Gadag Government School Student’s Innovative Dining Table Project Reaches National INSPIRE Awards

Mangalore Today News Network

Gadag, Aug 16, 2026: A Class 10 student from a government school background in Mundargi taluk has developed a height-adjustable dining table for children in hotels, addressing the difficulty young children face while using adult-sized facilities.

The innovative project by Sairam Y. Hugar has cleared the district- and state-level rounds of the INSPIRE Awards-MANAK and has been selected for the national-level exhibition.

Sairam recently attended a two-day orientation programme for shortlisted projects at NIT-K Surathkal on August 13 and 14 and is now preparing for the national showcase.

The idea emerged in 2023-24 when Sairam, then a Class 7 student at Government Primary School, Hirewaddatti, found it difficult for himself and his younger brother to eat comfortably at a restaurant in Mundargi. With guidance from science teacher Yallappa Dadawad, he developed a working model of an adjustable dining table.

The prototype uses components including a DPDT switch, female jack, SPDT switch and BO motor, allowing part of the table to be adjusted to suit a child’s height.

Dadawad said the concept is distinctive as existing height-adjustable furniture largely focuses on chairs, while adjustable dining tables designed specifically for children are uncommon.

The INSPIRE Awards-MANAK, jointly implemented by the Department of Science and Technology and the National Innovation Foundation, encourages students aged 10 to 17 from Classes 6 to 12 to develop original scientific ideas. Selected students receive financial support to develop prototypes.

Mundargi taluk INSPIRE Awards nodal officer Yallappa Handral praised Sairam as a role model for students in government and rural schools and commended Dadawad for helping transform the student’s idea into a working model.