Pupils win gold at global invention contest

FIVE pupils from SJK(T) Ladang Buloh Akar in Parit, Perak, have made their school proud – their invention of a special type of hand drier won a gold medal at an international innovation conference, Tamil Nesan reported.

The pupils, children of plantation labourers, had sent in their entry and a videoclip via e-mail because they did not have the funds to travel to the conference in Toronto, Canada.

Their invention was awarded a gold medal and entered into finals scheduled for Aug 26, their headmaster P. Manoharan said.

Many people who praised the pupils for their effort pointed out that their school has less than 30 students and lacks many modern amenities.

Manoharan said the students were also praised by education officials, teachers from other schools and parents.

He added that the students hope their success will inspire others, especially those coming from poor backgrounds.

> India’s “Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle” (PSLV) rocket has successfully rocketed 209 foreign and 48 Indian satellites into orbit since it began operations 23 years ago, Malaysia Nanban reported.

Since its first payload launch in October 1994, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) rocket has seen 39 consecutive successful missions.

The rocket also launched the Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and Mars Orbiter Spacecraft in 2013 which went to the moon and Mars.

The launch of the Mars probe was a boost for ISRO because despite being its first launch to the planet, the operation went flawlessly

The PSLV has become a reliable launcher of international missions, with another milestone being the launch of 104 satellites via a single rocket last February, ISRO officials said.