The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us to be mindful of our surroundings and not take for granted some realities such as hygiene and cleanliness. When the pandemic began, I — like many other students — was stuck at home adapting the new realities of online school. I noticed that, every time new items were brought home, my mother was constantly afraid and anxious about the presence of the coronavirus on these objects. I realised that other families too were probably facing these fears.
Creativity matters
I began thinking about how one could sterilise vegetables, groceries, parcels, and other such necessary items that enter into our homes? Exposure to sunlight, or washing them with soap/baking soda/potassium permanganate, or using sanitisers are all options but each one has its drawback. This is when I got the idea of creating the Suraksha Box, which works on the principle of using UVC light to sterilise.
The box has a mesh on which the items are placed and subjected to UVC light in a controlled environment. It has a range of around 240 nanometres, which is optimum to destroy RNA and DNA of viruses. This was launched on October 2, 2020, with a Government of India (MC&I) patent published. It has also been approved and certified by the CSIR-CMERI of the Government of India.
This is a mass audience product, not restricted to any specific demographic, and can be customised to create versions to suit different environments like metro stations, government schools, airports and other public areas.
As an entrepreneur and an innovator, I believe that extreme times have always led human beings to be innovative, and to come out with unique solutions. What today’s youngsters need is right guidance, resources and ecosystem that supports and promotes skills such as critical thinking, problem solving and creativity.
The writer is a 14-year-old innovator and entrepreneur.
