Surat school student uses machine learning to estimate groundwater availability; project wins national innovation challenge
A school student from Surat has developed a machine-learning-based project to estimate groundwater availability using historical borewell records, rainfall information and soil-related data. His innovation has won the national title at vivo Ignite 2026, a nationwide technology and innovation challenge for school students.Dheyay Shah of RMG Maheshwari English School developed JALAAKAR, short for The Shape of Water: Predict, Alert, and Act. The project uses historical groundwater-related information to generate estimates at the taluka level, with the aim of supporting better-informed water management.Shah was named the national winner at the competition’s fourth edition, whose finale was held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on October 28, 2026. This year’s challenge received more than 6,100 student ideas from over 12,000 schools across 705 districts.
How JALAAKAR estimates groundwater availability
JALAAKAR combines historical borewell records with rainfall and soil-related information to estimate groundwater availability. It applies machine-learning techniques to identify patterns in the data and generate estimates for different talukas.The project focuses on groundwater assessment, an important concern for communities that depend on borewells for water. However, the organisers’ announcement does not provide details about the model’s prediction accuracy, independent validation or deployment in real-world water management systems.
Other student projects tackle water safety and online security
The national finale recognised 10 projects developed by 13 young innovators through eight individual and two group entries. Their ideas addressed challenges in groundwater conservation, water safety, women’s online security, road safety and assistive technology.The second-ranked project, JalRakshak, developed by Vidyut Sundar and Shreyan Limaye of Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai, uses borewell-specific time-series analysis to anticipate water-level decline by considering rainfall recharge and groundwater extraction.Anish Srinivas, Achyutha Pranav V Subramanian and Akhilesh Ram R of Chennai’s Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Senior Secondary School developed HydroPlastiNet, a proposed filtration system combining mechanical filtration, bentonite and activated charcoal to trap microplastics and adsorb dissolved pollutants.Other shortlisted ideas included Project Unmuted, a platform designed to guide women facing cybercrime; Project DrishtiBodh, a LiDAR-based safety collar for visually impaired people; and AquaSentinel AI, a device designed to estimate fluoride concentration in school drinking water.
More than 6,100 ideas submitted across India
The fourth edition of vivo Ignite recorded more than 38,000 registrations from over 12,000 schools across 4,500 cities and 705 districts. Participation covered all 28 states and eight Union Territories, including 92 Aspirational Districts.The top 10 projects were evaluated by a jury of academicians and industry experts on creativity, scientific application, feasibility, cost-effectiveness and potential social impact. The programme offers educational scholarships and rewards worth up to ₹35 lakh, subject to its terms and conditions.Alongside the student awards, vivo India also recognised 10 educators through its National Teacher Innovation Fellowship. The fellowship received more than 200 applications from 14 states and 26 districts, recognising approaches that make science and technology education more practical and engaging.
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