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New Delhi: Pooja Pal, a Class 12 student from Barabanki district in Uttar Pradesh, has been conferred the Pradhan Mantri Bal Puraskar for her innovative scientific work aimed at improving farmers’ health. The award was presented by President Draupadi Murmu at a ceremony held in New Delhi.
Pooja developed a dust-free thresher model designed to reduce the harmful dust produced during crop threshing. Explaining her idea, she said the machine helps control chaff and dust, which can otherwise cause serious respiratory illnesses among farmers.
Her project was first selected at the district level under the Innovation Inspire Award, following which it cleared the state and national stages. The model also received international appreciation, giving Pooja the opportunity to represent India at a global platform in Japan.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated Pooja in a post on X, praising her “innovative thinking, scientific vision and social responsibility” for developing the chaff-dust separation machine to tackle agricultural air pollution, and wished her success in the future.
A resident of Dalai Purva village in Sirauli Gauspur tehsil, Pooja travelled to Delhi with her guide teacher Rajiv Srivastava. She studies at Fatehchand Jagdish Rai Inter College in Safdarganj.
Coming from a modest background, Pooja is the daughter of Puttilal, a labourer, and Sunila Devi, a cook at a government school. Despite financial constraints and growing up with five siblings, she achieved national recognition through perseverance and dedication. The district administration has also named her a role model under Mission Shakti.
Her mentor Rajiv Srivastava said it was a moment of pride for any teacher to see a student reach such heights.
