Puttur: In a rare honour, Swastik Padma, a prodigious second year PU student of the Vivekananda PU College was allowed to have a minor planet named after him by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lincoln Laboratory and International Astronomical Union for the distinction that he achieved at the international level science and engineering fair-2018.
By winning this competition, he now has the eligibility to participate in the Google Science Fair which is to be held in May 2019. There he will be presenting a research essay on ‘Desal: Development of a novel land feasible desalination device.’
Prior to this achievement, Swastik has represented India twice in international events. First, in 2017, where he participated in the International Science and Engineering Fair where he made an item using slag with non-reusable plastic which was as much as 24 times stronger than iron and won a special award for his invention. In a similar event in 2018, he invented a paper slip which could diagnose children for malnutrition and also another paper slip which could detect oral cancer in advance. This won him his second grand award.
He was presented the National Child Award by the President of India on November 14, 2017.
Swastik, the son of Kedila Murgaje Sriram Bhat M and Mallika who live in the Bantwal taluk has also won the NCSC young scientist award and the international plastic icon award at a plastic exhibition in Ahmedabad.
