New Delhi: A Class 12 student in Jammu has won the US HonorsGradU 2025 Scholarship, securing the coveted “Build a Better Future” award for his groundbreaking invention of a solar thermal system.
Organised by Honors Graduation, a US-based non-profit supporting student-led sustainability and innovation projects, the HonorsGradU Scholarship is highly competitive, offering only five awards annually across the globe.
Japteg Singh Bamrah, a Class 12 student from Dalhousie Public School emerged as one of five global winners out of thousands of entries from around the world, according to a statement from the Ministry of Science & Technology.
Bamrah has been awarded a $10,000 scholarship for his undergraduate education in the US, along with an additional $5,000 grant for further development and scaling of his innovation. Notably, his project was recognised as the top technology among this year’s winners.
He is the first and only student from India since the programme’s inception in 2012 to top the list, marking a moment of pride for the nation.
Bamrah’s project the Solar Mech Engine, which earlier won the CSIR Jigyasa Hackathon 2024, is a standalone solar thermal system that operates on Concentrated Heat and Power (CHP) technology. It was developed under the mentorship of the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM).
It utilises the principles of cyclic air expansion and contraction due to temperature differences to convert heat energy into mechanical energy.
A key feature is its low-resistance generator, which employs electromagnetic induction for direct mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion. Its unique selling proposition lies in its ability to function as a reversible heat pump, making it a highly efficient and sustainable energy solution.
Bamrah has also received offers from over 10 top universities across the US, Australia, and Canada, with additional scholarships amounting to $16,000 annually for his undergraduate studies, the Ministry said.
With a total grant of $31,000, Bamrah plans to refine his Solar Mech Engine further and pursue his higher education at a leading global university.
(IANS)
