Started from a Middle Class to Win Elite NASA Laurels

Captivating stories on erudite techno craftsmen may have frequently hit the class of elevated minds who chose to trade on complicated path to make difference and ease the lifestyle of the common world, where middle class entrants Manash Pratim Borah and Uddhab Bharali from Assam are proudly included.

Young NASA achiever Manash came from a middle class family but was able to give dimension to his elite space dream even after facing financial challenges. He approached government’s help when Tarun Gogoi was in reign but came with futile outcome. Undeterred to become circumcised by financial challenges Manas prepared an Indian team for the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge, 2016. Manas the son of a retired agriculture employee known as Khogen C Borah, gave his whole input to emerge as the winner of NASA’s Best International Team Award - Jesco Von Puttkamer Award, 2016.

To prove his mettle in this challenge was not easy and the weight of this middle class space dreamer’s words depicts the bitter counterpart when Manash stated, "I needed quite a lot of money to pay, that made my team eligible to participate in the competition. Approached Assam CM's office but was turned away because it was election time. I also called the CM's residence to set up an appointment but was declined."

Just 22-years only when Manash made the hurricane challenge possible. No wonder a child’s game to prepare an Indian team to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) before the big win which states exceptional potentialities of this 22 year old boy to prove his metal. It is a parallel beyond dream to achieve at NASA which the world knows and Assam salutes such dynamic young flame, leading hope not only for the state but for India as well.

Manash is first from the eastern region of India to bring such great laurel to home and designated as the Space Ambassador to India by NASA in collaboration with International Space Education Institute (ISEI), Germany. Superseding top competitor Jasleen Josan at the age of 22 years certifies Manas as an extraordinary youngster of his generation.

NASA claims Manash’s team creation a human exploration rover for alien surface with a non-pneumatic wheel as one of the most durable designs ever attempted with glass fibre.

Rewinding back in 2012 on the month of July another middle class tAssamese who claims to be the  first from the eastern region to win NASA’s favor was Uddhab Bharali whose is a familiar name due to his extensive innovative creation.

Instead of dreaming the space, Uddhab is more prone to dedicate his invention for practical daily usage to create efficient work environment. Bharali to his credit has 118 innovations as he started much before Manash his inventions in 1980s and won NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal for benchtop pomegranate de-seeder creation. 

This revered innovator of Assam is also a recipient of ‘Shristi Samman Award’ in 2007, ‘President’s Grassroots Innovation Award’ in 2009 and ‘Rashtriya Ekta Samman’ in 2013. Bharali sowed the seed for the talented Assamese young generation to dream NASA as he had remained consecutive winner of ‘Create the Future Design Contest’ by NASA Tech from 2012 to 13.

This revered techno wizard of Assam chose to remain in his homeland and serve his community with his inventions and continue inspire with his dynamic global approach who in 2014 brought to light his advance outlook as a speaker in TEDxISMDhanbad.