♦ Anil Pradhan from Odisha was awarded the third Rohini Nayyar Prize. HE got this award for his outstanding contribution to rural development for his work in promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education among students in rural India. His work in STEM education and innovation has impacted over 2.5 lakh students to date.

♦ Pradhan is a co-founder of the Young Tinker Foundation, came up with the idea of ‘Tinker-on-Wheels’ — a mobile learning lab that offered hands-on experiences in areas like robotics and 3D printing to school students in rural regions of Odisha, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu.

♦ The Rohini Nayyar award was instituted in memory of Rohini Nayyar, an economist and former IAS officer in Uttar Pradesh who served with the Planning Commission of India. The prize honors young leaders under 40 making notable contributions to rural development in India. The award includes a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh, a citation, and a trophy.