The TN SDG Girls Championship 2022 gold bagged by Thassim Beevi Abdul Kader College, Kilakarai, Ramanathapuram
– The Stella Maris Sustainable Development (SMSD) Students Hub organised the Grand Finale at Stella Maris College campus
– The Championship aims to contribute towards the global Sustainable Development Goals and generate momentum in Tamil Nadu
The Stella Maris Sustainable Development (SMSD) Students Hub organised the Grand Finale of its largest initiative yet, the Tamil Nadu SDG Girls Championship 2022: an initiative to inspire young innovators to come up with solutions to local problems.
The TN SDG Girls Championship 2022 gold was bagged by Thassim Beevi Abdul Kader College, the silver by Mepco Schlenk Engineering College, and the bronze by Kumaraguru College of Liberal Arts and Science. M Wasima Begum, from Thassim Beevi Abdul Kader College was presented the ‘Sustainability Guru’ award for mentoring the winning team. The prize-winners garner recognition for their out-of-the- box thinking and prize money sponsored by Startup TN for furthering their solution and implementing them on the ground.
The Grand Finale was presided over by the esteemed judging panel; Dr Jebamalai Vinanchiarachi, Senior Economist and Former Principal Advisor, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation; Dr Jayshree Vencatesan, Ecologist, Managing Trustee, Care Earth Trust and Director, TN Women’s Development Corporation; Dr Sadhana Rajkumar, Sparrow Conservation Activist, Nutritionist Diet and Fitness Consultant; Ms Sinega B N, State Vice President, All India Students Federation; Mr Raja Tamizh Maran, Researcher, Author and Politician; Mr Mageswar R, Project Lead, Startup TN, Ms Jevitha Sathyanarayanan, Recruitment Manager, Human Resources, Zoho Corporation and Ms. Revathi, Associate HR, Zoho Corporation. Dr Sulthan Khalifa Haroon Al Rashid, SDG Students Program Regional Officer for Asia Pacific. SDSN – Youth joined the gathering virtually. Dr. Sr. Rosy Joseph, Principal and Sr. Judith Anita Gonsalvez, Secretary,Stella Maris College were also present for the grand finale.
The judges highlighted the power of India in the coming decades and the role of women in the Indian growth story. Mr Mageswar R of Startup TN, the title sponsor of the Championship expressed their interest in incubating ideas stemming from this competition.Dr Sadhana Rajkumar highlighted her personal commitment to sustainability goals and the importance of collective action and responsibility.
Dr Rebecca Devaprasad, Faculty Advisor, SMSD Students Hub, Stella Maris College,stated, “It is delightful watching such insightful and practical solutions coming from young students across the state. It also stands as a testament to the power of collaboration between institutions towards achieving synergies. The response has been brilliant. The Championship saw participation from 3,243 students across 108 colleges and 1,081 teams.”
The Championship was launched on 8 December 2022 and the semi-finals were conducted in two Panels A and B where the participants brought forth a wide variety of topics, ranging from sustainable construction alternatives to textile recycling. The Sustainable Development Solution Network and its Sustainable Development Goals Students Program played a significant role, from mobilizing resources to providing networking opportunities and mentoring to the students. Eight partner institutions helped bring the Championship to fruition with the assistance of StartupTN. After 150 teams competed, 16 qualified for the Grand Finale which was held today. This Championship aims to contribute towards the global Sustainable Development Goals and generate momentum in Tamil Nadu.
