While the recently concluded 64{+t}{+h}All India Police Athletic Championship was marked by dazzling display by some athletes, a self-taught developer of scientific objects had a role to play in the smooth conduct of the event.
Thirty-six-year-old K.T. Ajay Kumar, a businessman dealing with gas stoves and hailing from Aaramkallu in Vazhayila, has been credited with developing a mechanism that was used to light the specially erected cauldron at the Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium.
He based his arrangement on the principle of electromagnetic induction and employed a spring, magnet and copper wire to generate electricity.
“The flame from the torch was transferred to the 40-foot-high cauldron within a few seconds. The fire was then sustained using a continuous supply of LPG,” he said.
According to P.V. Raju, Assistant Commandant, Special Armed Police (SAP), who had lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the Games, the mechanism functioned without any glitch. A demonstration of the arrangement was held prior to the ceremony.
He added that Mr. Kumar was identified for the purpose after being recommended by a staff member at the SAP camp, where he conducts maintenance of stoves.
Mr. Kumar said he had not been able to complete his school education and appear for the SSLC examination owing to his family’s financial situation. “Having an affinity towards science, I have made efforts in practically applying scientific knowledge gained through books,” Mr. Kumar said.
Other innovations
His other innovations include an incinerator that is capable of burning waste materials, even those which are moist.
He has used an iron sheet for the outer covering of the arrangement which has multiple components, including fireclay and cement in the interior. The incinerator has a 32-foot high exhaust pipe and an arrangement to give out residual ash.
A few commercial establishments, including hospitals, have installed the incinerator on their institution premises, he says.
School dropout uses scientific principles for practical purposes.
