MY INTERVIEW BY TCN

Meraj Ahmed – a scientist in the making in Bihar, but in dire need of help

New Delhi: Though living in one of the poorest and most underdeveloped districts of Bihar, the shining of his talent, his innovative mind and his innovations could not hide themselves from the country. Very recently President of India gave him a prestigious national award for grassroots innovations. He is 23-year-old Meraj Ahmed. Brimming with talent and enthusiasm, he wants to become an APJ Abdul Kalam, but presently is in the dire need of support.

Keeping alive and strengthening his childhood desire to become a scientist, Meraj, a brilliant student of mathematics and science, has so far made a number of innovations – picture tube charger, rat trapping machine and magnetic weighing balance, to name a few. This has caught attention of the nation.

The National Innovation Foundation chose Meraj for the national award in the student category for grassroots innovations. The Fifth National Biennial Competition of NIF for grassroots innovations, ideas and traditional knowledge ran from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2006, and saw more than 37000 practices/innovations and ideas from 31 states and union territories of the country and included enthusiastic participation from the young and the old alike. After the marathon scrutiny, six were chosen in the student category for the national award for grassroots innovations. Meraj is one of them. President of India Pratibha Devisingh Patil gave away the award in a function on November 18, 2008 in New Delhi. This is the latest and the most important in the tally of awards and certificates he has got for his innovative mind.

When did you begin innovation and who inspired you?

“From class VIII, I started doing innovations, and the result is today before the people. I come from a poor family. Since the beginning I have been struggling to get education due to financial constraints. I read about great people like Michael Faraday and found they too faced similar situation, and only then I thought I should do something like them,” says Meraj talking to TwoCircles.net on phone. He is in the second year of graduation (with Mathematics as a major subject) in a college in Bettiah district of Bihar where he lives with his parents.

He completed intermediate in 2004 and took admission in graduation but could not continue due to the financial crunch. Anyhow, he has been able to resume his studies.

In fact, for the same reason, he had to start earning early. He was good in studies and as a routine always got over 95 per cent marks in physics, chemistry and mathematics. He started giving tuitions to the children of his own class when he was in class nine. Since then he has supported his family, paid for his siblings’ education and also found time and energy for his other creative pursuits.

He has three brothers and one sister. His elder brother (class 12 pass-out) is an electrician and his younger brother is doing intermediate (Mathematics). The sister, the youngest, has passed matriculation and is studying. His father, who works as a clerk, has not supported him. He wants him to work and earn. But Meraj doesn’t. He has a higher dream.

“My childhood dream is to become a scientist. I want to give life to the storms in my mind and serve the society and the country,” says Meraj.

Some of the storms have already taken shape.

Picture tube charger

In 2003, the picture quality of his second hand black & white television became very poor. The display became unclear and there was a lot of snow. He thought about purchasing another picture tube, but it cost Rs. 800, which was beyond his reach. He considered recharging the picture tube through conventional means, which could be done by any electrician. But his elder brother advised him not to use the method as it might have damaged the picture tube beyond repair. Also the charge did not last more than ten days.

‘Can there be another way?’ he thought. He started studying his brother’s electronics books, at times discussed with him. As he was very good in science, it did not take him much time to understand the basics. He prepared a circuit to charge the television and theoretically discussed its feasibility. When he was sure about the success, he experimented on his television set in 2005. The television set, needless to say, is still working fine in 2009, says NIF which chose him for the award for this and some other innovations.

For financial problems he could not procure some of the components for his device. So, he used waste electronic parts with him and his brother. The first prototype of the picture tube charger was made of these waste materials and was successfully tested on his television. In the first prototype he used a 15 watt bulb. Improving the charger, he reduced the size to almost half in the second prototype and replaced the bulb with a fuse. The breakage of the fuse signals that the picture tube has charged. It took him three months and an investment of about Rs. 3000 to develop the first prototype but he can now make the same in half an hour spending only Rs. 100. He has made three of such picture tube chargers till date. National Innovation Foundation also helped him with a sum of Rs. 5000 to develop this picture charger during the 22nd Shodh Yatra in Motihari in January 2009.

The picture tube charger he makes consists of a transformer, a bell switch, two switches, CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) base and a bulb. Before starting, all wire connections of the picture tube are removed. The CRT base of device is connected to the CRT pin of the picture tube and 220 volt AC is given to it. There is a transformer inside the device, which supplies 12 V DC output. There is a bell switch, which is pressed frequently till the attached bulb glows fully. A bulb signals that the picture tube has been charged completely. Meraj has been using 100W bulb but any bulb can be used. For making the charging device durable, he has incorporated a resistance, a bridge rectifier, and a condenser so that limited voltage can be supplied. This protects the picture tube’s filament from damage and also the charging lasts longer.

Rat trapping machine

Meraj has developed a machine which captures the rat. The device is something different from common rat trapping devices.

It is an electronic machine of dimension 6.5”x 10” x 12”. It works on 4 cells of 6V each and weighs almost two kg. The cubical body of machine is made of wood, one side of which is the entry for the rat. Inside the box, on the opposite end, is an iron plate, which is connected to one end of a circuit. To the other end is connected a metallic flap, which is located just above the iron plate. A piece of bread is kept between the plate and the flap. When the rat pulls the bread then metallic flap falls on the plate and the circuit gets completed resulting in the alarm and closing of the entrance of the rat trap.

The path for the rat inside the trap is zig-zag so even if it wants to run fast, it cannot escape before the entrance closes. There are three switches of the machine viz. main switch for power, the trap switch and the release switch. Keeping the main switch off, bread is put between the iron plate and the metallic flap and the entrance is left open. The main switch is then switched on and the device put in the trap mode by switching on the trap switch. When the rat gets trapped and has to be released, the release switch is switched on, which opens the entrance and the rat can then run out. The battery is used only when the rat pulls the bread and hence need not be replaced soon.

Meraj spent about a week developing this device and now can replicate it in an hour’s time. Using sun mica, it can be made at a cost of Rs. 150 while using steel; he estimates that the cost may increase by a few hundred rupees. He has sold this device to seven people till date, mostly after the 22nd Shodh Yatra, when his innovations were widely publicized, says NIF which had taken out the yatra.

Generator that can run without fuel

Besides these, he has a great idea in his mind. He wants to run generator without fuel. He has developed his theory but needs financial support.
“I have a design in my mind to give a change to generator. After Faraday none has thought to bring change in the system of generator. But I am not getting support from the government or anywhere to work on his project,” Meraj tells TCN.

Explaining his design he says: Generator runs on fuel. I have designed a system wherein no fuel will be required for four years. After four years, only magnet will fail, which can be repaired with Rs 2000-3000,” says he.

After graduation he wants to get higher professional education but has not got even promise of support, let alone the support.

“I have begged the government to help me study at IIT or NIT. If you can’t do that, please take my service as a peon for scientists. I want to serve them and learn.”

Who is his role model?

“APJ Abdul Kalam who also lived a difficult early life and struggled for education. And then as a scientist he devoted his entire life to the nation.”