Indian students bag top prizes in NASA's Design contest

New Delhi, April 2: Indian youngsters have made the country proud by bagging close to 50% of the design prizes in

. A 7th grade boy from Pune, especially made to the top by grabbing the 1st prize.

According to DNA reports, there were about 600 entries from across 18 countries. But grabbing the 12 prestigious 1st prizes at the NASA Space Settlement Contest competition were Indians.

India had sent about three dozen teams from 12th grade and below. Among the 7th graders, the first prize winner was the Pune boy Chaitanya Vashistha from Wadgaonsheri's St. Arnold Central school. "It's a matter of great delight and brings a lot of pride to us as it was a competition organized by such a eminent and recognized research center NASA," said his father.

Out of a total team of 30, 22 Indian teams won second prizes. "This space research has motivated the students to hope that some day they will go and settle and explore in the field of astronomy " said Nalini Sengupta , principal of Vidya valley school, which was among the winners.

Indian students also won 15 3rd prizes, which included artistic Merit and Literary Merit prize.

OneIndia News