Rare honour: Minor planet named after Puttur PU student

Puttur: Swastik Padma, a second year PU (science) student of Vivekananda PU College here has been conferred with a rare honour of having a minor planet named after him.

Swasthik was honoured so by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lincoln Laboratory and International Astronomical Union for the  distinction he had achieved in the international level science and engineering fair – 2018 (ISEF-2018).

Thus, Swasthik Padma has earned the eligibility to participate in Google Science Fair to be held in May 2019. He would be presenting a research essay on ‘Desal: development of a novel land feasible desalination device’.

Swasthik has also represented India twice in international events. In 2017, while participating at the International Science and engineering fair, he had made an item by using slag with non-reusable plastic, which was 24 times stronger as compared to iron. He had won special award for this discovery. At a similar event in 2018, he discovered a paper slip that can diagnose malnutrition among children six months in advance and a paper slip that can detect oral cancer much in advance. This helped him in bagging the Second Grand Award. He was presented with the National Child Award from the President of India on November 14 2017.

Swasthik is the son of Kedila Murgaje Sriram Bhat M and Mallika couple from Bantwal taluk and has also won the NCSC young scientist award, as well as international plastic icon award at the plastic exhibition held at Ahmadabad.

2,450 students from 85 countries take part in this international fair, says Swastik and expresses having felt proud when the organisers mentioned the name of the country to which the honour goes. “I’m very happy a minor planet has been named after me,” he said.