Google Science Fair 2015 Winners – Indian-Hindu Descent
The Google Science Fair is a global online science and technology competition open to individuals and teams from ages 13 to 18 and covers topics from bio-technology, eco-friendly applicants to advanced technology solutions, all for a better tomorrow. It is among the most competitive and renowned science fairs around the World and is seen as a discovery ground for top institutions to find the next global leaders in science and innovation.
Hindus are mostly based in India and make up less than 15% of the World’s population where the majority faiths are Islam and Christianity. However, Hindu and the Indian diaspora have taken over academic awards and competitions over the last decade with the US-based Scripps National Spelling Bee having a Hindu/Indian winner for the last 8 consecutive spelling bees and winning almost 80% of the last 18 National Spelling Bees, 50% of all finalists were of Hindu/Indian descent as well while the total Hindu/Indian population in America is less than 1%.
Many analysts credit the wins and passion for academic excellence on Hinduism-influenced Indian culture. For thousands of years, Hindus have had a strong drive towards academia and literature. Hinduism is well known for its deep literature consisting of its Vedas, Upanishads and lengthy tales of Ramayana and Mahabharata. The core of Hindu-based philosophy also advocates academic books/literature as sacred and believes all people should attain an education (in multiple forms) to progress greater society. Since Hinduism is more of a ‘way of life’ vs. a book-based religion, science and Hindu philosophy help compliment each other.
The 6 winners of Indian-descent covered topics from Alzheimer treatments to cheap biological-adsorbents. The names of winners and their winning projects are listed below:
Deepika Kurup, age 17 (United States)
Project: NOVEL PHOTOCATALYTIC PERVIOUS COMPOSITES FOR REMOVING MULTIPLE CLASSES OF TOXINS FROM WATER
Pranav Sivakumar, age 15 (United States)
Project: AN AUTOMATED SEARCH FOR GRAVITATIONALLY LENSED QUASARS IN THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY
Girish Kumar, age 17 (Singapore)
Project: REVUP: AUTOMATICALLY GENERATING QUESTIONS FROM EDUCATIONAL TEXTS
Krtin Nithiyanandam, age 14 (United Kingdom)
Project: DEVELOPING A MOLECULAR ‘TROJAN HORSE’ FOR THE EARLIER, MINIMALLY-INVASIVE DIAGNOSIS OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Anurudh Ganesan, age 15 (United States)
Project: REFRIGERATION SYSTEM FOR LAST-LEG VACCINE TRANSPORTATION
Lalita Prasida Sripada Srisai, age 13 (India)
Project: LOW COST BIO-ADSORBENT
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