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Recognised as the Earth Day Network Rising Star 2021 (US) for her idea of 'Solar Ironing Cart', 15-year-old Indian student, Vinisha Umashankar has exhorted the world to move towards clean energy during the ongoing COP 26 at Glasgow.

"I am not here to speak about the future, I am the future," Vinisha, a class 10 student from Tamil Nadu's Tiruvannamalai district, said, encouraging the world to move towards renewable energy and accelerating the journey which started with her innovation in 2019.

She had received the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Awards instituted by National Innovation Foundation (NIF) - India, an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology for her mobile ironing cart, which uses solar panels to power a steam iron box. The prototype of Vinisha's mobile ironing cart, which uses solar panels to power a steam iron box has been developed by NIF-India in 2019.

A key benefit of the solar ironing cart is that it eliminates the need for coal for ironing, bringing about a welcome shift towards clean energy.

"End users can move around and offer services at doorstep for increasing their daily earning. The ironing cart can also be fitted with a coin-operated GSM PCO, USB charging points and mobile recharging which can fetch extra income," a release from the Ministry of Science and Technology said.

It is an ingenious solar-powered alternative for the millions of char coal burning ironing carts for pressing clothes and can also benefit the workers and their families. The device can also be powered by pre-charged batteries, electricity or diesel-powered generator in the absence of sunlight, the release added.