Students and teachers from the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti were on Tuesday felicitated for integrating technology in education.

Out of the 3,500 entries, eight teachers and 12 students from 981 KVS and 565 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas were selected in a joint contest organised by Intel to recognise innovative teaching-learning practices adopted by them.

Felicitating the students HRD minister Kapil Sibal said, "The private sector often says that their education is superior to the education of the public sector. But the fact is that the results of KVs and JNVs are always better than theirs. And today again these schools have achieved excellence in education through these innovative, thoughtful and society orientated projects."

These students and teachers displayed their projects in during the programme. They include a project on production of biogas from water hyacinth, an aquatic plant which is harmful for aquatic animals and other plants. This has been prepared by Saurav Kumar, a student of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Madhya Pradesh. With the help of his mentor teacher, Saurav designed a digester, in which, the methogenic bacteria acts on biomass like cow dung cakes, garbage, refuse portions of fruit and water hyacinth to produce biogas.

Saurav said, "The gas can be used for cooking purpose. A small amount of this gas can last for 90 to 100 days by the family of four. And the when produced in large amount it can be used for industrial purpose also." This gas is not just used in his own school, but he also used the technology to spread the word in nearby villages. Some 10 villages, around his school, are using this procedure to produce the biogas.

Aditya Shankar, a class 12th students, from Kendriya Vidyalaya in INS Hamla, Mumbai, showcased his project - 'rejuvenators'. The project uses vermi compositing programme to turn garbage into manure. As a result of this, Aditya's school earns upto Rs 40,000 annually. "I used the leaves and canteen waste to experiment. In two months the composed was made."