COIMBATORE: Nine schools from Coimbatore district have been selected for the state-level final round of the School Innovation Development Project (SIDP), a programme aimed at nurturing innovation mindset and entrepreneurship skills among school students.In the current academic year, students from 8,124 govt and govt-aided schools in the state submitted 44,393 innovation ideas. After a three-stage evaluation process, 160 teams were shortlisted for the state finals.S Suhashini, BT (bachelor teacher) assistant, Government High School, Ramanamudalipudur, Anamalai block, Coimbatore district, said the final state-level boot camp would feature 160 teams, involving around 800 students. From Coimbatore, 32 teams with about 120 students have been selected for the final round from nine schools.She said more than 1,000 students from over 80 schools in the district participated in it, with each school required to include at least 25 students. Each team comprised three to five students, with participation open to classes VI to XII. Training support was provided by the Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Institute (EDII).The nine shortlisted schools from Coimbatore district are: Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Ondipudur; Government High School, Sultanpet; Government Higher Secondary School, Othakkalmandapam; St Thomas Aided Higher Secondary School; St Francis Anglo Indian Girls High School; Government High School, Ramanamudhalipudur; VRT Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Anamalai; Pollachi Municipal Girls High School; and Government Higher Secondary School, Mannur Ramanathapuram.Students submitted innovations including a smart assistant for patients, EcoWise waste management solutions, a smart solar bag, a smart walking stick for the visually impaired, an automatic smart dustbin, and an accident monitoring and alert system.State-level finals will be conducted zone-wise from September. The regional round for Coimbatore, Tirupur, the Nilgiris, Namakkal, Salem and Erode districts is scheduled in Coimbatore on Sept 15. Prize money for state winners includes Rs 1 lakh for first place, Rs 50,000 for second and Rs 25,000 for third.
