Kaif Ali, a student of the school of Architecture and Ekistics, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), has won the celebrated Commonwealth Secretary-General Innovation Award for Sustainable Development-2021.
Mr Ali is that the only Indian amongst 15 awardees from 54 Commonwealth countries, the university said.
He has been awarded for his contribution towards solving problems associated with COVID-19, global climate change and refugee shelter crisis.
Winners of the award receive a trophy, 3,000 pounds (Rs 3,00,000 approx.) in prize and also the opportunity to rescale their innovations together with partners and mentors across the Commonwealth countries.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kaif Ali designed a prefabricated sustainable shelter, SpaceEra, which will help reduce transmission of the virus and house refugees.
“Kaif has invented low-cost portable housing for COVID-19 quarantine and shelter from extreme atmospheric condition like earthquakes and flooding. His design has been recognised by the UN under the highest 11 emerging innovation start-ups solving climate challenges,” Jamia Millia Islamia said in a politician statement.
JMI Vice-Chancellor Prof Najma Akhtar congratulated Mr Ali for the achievement and said that the university is happy with him. “We expect that it’ll motivate other students of the university to figure hard, be after of the box to induce noticed and contribute to nation-building”, Prof Akhtar said.
“Winning the Commonwealth Innovation Award lifts my confidence to a greater level and motivates me to figure even harder than yesterday and innovate unprecedented solutions to attain a sustainable future. I pledge to become the voice of the youth transforming the Commonwealth and to Be the Change,” Mr Ali said.
