CGC Landran hosts ‘ਪਹਿਲ – Ideathon’ to drive sustainable innovation among Punjab youth
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, February 22, 2026: The Department of Biotechnology at Chandigarh College of Technology (CCT), under CGC Landran, successfully organized ‘ਪਹਿਲ – Ideathon (Pehel Ideathon) for a Sustainable Future’ under the Environment Education Programme of the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology (PSCST), supported by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Er. Pritpal Singh, Executive Director, PSCST, attended the event as Chief Guest, while Dr. K.S. Bath, Joint Director, Science and Environment Outreach Division, PSCST, was the Guest of Honour. Senior academic leaders including Dr. Rajdeep Singh, Campus Director, and Dr. Palki Sahib Kaur, Director-Principal, CCT, were also present.
The Ideathon witnessed participation from over 100 teams representing colleges and universities across Punjab. Following a rigorous two-stage screening process, 28 shortlisted teams presented innovative and sustainable solutions to address pressing environmental challenges.
A distinguished jury panel comprising experts from academia and industry evaluated the ideas. The panel included Vineet Arora (MD & Founder, Novique Life Science Pvt. Ltd.), Kulwinder Singh (Founder & Managing Director, Evox Group), Anil Aggarwal (COO, Ind Swift Laboratories Ltd.), Alok (HR Head, Nestlé India Pvt. Ltd.), Manameet Mathur (Associate Director, Research and Health Consultancy Company), and Ankush Gawri (Manager, IP & Technology Transfer, Indovation Centre Chandigarh, AICTE). During the valedictory ceremony, Ankush Gawri delivered an informative session on the Yukti portal and scaling up innovative ideas.
Cash prizes worth ₹1.30 lakh were awarded to the winners across two categories.
Winners – ‘Reduce Single-Use Plastic and Adopt Healthy Lifestyle’
- First Prize: Deepanshu (Team Sinchit, CEC-CGC Landran)
- Second Prize: Dollvi (ISF College, Moga) for ‘Personal Refill Card System’
- Third Prize: Sonia Jindal (RISE Department, CGC Landran) for ‘FABਇੱਟ’
- Consolation Prize: Twinkle (National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology, Ropar) for ‘Parali to Packaging’
Winners – ‘Reduce Waste and Save Energy’
- First Prize: Team Maritag (CCT, CGC Landran) for floral waste management project
- Second Prize: Jashanpreet and Gurjot Kaur (Mata Gujri College, Sri Fatehgarh Sahib) for ‘Sustainable Washing Machines with Biofilter Technology’
- Third Prize: Deepanshi Sharma for ‘Myco-Mazing’ innovative packaging idea
- Consolation Prize: Navjot Kaur (CCT, CGC Landran) for ‘Sustainable Piezoelectric Energy from Wheat Straw’
The jury commended the originality, feasibility, and environmental impact of the projects presented. ‘ਪਹਿਲ – Pehel Ideathon’ emerged as a vibrant platform encouraging students to contribute towards sustainable development, entrepreneurship, and innovation in Punjab.