At a time when children of his age were busy playing with toy guns and car replicas, Mahid Rafiq, 12, from Sirgufwara in Anantnag district was keen on innovating. Ever since he was 8-years-old, the teenage innovator has shown signs of an inclination towards making creative devices and recently bagged a coveted joint-award for his innovation weed slayer.
This prodigy was scouted and supported at National Innovation Foundation (NIF) Cell-JK and Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EDC), KU. Mahid was later awarded at an award function held at J&K Entrepreneurship Development Institute on October 19. Mahid’s weed slayer helps deweeding without bending and is helpful for agriculturists and people wanting to do work in kitchen gardens.
Mahid who is son of an innovator Rafiq Ahanger, took baby steps of innovating when he made a motor-operated draw string for curtains which made folding them easier. This award Mahid got recently is all the more special as he won the cash prize of Rs 40,000 to be shared jointly with his father Rafiq, whose device “innovative spade” was also appreciated and awarded in best agricultural device category. Exuding confidence, young Mahid not just bagged the best agricultural device award and joint cash amount of Rs 40,000 for his innovation but won hearts too at the award function, which was held to identify technology innovators for providing them a platform under Startup India Mission.
“When I was just 8-years-old, I used to make sketches of devices. My bent of mind was such that I wanted to make a device that could be helpful in solving our day-to-day problems,” says Mahid. Mahid’s weed slayer, mostly made of iron was one among the 26 innovative ideas that were scouted and submitted at University of Kashmir during a workshop organised by NIF on October 15. Mahid who drew inspiration for the weed slayer from his mother’s tedious work in the kitchen garden says he was nervous but confident at the competition. “I used to really feel bad for my mother as she had to bend while deweeding the kitchen garden. That is when I decided to make the weed slayer. Even while receiving the award I remembered my mother who was back home in our fields,” says the teenage innovator. Mahid says the process and preparation for the weed slayer took him one year.
“My father has been a great support as he helped me a lot,” Mahid told a group of judges at the KU event. Mahid who has earlier won ‘talent search’ recognition also, says he is keen on making more innovations in days to come. “My father has taught me to make devices that are people friendly. The first special moment came for our family when my father received an award from President of India in Delhi last year and even an award for his innovations from Bollywood star Akshay Kumar,” says Mahid. According to Mahid, being an innovator in Kashmir is a daunting task, as innovations do not easily become commercially viable. However, Mahid has been successful to catch many eyeballs with the help of his innovation. “I have seen my father struggle for recognition. There must be more steps to encourage innovators especially those from a modest financial background. I will spend the prize money for making more innovations,” says Mahid.
He says, “Necessity is the mother of invention. I get ideas while sleeping, while walking and even during hanging out with friends but my core focus is always to design products that can help common Kashmiris.”
“I also want to innovate and design products which help the artisans and agriculturalists to work more efficiently,” Mahid says.
Apart from his innovations, Mahid is also focusing hard on his career as he says he wants to build an aptitude by reading books and newspapers that helps him become an achiever in professional life.
“I hope one day I have offers from several universities for joining their engineering programme on scholarship basis but I am keen to crack an entrance exam on my own,” Mahid says.
For Mahid, an innovation is like a baby to him. He counts ideas in his mind on fingertips and names each of them with confidence. And why should he not be proud of his innovations as he belongs to a family that has received recognition for innovations at a national level.
“ I will rise and shine InshaAllah and make my father proud one day,” says Mahid.
