economy can be gleaned from our ancient heritage, for instance, sustainable practices within Buddhist Sanghas or the Japanese art of Kintsugi. Circularity benefits both the environment and industries by creating a continuous loop of value creation and supply chains. Circularity can be further promoted through improvements in Global Waste trade, greater representation of indigenous voices in decision-making, urban forestry and skill training to turn individuals into value generators

Prof B S Murty, Director, IITH, said, “In the spirit of our motto, ‘Inventing & Innovating in Technology for Humanity,’ IITH is deeply honoured to be a driving force in the MODEL G20 Award Ceremony. This event embodies our commitment to fostering innovation and excellence among young leaders who are working tirelessly to address global challenges. The G20 platform, much like our institution, stands as a beacon for collaboration and global awareness. Together with INYAS and under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, we celebrate young leaders who personify our motto by finding innovative solutions for a sustainable and inclusive world, shaping a brighter future for all, not to be just AtmaNirbhar but be a Global Leader.”

Delivering the special address at the award ceremony Sanjay K Murthy, Secretary, Higher Education, Ministry of Education, said, “This initiative is truly exceptional, particularly in the context of the National Education Policy’s emphasis on multidisciplinary education. IIT Hyderabad stands at the forefront, not only leading the charge but also contributing significantly to the foundational document of the NEP in collaboration with other pioneering institutes and agencies. We are taking the lead in enhancing digital public infrastructure, evident in projects like SWAYAM and DISHA at the school level. One of the major highlights during India’s G20 presidency was the focus on research and the mobility of students and researchers, aiming to foster greater international collaboration. This recognition of collaboration as the cornerstone to global success marks a significant development.”

Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa in his video message on occasion, commented, “As we gather to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of the winners of this prestigious Model G20 competition, I want to express my deepest thanks to the IIT Hyderabad (IITH) and the Indian National Young Academy of Sciences (INYAS) for their tireless efforts in organizing this remarkable event. The G-20 initiative, which engages students from over 60,000 degree colleges, universities, and technical institutions, is designed to expose them to the complexities of multilateral discussions on global challenges and pressing policy issues. Congratulations to our seven exceptional winners. You embody the potential that resides within our nation’s youth, and you give us hope for a brighter and more prosperous future.”