Program Sponsored by Ministry of Science & Technology and Bentley
Honors Students for Envisioning the Infrastructure Future of Delhi
NEW DELHI, India--(Business Wire)--The Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, and
Bentley Systems, Incorporated today announced that the project
designed by students of Team 1 from Apeejay School, Noida, won top
honors in the 2007-2008 Future Cities India 2020 competition. The
program, which was launched in 2006 by the Ministry of Science &
Technology and Bentley, is a partnership among government,
universities, and the business community. It encourages students to
use their design skills, along with Bentley's software for the world's
infrastructure, to help prepare India's cities for the year 2020, when
it is estimated that more than 50 percent of India's citizens will
live in the country's largest cities. All submissions provided a plan
for the future redevelopment of the Commonwealth Games 2010
international zone, which will consist of temporary structures -
everything from media centers, entertainment facilities, and practice
grounds to a commercial center and transportation system - that will
be dismantled at the conclusion of the Games.
Shri. Kapil Sibal, the Honorable Minister for Science & Technology
& Earth Sciences, presided over the awards ceremony at the Shangri-La
Hotel. "It is with great pleasure that I present the Future Cities
India 2020 award to the students of Team 1, Apeejay School, Noida, in
recognition of their creative vision and excellent work," said Sibal.
"For the second straight year we have made students aware of the
enormous infrastructure challenges facing this country. At the same
time, we have planted the engineering seed in the minds of our
nation's youth with the hope that they will one day determine the
infrastructure future of this great nation."
The winners were awarded scholarships and trophies, and the
teachers and technical professionals who served as counselors and
mentors also received awards and recognition. Members of the winning
team included Ajaypat Jain, Anshul Singh, E R Subramanian, and Gagan
Anand. Second place honors went to Team 1, DAV Public School, Gurgaon.
Bhupinder Singh, Senior Vice President, Bentley Software, said,
"We are excited to be a part of this wonderful program, share the
ministry's enthusiasm for it, and appreciate the incredible maturity,
talent, and vision the students have displayed in this year's
competition. Future Cities India 2020 is a tribute to all the creative
minds that have developed innovative design solutions to help address
India's real-world infrastructure needs."
Commenting on the winning team's experiences during the five-month
competition, team leader Ajaypat Jain said, "Future Cities India 2020
gave us an opportunity to serve our country in a special way - and it
was an opportunity we did not take lightly. We are truly fortunate to
be part of this initiative as it has given us practical experience for
our future endeavors."
Jain continued, "Envisioning what India should look like 12 years
from now wasn't easy. But with the help of our teachers and mentors,
and working with advanced modeling software like Bentley MXROAD and
MicroStation V8 XM Edition, we were able to produce a winning design."
The Future Cities India 2020 competition consisted of 14 student
teams representing 10 high schools. Teachers and industry mentors
guided each team in designing a plan to redevelop the international
zone of the Commonwealth Games 2010 after the event. Using Bentley
software, students designed an innovative functional use for the site,
while keeping in mind the concerns of the neighboring residential
community and all environmental issues. Distinguished experts from the
infrastructure community judged the project presentations based on
five criteria: project design solution report, computer model,
expenditure summary report, physical model, and team presentation.
The Ministry of Science & Technology opened the 2007-2008 Future
Cities India 2020 design competition to all 11th-grade standard school
students from Delhi and the National Capital Region. Bentley, through
its BE Careers Network program, provided software products and
solutions to the students and trained them, with the assistance of the
industry mentors, in their use.
About the Ministry of Science & Technology, DST
The Department of Science & Technology (DST) was established in
May 1971, with the objective of promoting new areas of Science &
Technology (S&T) and to play the role of a nodal department for
organizing, coordinating and promoting S&T activities in the country.
The DST has major responsibilities for specific projects and programs
as listed below: formulation of policy statements and guidelines on
science and technology and coordination of areas of science and
technology, in which a number of institutions and departments have
interests and capabilities; support of basic and applied research in
national institutions throughout the country and provision of minimum
infrastructural facilities for testing and instrumentation; support of
critical technology programs; support of autonomous research
institutions, whose specialization ranges from advanced medical
research materials to astronomy; fostering international cooperation
and establishment of special joint centers/projects; support socially
oriented S&T interventions in rural areas for weaker sections; support
knowledge-based and innovation-driven entrepreneurship development to
create self-employment opportunities; popularization of science and
technology; providing scientific services in terms of surveying and
maps for defense, external affairs, state governments and several
other developmental agencies through Survey of India (SOI) and
National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organization (NATMO); providing
meteorological services for agriculture, water resources management,
disaster warning, and civil aviation, as well as providing seismicity
data through India Meteorological Department (IMD); Management of
Information Systems for Science and Technology and Natural Resources
Data Management Systems (NRDMS). The present program was initiated by
NRDMS, which has a mandate of developing spatial infrastructure, GIS,
and natural resources data collection for social and economic
development. NRDMS, in its initiative to harness young minds' creative
skills to address local issues by way of design, interaction,
communication and spreading awareness, developed the Future Cities
India 2020 program in India in collaboration with Bentley.
About BE Careers Network
The mission of BE Careers Network is to help students graduate
with market-ready technology skills. It provides programs for
students, teachers, and schools, including free and discounted
software licenses, training, curriculum counseling, and scholarships.
For more information about BE Careers Network, including its many
competitions and scholarship opportunities, go to
www.becareers.org/competitions.
About Bentley
Bentley Systems, Incorporated provides software for the lifecycle
of the world's infrastructure. The company's comprehensive portfolio
for the building, plant, civil, and geospatial verticals spans
architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and operations. With
revenues now surpassing $400 million annually, and more than 2400
colleagues globally, Bentley is the leading provider of AEC software
to the Engineering News-Record Top Design Firms and major
owner-operators, and was named the world's No. 2 provider of
GIS/geospatial software solutions in a Daratech research study.
To receive Bentley press releases as they are issued, visit
www.bentley.com/bentleywire. For more information, visit
www.bentley.com. To view a copy of Bentley's April 2007 Annual Report
online, go to www.bentley.com/April2007annualreport.
Bentley, the "B" logo, and Future Cities India 2020 are either
registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley
Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly owned
subsidiaries. All other brands and product names are trademarks of
their respective owners.
Press Contacts:
Ron Kuhfeld, +1 610-321-6493
ron.kuhfeld@bentley.com
or
Mickey Bopanna/Yashmeen Barua
Corporate Voice/Weber Shandwick
Mob: +91 99806 16521/+91 98116 99757
mickey@corvoshandwick.co.in
Copyright Business Wire 2008
