Jawwad Khizar Patel, a 27 year-oldscientist and Inventor from Akola, Maharashtra has made his name in Forbes Asia’s 30 under 30 list – in the category of Industry, manufacturing and energy, Forbes is an renowned business magazine from the USA.This talented young man has won numerous national and international awards. He holds 14 inventions in the fields of water, energy, healthcare and agriculture and has published almost numerous research papers.
In this interview with Akhlaque SK., he shares something about himself and his work.
Q: Please tell us something about your educational background.
A: After the tenth grade, I left Akola and joined the Integrated Junior College of Science and went to Narayanan Classes, Aurangabad, for preparation for the competitive entrance examination for engineering. In 2012, I passed the 12th exam and I was admitted in theB.Tech in Electronics & Communication Branch of Lords Institute of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad, in 2016, Later on, I did an M.Tech.. Then, I decided to go to abroad for higher studies. I was admitted to Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA under the PGDA Fellowship Program, where I worked on non-invasive medical technology and did research on the diagnosis of disease without any surgery, without injecting into the body or without drawing blood from the body.
Q: Please tell us something about your childhood.
A: I was an average student at school. I spent most of time at my home and only played with my older sister. One day, I went out to play with the boys of the colony. They were all playing cricket. I was new to the game. They laughed at me and did not allow to play with them. I was very disappointed and I returned home. I made the radio my friend. That was a good day for me! I started talking with the radio! Then, the fridge, the tape-recorder, books, and,later on, the computer, became my friends. As the days went by, I started sharing my dreams and my deepest secrets with them. I tried to peek inside them. I wanted to know the secrets of their creation. So, I took a screwdriver from my father’s toolbox and opened each item to try and find out more. The inanimate objects inside them quickly attracted me. I found myself in a new world of circuits and amplifiers. At an age when children love toys, my screwdriver (his name was ‘Tony’), became a key partner in my new world, my first best friend! Finally I found a whole new world in which electronic components became my companions. At that time, I was only 5 years old.
Q: When did you make your first invention?
A: When I was in 4th grade, the biggest problem in our city, Akola, was power shortage. Load shedding was a daily routine. My older sister was an 8th grader and studied by candlelight. One day, I said determinedly that I could make a power generator. I asked about the phenomenon of electricity and learnt the basics from my father. He explained the details to me very well, but I did not have the components. I broke my toy car and used the DC motor to make a generator. I made the gears from cardboard and used the small LED light of the toy car for the output. This work took about a month. That light was enough for my sister to study.This was my first invention—when I was in 4th grade.
Q: How have your inventions been helpful for people?
A: All the inventions I’ve made so far are in the public domain. All the tools I’ve invented are designed with a specific purpose, to solve problems and to benefit the general public. By using modern techniques, I tried my best to find a solution to issues that people are facing. I plan to create a special portal where people can share the difficulties and challenges they are facing in their daily lives andI will try to find a solution to their problems.
Q: Would you like to share a message with young people?
A: All I want to say is that nothing is impossible in the world. Everything is possible. Stimulate your mind in a positive way to tell yourself that you can do it and then see the magic. The effort will be fruitful. Your every move will be blessed. And then you will become an asset to the country.
Especially for children, I would like to send a message that they should have confidence in themselves. If someone criticizes you, take it, as an incentive. Don’t be disheartened. Make a goal of your life and stick to it. Set small goals and strive to reach them. Stick to principles and be disciplined.
Q: Please tell us something about some of your inventions.
A: I have done all my inventions in these four domains so far: Water, Energy, Healthcare and Agriculture. I would like to describe a few inventions. There is the Water Dew Drop that makes water from air. It receives up to two litres of water per hour from the atmosphere. There is a Water Sprinkler that automatically provides water and fertilizer to any plant or tree as per its requirement. There is a Smart Helmet that Prevents motorcyclists from riding while asleep or drunk. This is a useful tool to protect against danger. The helmet has two devices, a transmitter mounted on the helmet and a receiver mounted on the motorcycle. The helmet acts as the key to the motorcycle. The motorcycle starts only after wearing the helmet. The current MQ7 sensor in the helmet can automatically detect whether a motorcyclist is asleep or intoxicated or is sluggish or careless, which can be harmful. If the motorcyclist is asleep or intoxicated, his motorcycle will not start. One of the special features of this helmet is that in case of an accident, it automatically notifies the nearest hospital and family members about the condition of the motorcyclist through a mobile message. Then there is a Non-Invasive Gluco meter that tells your body’s blood sugar level without drawing blood or needles pricking the body.
Q: What is your aim in life?
A: I want to serve country; I am following the late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and want to be like him.
Q: How did you do so much research? How was this possible at a very early age?
A: There is a formula of my life: “Think beyond normal”. When you rectify any problem, the solution is in front of you and the solution will become your invention. Sometimes, people criticize me and laugh at me. But I take every criticism as a motivation. Motivation leads to success. I think of every task in life as a mission. When you have to invent something, you have to talk to it like the sun, the moon, the earth, the trees, and the water. From a very early age I have liked to rectify problems. I take it as a challenge. I consider it as a mission, and try to find solutions.
Q: How many awards have you received so far?
A: I have been received many national and international awards, the list of which is long. I have 14 inventions. I have given Ted Talk public speeches twice so far. Ted Talk is an effective way to share one’s story and is extremely popular among people worldwide, In the process, my name has been included in the list of the world’s most competent and scientifically researched youth from 87 countries in the world in a famous magazine Forbes. I received the National Youth Award for Excellence in Research and Innovation by the Government of India, India. It is considered a prestigious award for young people in the category of valuable scientific research and inventions. I was also awarded The Diana Award for Sustainable Innovative Solution for Social Innovations from the UK.
Q: Would you like to share something about your family?
A: I thank God for such a parent as mine. My father, Dr. Zafar Patel, He is a senior inspection authority in the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India. My mother, Shaista Afroz Patel, is an MA Gold Medalist. She is an entrepreneur and does welfare work for women. She runs skill development courses to empower women. I have a sister, Dr. Maseera Patel, a cosmetologist who lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
(To know more about Jawwad Khizar Patel, see his website www.jawaadpatel.com . There are also several articles about him and his work available on the Internet.)
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