PREFACE

National Innovation Foundation (NIF) has been pursuing the help, how much more can be done if state and private sector
mission of making India innovative and a creative society agencies join hands with NIF actively.
since 2000 with the active support of Department of Science
and Technology, Government of India. Till date NIF has been I invite the state government and its various organs to actively
able to scout innovations and traditional knowledge practices support our quest to uncover many more creative communities
from over 520 districts across India. and individuals in rural and urban areas. NIF will then help
in building value chain around them.
Thanks to the support of volunteers from Honey Bee Network,
we have been able to discover many unsung heroes and The book is divided in three parts. The mechanical innovations
heroines of our society who have solved local problems developed by innovators from Bihar are covered in part one.
without any outside help. Selected examples of herbal traditional knowledge are given
in part two. The innovations from other parts of the country
Despite various constraints, NIF has put together a small book suitable for the development of Bihar are given in part three.
celebrating creativity, innovation and traditional knowledge
from Bihar. I am conscious of its limitation in terms of By no stretch of imagination, could we claim that we have
coverage and outreach. But if we could uncover at least a achieved a great deal. We have merely made a simple point.
few examples of the ability of local communities and There are a large number of knowledge rich people who
individuals to solve problems on their own without outside may not have been educated much, may in fact be

BIHAR INNOVATES 4
 BIHAR INNOVATES

economically poor also, but still have the ability to solve a people to improve the quality of life of common people and
few problems so well. thus promote inclusive growth.

The challenge really is to work out a synergy so that no It is my belief that such examples will act as spur for other
creative voice remains unheard, and no solution remains State government departments to look for creative efforts of
localized and unrecognized. By adapting public policy in their staff and users at ground level. I hope that NIF will
support of grassroots innovators and traditional knowledge have the opportunity to work closely with the State government
holders, we can make economic development process more in future and expand knowledge base, add value to selected
inclusive and sustainable. technologies and help them diffuse through commercial and
non-commercial social channels for improving the livelihood
This book on innovations has been compiled at the request of the majority of the people.
of Dr. Vijay Kelkar, Chairman, Finance Commission and the
Member, Governing Council of the National Innovation
Foundation as a tribute to the creativity and innovation at
grassroots. This presentation is part of a series of innovation R. A. Mashelkar, FRS
compendium prepared for every State of India. We hope Chairperson, Governing Council
this will be followed up in the form of concrete policy and National Innovation Foundation, Ahmedabad
institutional initiatives in each State to empower creative mashelkar@[Link]

BIHAR INNOVATES 5
Building a Bridge with Grassroots Innovators in Informal Sector

To make the Indian development process more inclusive, there and Technology, Government of India to scale up the idea of
is no escape from building upon creative and innovative learning from grassroots innovators.
experiments pursued by common people at village or semi-
urban level. Many of these experiments lead to development of Under the inspiring leadership of Dr. R. A. Mashelkar,
innovations, which can improve productivity and generate Chairperson NIF and former Director General, Council of
employment. However, the purpose of a particular innovator Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), NIF has taken major
may often be to solve just his/her problem. There is no initiatives to serve the knowledge-rich, economically poor people
mechanism available for him to share the knowledge, innovation of the country. It is committed to make India innovative by
or practice with other people in different regions. Sometimes, documenting, adding value, protecting the intellectual property
ideas and innovations get diffused through word of mouth. But rights of the contemporary unaided technological innovators,
many times, these ideas remain localized. In the process, as well as of outstanding traditional knowledge holders. It aims
potential growth and social development gets constrained. To at promoting lateral learning among local communities to
overcome this constraint, Honey Bee Network with a handful of generate low cost affordable solutions of the persistent and
volunteers triggered a movement, twenty years ago to scout, emerging problems, and enhance the diffusion of innovations
spawn and sustain the unaided innovations and outstanding on a commercial as well as non-commercial basis.
traditional knowledge from the informal sector of our country. How does NIF work?

Drawing upon this experience, National Innovation Foundation Primarily, NIF has five functions: (a) Scouting and
(NIF) was set up in 2000 with the help of Department of Science documentation, (b) Value addition and research and

1 The Honeybee collects pollen from the flowers but they are not impoverished, in different sectors. The network acknowledges the innovators, traditional
in the process links one flower to another enabling cross-pollination. Similarly, knowledge producers and communicators so that they do not remain
the Honey Bee Network strengthens people-to-people contacts, learning and anonymous.
networking by pooling the solutions developed by individuals across the world
BIHAR INNOVATES 6
 BIHAR INNOVATES

development, (c) Business development and Micro Venture, (d) For most innovators, attracting risk capital for converting
Intellectual Property Rights protection and (e) Dissemination, innovations into enterprise is very difficult. They neither can
database development and IT applications. offer much collateral nor are they able to develop a business
plan or deal with formal R&D system.
NIF has been entrusted with the responsibility of building a
National Register of Grassroots Innovations and Traditional A Micro Venture Innovation Fund (MVIF) has been set up with
Knowledge. It is not enough to document or disseminate the the help of SIDBI to provide risk capital for technologies at
innovations or outstanding traditional knowledge. Value addition different stages of incubation. Under single signature, innovators
is very important for harnessing the full potential of the idea. are trusted and investments are made to help them commercialise
NIF has entered into MOU with CSIR and Indian Council of their innovations. Most innovators do not make good entrepreneurs.
Medical Research (ICMR) besides other organizations. CSIR For entrepreneurship, one has to make consistent batch by
has allocated funds to support research on grassroots batch production of products. Innovators are often incorrigible
innovations in CSIR labs. Similarly, ICMR supports improvisers. They seldom make two things alike. NIF has helped
research on such herbal healing knowledge, which such innovators to license their technologies to third party
has not been documented in the classical texts and formal entrepreneurs. Most of the licenses have been given to small
institutional literature. NIF also helps in generating a very large entrepreneurs and in a few cases, to medium enterprises.
pool of open source / public domain technologies. A small
number of innovations are also protected by patents and A very elaborate benefit sharing system has been developed,
other IPRs. governed by the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) of the knowledge

The Honey Bee Network strongly believes in sharing knowledge among the share of benefits arising from commercial exploitation of local knowledge and
providers of innovations in their own language, which is achieved by publishing innovations reaches the innovators and knowledge providers.
local language versions of Honey Bee newsletter. It also ensures that a fair

BIHAR INNOVATES 7
providers. Attempt is made to share benefits not only with the 113 projects under MVIF to the extent of Rs.1.3 crores. Hundreds
innovators but also with their communities and for nature of technologies have diffused through farmer to farmer social
conservation. In addition, a small part is kept for contingency network.
support to needy innovators, for R&D stakeholders, promoting
NIF has proved that Indian innovators can match anyone in the
women’s innovations and meeting overhead costs.
world when it comes to solving problems creatively. Where they
It is remarkable that grassroots innovations are generating global perform better than rest is in generating more affordable
demand, as evident from inquiries from around fifty-five countries sustainable solutions by using local resources frugally.
for various technologies, NIF has succeeded in commercializing
products across countries in six continents apart from being Those who see poor only as the consumer of cheap goods, miss
successful in materialising thirty cases of technology licensing the knowledge richness at the grassroots level. The Poor can be
with the help of partner agencies. the Providers also.
The Grassroots to Global (G2G) model that NIF is propagating is
What has it done?
all set to change the way the world looks at the creativity and
With major contribution from the Honey Bee Network, NIF has innovations at grassroots.
been able to build up a database of more than 1,00,000 ideas, How can state government join hands with NIF?
innovations and traditional knowledge practices (not all unique,
not all distinctive) from over 520 districts of the country. a. NIF has no field extension unit nor does it want to have
one. However, state government has several field
NIF has filed 198 patents in India and seven in US and one PCT functionaries in the area of agriculture, education, industry,
application. Out of these, 33 patents have been granted to rural development, women and child care, forestry, etc.
grassroots innovations in India and four in US. NIF has funded There can be a very fruitful partnership between NIF as a

BIHAR INNOVATES 8
 BIHAR INNOVATES

source of innovative ideas and technologies and state f. On the state’s website, link to NIF can be given and the
government as partner in dissemination, value addition and innovations from the region can be displayed to put forward
even commercialization through incentives, promotion, the creative face of the state before the people.
subsidies, etc. g. Some of the innovative people identified by NIF and/or
b. State government can join the national campaign for state government could be awarded at district and state
scouting innovations and traditional knowledge and motivate level besides giving them support for further work.
its grassroots functionaries to join hands with NIF in h. A nodal officer could be appointed to keep in dynamic
uncovering the talent at the community level. touch with NIF to ensure that all the areas of possible
c. Students in schools and colleges can be motivated to scout cooperation are explored.
creative and innovative people in their neighbourhoods
I hope that NIF would be able to develop a functional, fruitful and
and send the entries to NIF (Post Box No.15051, Ambavadi,
fulfilling relationship with the State of Bihar. Tremendously rich
Ahmedabad 380 015, campaign@[Link]). Examples
knowledge of biodiversity and environment besides numerous
of innovations can also be included in the curriculum for
grassroots innovations can be leveraged through the proposed
the school and college education.
collaboration.
d. Demonstrations and trials can be organized at various
regional research stations and KVKs (Krishi Vigyan
Kendras) so as to create awareness about the creative
potential of common people. Anil K Gupta
Executive Vice Chairperson, NIF, Ahmedabad
e. The research institutions can be mandated to add value to Professor, Indian Institute of Management,
the knowledge of innovative people and help in protecting Ahmedabad
their knowledge rights. anilg@[Link]

BIHAR INNOVATES 9
“Innovation opens up new vistas of knowledge and new
dimensions to our imagination to make everyday life
more meaningful and richer in depth and content”.
- Dr A P J Abdul Kalam

“The purpose of innovation is to create a new value for

an individual, team, organization or for society at large”.
- Dr R A Mashelkar
 01 PART I : INNOVATIONS FROM BIHAR

Cooker for coffee

Conventionally, the pressure cookers have been used for making food only. However,
the innovator has modified the normal cooker and made it into an espresso coffee
making machine.

The modified cooker is used to boil water and generate steam. It is then passed
Mohammad Rozadin through a modifed delivery system, attached to the lid, to a jar containing milk, coffee
East Champaran
and sugar. In five minutes frothy, tasty coffee gets ready!

The modified cooker has been in great demand and even tea stall vendors from nearby
districts have bought it for their shops.

BIHAR INNOVATES 12
PART I : INNOVATIONS FROM BIHAR
02
Reducing the pollution

For operating a welding machine, the generator used by the innovator emitted a lot of
flue gases and also produced unwanted noise. To solve this problem, the innovator
retrofitted a cylindrical container to the exhaust pipe of the engine. The specific
arrangement of different types of fins in the cylinder filters out the particulates and allows
the clean air to pass, resulting in very low emissions and thus controlling pollution and
reducing noise.
Virendra Kumar Sinha
BIT Mesra, Ranchi has confirmed considerable reduction in the proportion of carbon East Champaran
monoxide and carbon dioxide in the flue gases after adding the device instead of
conventional muffler. The temperature of the flue gas was also reported to be significantly
reduced. The testing was facilitated by NIF.

BIHAR INNOVATES 13
 03 PART I : INNOVATIONS FROM BIHAR

Handpump with a change

The plunger design of a hand pump has been modified by the innovator, which has resulted
in substantial increase in the efficiency. The change of material has also helped in reducing
the cost and weight as well.

BIT Mesra, Ranchi tested the same at NIF's instance and found that the hand pump
Ramashankar Sharma with the modified plunger gave 69 percent more discharge than the hand pump with
Siwan
the conventional plunger for the same number of strokes and head.

BIHAR INNOVATES 14
PART I : INNOVATIONS FROM BIHAR
04
Novel gear mechanism & Cap for the wooden pencil

Novel gear mechanism

The innovator has come up with this device to reduce the hard work involved while
riding a bicycle/rickshaw uphill. The new gear mechanism enables a person to pedal
backwards and yet move the cycle forward, thereby reducing effort and fatigue. It also
prevents the reverse motion of the vehicle on slopes.
Nishant Ray
Cap for wooden pencils Khagaria
The innovator has interestingly devised a cap for the normal wooden pencil, which
prevents the tip from being broken easily. The cap also has an eraser and a sharpener to
address the other needs of the user.

BIHAR INNOVATES 15
 05 PART I : INNOVATIONS FROM BIHAR

Amphibious bicycle & others

Saidullah’s penchant for innovations has made him lead such a rich life that it can inspire
generations to come. He made the amphibious bicycle in mid 1970s to cross over from
one place to another during a flood in the region. Thereafter he has been churning one
innovation after the other over the years with his latest being an amphibious rickshaw.
Among his many innovations a few that can be mentioned are a mini tractor, key operated
table fan, fodder cutter operated centrifugal pump, spring loaded bicycle, mini turbine
Mohammad Saidullah
etc.
East Champaran
The serial innovator, Shri Saidullah was given the Life Time Achievement Award at the
hands of the then President of India, in NIF’s Third National Competition for Grassroots
Innovations and Traditional Knowledge Practices in 2005.

BIHAR INNOVATES 16
PART I : INNOVATIONS FROM BIHAR
06
Bicycle that can be carried in a bag

A gritty and hard working graduate, Sandeep made this folding bicycle, which can be
assembled and dismantled easily in a very little time. When dismantled and folded, the
bicycle becomes portable such that it can be put in a bag and carried along!

Sandeep Kumar
Muzzaffarpur

BIHAR INNOVATES 17
 07 PART I : INNOVATIONS FROM BIHAR

Solar cycle along with FM, radio and charging facility &
Multifunctional emergency light
Solar cycle along with FM, radio and charging facility
Move over petrol and electricity operated two-wheelers for here comes the solar cycle,
working on solar batteries. Using a 12 V motor, the cycle gives a speed up to 30 km per
hour, good enough for a joyful city ride. It also has a tape recorder and FM radio for
listening pleasure apart from a plug point, which enables the stored energy to be used for
Ghulam Rasul charging/operating various small devices.
Katihar
Multifunctional emergency light
Who says an emergency light can only be used for lighting purposes? Definitely not the
innovator, for he has come up with a solar powered light having tubes that can glow up to
twelve hours, along with a FM radio, a mobile charger, a WLL Telephone battery charger
and a 12 V DC fan that can be operated for four hours. Apart from solar energy, this
emergency light can also be conventionally charged by electric power.

BIHAR INNOVATES 18
PART I : INNOVATIONS FROM BIHAR
08
Tobacco leaf cutting machine

It is a manually operated machine for cutting tobacco leaves. The leaves are passed
between the cylindrical rasps, flattened and then cut. Depending upon the cutting
requirements, adjustments can be made in the assembly also.

Udayshankar Sharma
Sheikhpura

BIHAR INNOVATES 19
 09 PART I : INNOVATIONS FROM BIHAR

New brake mechanism in bicycle

This bicycle is unlike normal bicycles where a lever attached to the cable is pressed to
apply the brakes. In this bicycle an accelerator like action is used, where by rotating the
hand grip, the brakes are applied.

The innovator has also modified a foot operated water pump to make it more efficient.
Dhirendra Kumar
Muzzaffarpur

BIHAR INNOVATES 20
PART I : INNOVATIONS FROM BIHAR
10
Communication board for the deaf and the dumb

This thoughtful effort from a student enables deaf and dumb people to communicate with
others as well as among themselves easily. This is a board that has alphabets, numbers
and commonly used words written on it. The user has a torch, which is used to illuminate
the specific word, alphabet or number such that the person viewing the board can
understand the meaning.
Kundan Kumar
Patna

BIHAR INNOVATES 21
 11 PART I : INNOVATIONS FROM BIHAR

Pen multimeter

The innovator has modified a ball pen to act as an electric current tester and a sort of
multimeter to check diode, resistance and capacitor’s ratings. Moreover, it also has a
small LED which can be used at night as a source of light.

Manish Nirmohiya
Patna

BIHAR INNOVATES 22
PART I : INNOVATIONS FROM BIHAR
12
Efficient egg boiler

Understanding that steam at an equal temperature is hotter than water, Pradeep has
come up with an egg boiler that uses steam instead of water to boil the eggs. In the lower
compartment water boils and the steam rises through a perforated opening to the upper
chamber where the eggs are kept. This way the eggs boil quickly saving fuel.

The innovator was awarded in the student’s category in NIF’s First National Competition
Pradeep Mandal
for Grassroots Innovations and Traditional Knowledge Practices in 2001.
Purnia

BIHAR INNOVATES 23
 PART II : HERBAL PRACTICES & PRODUCTS

Uses of Achyranthes aspera L. (Apamarg)

NIF Database Asthma
The whole plant (50-100g) is ground into a fine powder.
5g of this powder is taken with water till cured
Uses from Bihar - Ahmed Hussain, Lohardaga, Jharkhand

Toothache Poisonous bites

Teeth are brushed with freshly plucked roots Root paste is applied on the spot of bite and also
- Bhagvat Prasad Yadav, Nawada, Bihar administered orally
- Jagjit Bahadur, Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh
Itching
Powdered roots (5g) are taken orally with water twice a Abscess
day for seven days Root paste is applied on the abscess
- Indira Kumari, East Champaran, Bihar -Ravi Uraav, Hazaribagh, Jharkhand

Fever
Roots (5g) are ground with half black pepper into a fine
powder, which is administered orally Uses in Classical Codified Literature
- Rajkishor Prasad, Shivhar, Bihar

Hemorrhoids Dried aerial parts are taken orally in case of diabetes1;

Dried roots are ground into a fine powder; one spoon of powder made from the dried plant given orally to treat
this taken on an empty stomach till the ailment cures whooping cough 2 ; decoction of the plant used as
- Vishwanath Mahato, East Champaran, Bihar laxative3; decoction of the plant applied externally on
boils and pimples3.
Veterinary practice
Product ‘Cystone’4 is made from this plant, which inhibits
Topical inflammation calculogenesis by reducing stone-forming substances
Plant paste is applied externally on topical inflammation like oxalic acid, calcium hydroxyproline and prevents
- Sheikh Hifazat Hussain, East Champaran, Bihar urinary tract infections. Thirty five patents have been
found on the medicinal applications of Achyranthes like
Uses from other states for curing laryngopharyngitis5, bronchial asthma6 etc.

Headache
Tablets (of about 5g) are prepared from the
pounded roots; one tablet is taken in the morning
with water for three days
- Jagjit Bahadur, Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh

Source: [Link]
BIHAR INNOVATES 26
plantPictures/Achyranthes%[Link]
PART II : HERBAL PRACTICES & PRODUCTS

Uses of Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr. (Bel)

NIF Database Uses from other states

Eye diseases
Uses from Bihar Juice is extracted from the green leaves and two drops
are put in the eye
Ulcer - Kumari Nigar Pravin, Hazaribag, Jharkhand
Leaves of bel (100g), petals of rose (100g) and
turmeric (50g) are pounded and mixed with honey Sunstroke
(50g). Tablets are prepared from this mixture and given Juice is extracted from the fresh leaves and taken orally
thrice a day for 7-10 days - Vijaya Bharati, Hazaribag, Jharkhand
- Rameshwari Singh, Nawada, Bihar
Intestinal worms
Fever Juice is extracted from the green leaves and taken orally
Leaves of bel and chirayata (Andrographis paniculata - Jagjeet Bahadur, Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh
(Burm.f.) [Link] Nees) 250g each are boiled in a litre
of water to obtain a decoction of 250g. 100g decoction Diarrhoea
is given to the patient twice a day for seven days Pulp of the ripen fruit is taken orally
- Sindhoo Kumari, Gopalganj, Bihar - Jagjeet Bahadur, Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh

Jaundice
Freshly plucked green leaves are soaked in a glass of
water. This water is taken on an empty stomach 2-3 Uses in Classical Codified Literature
times a day till the ailment cures
- Akhilesh Kumar Yadav, East Champaran, Bihar
Burnt fruit pulp is applied on rheumatic arthritis2; 10g
Diabetes fruit pulp is given before sleep to overcome morning
Equal quantity of leaves of bel and fruits of Indian sickness7; fruit rind is applied externally on head to kill
gooseberry are taken and the juice is extracted. A headlice 8.
teaspoon of the juice is given to combat the disease
- Vinita Kumari, Sitamarhi, Bihar ‘Bael’ 4, prepared from Aegle is used in diarrhoea,
dysentery and GI disorders. It has digestive and
Veterinary practice carminative properties. ‘Lukol’s4 tonic is made from
this plant along with other plants, which improves
Abdominal pain uterine circulation, and its antimicrobial and astringent
Leaves of Aegle and Euphorbia neriifolia L., flower of actions on the mucous membrane of the genital
Tagetes erecta L., are mixed with fodder and fed to the system control leucorrhea. ‘Bilwa’9, a product of Aegle
animal , is used as a medicine to cure a number of
- Dipendra Kumar, East Champaran, Bihar diseases. Fifty three patents have been found on the
medicinal applications of Aegle like for treating
diabetes10, gastric ulcer11etc.
BIHAR INNOVATES 27 Source: [Link]
catalog% 20images/[Link]
 PART II : HERBAL PRACTICES & PRODUCTS

Uses of Boerhaavia diffusa L. (Punarnava)

NIF Database Uses in Classical Codified Literature

Uses from Bihar Juice extracted from the leaves is given with milk to get
relief from cataract12; decoction of the plant is given orally
Jaundice to purify blood13; the plant extract is used as diuretic14;
Juice extracted from the plant is given orally for three decoction of the leaves is applied externally in case of
days consecutively any skin infections15.
- Jagnarayan Singh, Gopalganj, Bihar
‘Liver-kidney care’16 is made from this plant, which works
Kidney stone synergistically on the liver and kidney to heal and
Milk boiled with the roots is taken prevents infections in both systems. Fourteen patents
- Monika Kumari, Sitamarhi, Bihar have been found on the various medicinal applications
of Boerhaavia for different ailments like liver disorders17,
Stomach disorder hypertension18 etc.
Juice is extracted from the plant and mixed with equal
amount of cow’s urine. Two spoonful of the mixture is
taken
- Monika Kumari, Sitamarhi, Bihar

Uses from other states

Headache
Leaves are ground into afine paste and applied on the
forehead
-Sukumar Nath, North Tripura, Tripura .
Conjunctivitis

Decoction of the root (50g) is given once a day

-Ramnarayan Gameti, Udaipur, Rajasthan

Cough
Leaves of punarnava (5g), one small onion, a
small piece of ginger and a spoonful of
cardamom are cooked well and taken orally
- Hasina Khan, Margav, Goa

Source: SRISTI database BIHAR INNOVATES 28

PART II : HERBAL PRACTICES & PRODUCTS

Uses of Bombax ceiba L. (Semal)

NIF Database Piles
Paste (10g) of roots is taken with water for seven days
- Antaryami Pradhan, Angul, Orissa
Uses from Bihar
General health
Pimples Few flowers are soaked in a glass of water overnight
Paste made using thorn and milk is applied on the and the water is taken next morning to give a coolant
pimples for seven days effect to the body
- Pravin Kumar Sharma, East Champaran, Bihar - Mukta Kumavat, Sikar, Rajasthan

Wound
Fresh bark is ground and the paste is applied on the Uses in Classical Codified Literature
infected part
- Pravin Kumar Sharma, East Champaran, Bihar
Decoction of the bark is given orally to combat fever19;
Diarrhoea diabetics should take decoction of the heartwood20; and
Juice from the leaves is extracted and a spoonful given to reduce stomachache administer bark juice 21.
to the patient along with sugarcandy for four days
- Neha Kumari, East Champaran, Bihar Product ‘Acne-n-Pimple Cream’ 22 is prepared from
Bombax along with other plants to treat pimples and
Veterinary practice skin eruptions. ‘Evecare’4, a multi herb product made
from this plant, has a regularizing influence on the
Bloat menstrual cycle. Eight patents have been found on the
Fruits (100g) are mixed with an equal amount of buffalo medicinal applications of Bombax like for skincare 23,
ghee and fed to the animal twice a day AIDS24 etc.
- Ramnath Thakur, East Champaran, Bihar

Uses from other states

Gynaecological disorder
Powdered gum (5g) is mixed with water and given to
the patient to drink for five days
- Jugeshwar Ram, Hazaribag, Jharkhand

Constipation
Bark powder (3g), coriander powder and jaggery is
taken with water
- Devaram, Sirohi, Rajasthan

BIHAR INNOVATES 29
Source: [Link]
Bombax_ceiba_Orange_Glow_copy.jpg
 PART II : HERBAL PRACTICES & PRODUCTS

Uses of Carica papaya L. (Papita)

NIF Database Jaundice
Curry made from the raw/unripe fruit is taken orally
- Sharda Devi Gangwal, Jaipur, Rajasthan
Uses from Bihar

Kidney stone Uses in Classical Codified Literature

Pounded roots (6g) are mixed with water (50g) and taken
orally
- Sandhya Suman, Sitamarhi, Bihar Decoction of the flower is used as cardiotonic25; bark
powder is applied externally on wounds26; decoction of
Intestinal worms the bark is given orally to get rid of intestinal worms27;
Fresh latex from a branch is taken and administered beverage of the fruit is taken orally to cure diarrhoea28.
orally along with a spoonful of honey
- Prabhat Kumar Pandey, East Champaran, Bihar Natural moisturisers and creams29 are prepared from
Carica in combination with other plants. Thirty patents
Ringworm were found on its medicinal uses such as an antiallergic30
Milky latex is applied topically and for prevention of cancer31.
- Mukesh Kumar, East Champaran, Bihar

Veterinary practice

Lactogouge
Fruits are fed daily to enhance milk production
- Manoj Kumar, Madhubani, Bihar

Uses from other states

Toothache
Cotton dipped in the latex of the stem is kept on the
aching tooth
- Mangeram Jani, Hissar, Haryana

Headache
Seeds and garlic are ground into a fine paste and
applied on the forehead
- Saiba Barman, Borpeta, Assam

BIHAR INNOVATES 30
Source: [Link]
piantetropicali/Carica_papaya.jpg
PART II : HERBAL PRACTICES & PRODUCTS

Uses of Datura metel L. (Dhatura)

NIF Database Uses from other states

Alopecia
Uses from Bihar Juice is extracted from the leaves, smeared on the head,
and left for 30 minutes
Cough -Bansi Ghosal, West Midnapur, West Bengal
Juice from the roasted leaves is extracted; two spoonful
of the juice is mixed with a spoon of ghee and taken Headache
orally Seeds are chewed and spat for instant relief
- Mohani Kumari, Lakhisaray, Bihar - Ganesh Das, Sirohi, Rajasthan

Bodyache Asthma
Equal quantity of leaves of dhatura, bark of neem, leaves A seed soaked in water is taken orally initially, gradually
of chirayata (Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) [Link] a seed is increased every week for five weeks
Nees), leaves of tobacco are taken and boiled in 1 litre - Rani Farhat, Hazaribag, Jharkhand
of water till the total solution is reduced to 1/4th. Sesame
oil is then mixed in it and the mixture applied on the Diarrhoea
affected part Seeds are ground with little water. The mixture is filtered
- Lalbabu Sahni, Madhubani, Bihar and administered orally
- Ajit Singh Rathod, Nagor, Rajasthan
Arthritis
Leaves of dhatura, Anthocephalus chinensis (Lamk.)
[Link]. (ten each) and ginger (100g) are ground
Uses in Classical Codified Literature
together with sugar (50g), and the paste is applied on
the aching body part
- Ramanand Shah, East Champaran, Bihar One fruit, filled with 10g Piper longum L. is burnt and 5g
of the ash is taken with honey, morning and evening for
Eczema 5 days to cure malaria32; the thumb is kept inserted within
A fruit is roasted and ground to make a fine powder, the fruit to treat finger felon33; root paste is applied
sesame oil (250g) and milk are then added to make a externally on poisonous bites34. ‘Muscles & joint rub’4 is
paste. The paste is applied on the infected part a highly effective medicine for backache, muscular sprain
- Vikas Kumar, Nawada, Bihar and joint pain made from the plant.

Veterinary practice

Diarrhoea
Roasted fruits are given with fodder
- Jawaharlal Prasad, East Champaran, Bihar

BIHAR INNOVATES 31
Source:[Link]
& [Link].comimagesplantsdatura_metel_%5Bflower%[Link]
 PART II : HERBAL PRACTICES & PRODUCTS

Uses of Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk. (Bhangra)

NIF Database Uses in Classical Codified Literature

Uses from Bihar Powder of dried aerial parts is used for asthma35; buds
are ground in sesame oil and applied on the forehead to
Greying of hair get rid of headache 36; plant is applied on ringworm
ECLIPTA Handful of leaves are ground and mixed in mustard oil lesions37.
(50g). The mixture is then applied on the head
- Supriya Kumari, Lakhisaray, Bihar ‘Bhringraja’38 is used as a liver tonic and for various
chronic skin diseases. ‘Eclipta tincture’ 39, is a highly
Earache effective medicine of liver ailments such as cirrhosis and
1-2 drops of the juice is extracted from fresh leaves and infective hepatitis and other conditions involving hepatic
used as ear drop enlargement. Thirteen patents have been found on its
- Dipak Kumar Tiwari, Gopalganj, Bihar medicinal applications mainly for liver disorders40 and
for hair care41.
Jaundice
Juice is extracted from the plant and three spoonful are
given orally along with sugar candy (50g) twice a day till
the ailment cures
- Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Munger, Bihar

Uses from other states

Mouth sores
Fresh leaves are chewed for immediate relief
- Sanjay Singh Uplana, Nagda, Madhya Pradesh

Cough
Juice is extracted from the pounded leaves and honey
is added. 1-2 drops of this is given thrice a day
- Sanjay Singh Uplana, Nagda, Madhya Pradesh

Bodyache
Juice is extracted from the leaves and applied
- Vijay Gupta, Mujjafarpur, Uttar Pradesh

Cuts
Shoot paste is applied on cuts
- Rani B. Bhagat, Pune, Maharashtra

BIHAR INNOVATES 32
Source: [Link]
Whiteopp/Eclipta_alba_plant.jpg
PART II : HERBAL PRACTICES & PRODUCTS

Uses of Holarrhena antidysenterica Wall. (Indrajo)

NIF Database Anemia
Paste of bark is mixed with salt and taken orally
- Robert L. Hnamte, Aizawl, Mizoram
Uses from Bihar
Skin disease
Fever
The dried bark is powdered, mixed with ghee and honey
Leaves (5g), along with those of Picrorhiza kurroa Royale
and is taken orally
ex. Benth. (5g), are boiled in 100ml of water till the
- Robert L. Hnamte, Aizawl, Mizoram
decoction remains 10ml. This is taken orally till the
ailment cures
- Hariom Kumar, East Champaran, Bihar
Uses in Classical Codified Literature
Malaria
Equal amount of leaves of indrajo and Cyperus rotundus
L. are ground into a fine powder. One spoonful is taken Dried bark powder is given orally to cure stomachache42;
orally to combat the disease seeds are ground into a powder, a dose of 5-10g of the
- Chandan Kumar, East Champaran, Bihar powder is given with water as an antidote and a paste of
the seeds is also applied locally to relieve pain and
Dysentery swelling on poisonous bites43.
Paste is prepared from the bark. 10g of the paste is given
along with a spoonful of honey ‘Diarex vet’4 is used for diarrhoea in cattle. ‘Kutajarista
- Kundan Kumar, East Champaran, Bihar and Kutajavaleha’44 are the most popular preparations
used in diarrhoea, dysentery, colitis and bleeding
Uses from other states problems.

Kidney stone Thirteen patents have been found on its medicinal

Juicy paste of the bark is mixed with soured ghee and applications mainly for gastrointestinal disorders45.
taken
- Robert L. Hnamte, Aizawl, Mizoram

Bodyache
Bark is ground in water; some quantity is taken orally
and the rest is applied on the body
- Devaram, Sirohi, Rajasthan

BIHAR INNOVATES 33
Source: [Link]
pcat-gifs/products-small/[Link]
 PART II : HERBAL PRACTICES & PRODUCTS

Uses of Leucas aspera Spr. (Guma)

NIF Database Uses from other states

Migraine
Uses from Bihar Juice is extracted from the freshly plucked leaves and 2
drops of the same is put in the nose
Fever - Ramji Chink Badaik, Gumla, Jharkhand
Equal amounts of flower of guma; leaves of Azadirachta
indica A. Juss., Ocimum sanctum L., roots of Cyperus Sinusitis
rotundus L., Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad. & Wendl. Juice of leaves is put in the nose
and black pepper seeds are pounded and the juice - Nayan Kalita, Kamrup, Assam
extracted, two spoonful are taken orally
- Nushrat Jahan, Gopalganj, Bihar Jaundice
Juice from the pounded leaves is extracted and little
Stomachache quantity of goat urine is mixed; this is given twice a day
Curry made from the plant is taken for 4 days
- Usha Rani, Darbhanga, Bihar - Shalini Shrivastava, Balia, Uttar Pradesh

Eczema
Plant is burnt and some coconut oil is mixed with the Uses in Classical Codified Literature
ash. The paste is applied on the infected body part
- Gokul Singh, East Champaran, Bihar
Dried plant powder is applied on scabies46; the plant is
Piles used as an anthelmintic47; a handful of flowers (5g) are
Equal amounts of roots of guma and black pepper are roasted in ghee and taken once a day to cure cough37.
ground, a spoonful of the mixture is given twice a day till
the ailment cures ‘Herbal Steam Bath’48 is useful to get rid of various
- Umesh Mishra, East Champaran, Bihar primary health and hygiene problems like cleaning and
removing bad odour of the body, for treating burning
Veterinary practice sensation in eyes, watery eyes, headache, nausea,
migraine etc.
Anorexia
Juice is extracted from the leaves and flowers, 3-5
spoonful is given orally
- Chandrashekhar Prasad Kushwaha, East
Champaran, Bihar

Source: NIF Database BIHAR INNOVATES 34

PART II : HERBAL PRACTICES & PRODUCTS

Uses of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L. (Harshingar)

NIF Database Pain
Fresh leaf paste is applied on the fractured part to
alleviate pain
Uses from Bihar - Ramsharan Dhruv, Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh

Cough/cold
Paste is prepared using three leaves and black pepper. Uses in Classical Codified Literature
This paste is taken orally with water
- Ashok Kumar Yadav, East Champaran, Bihar
Dried fruits are used orally to get relief from cough49;
Diabetes decoction of dried flower is given with jaggery as an
anti-fertility agent in females50; leaf juice is applied
Decoction of the leaves is taken orally for 40 days externally on ringworm and other skin diseases50.
- Shama Pravin, Gopalganj, Bihar
‘Lupin’51, a medicine used for pain and inflammation ,
Wound is associated with musculoskeletal and joint disorders.
Topical application of leaf paste gives relief Six patents have been found on its medicinal uses such
- Ranjeet Kumar, Sheohar, Bihar as for treating Leishmaniasis52 and also for its natural
property as adye53.
Piles
Seed paste is taken orally with water
- Lavli Kumari, Gopalganj, Bihar

Uses from other states

Intermittent fever
Two leaves of harshingar, neem, three black pepper
and four leaves of tulsi are ground in half litre of water
and boiled till half a cup of residue remains. This is
cooled and taken orally
- Arjun Singh, Bharatpur, Rajasthan

Intestinal worms
Oral intake of leaf juice kills the worms
- Rani B. Bhagat, Pune, Maharashtra

BIHAR INNOVATES 35
Source: [Link]
panmai/pic/[Link]
 PART II : HERBAL PRACTICES & PRODUCTS

Uses of Solanum nigrum L. (Makoi)

NIF Database Uses in Classical Codified Literature

Uses from Bihar Powdered fruit is given orally to reduce fever54; juice is
extracted from the whole plant and applied externally on
Cough the burnt part55; poultice of the plant is placed on the
Juice extracted from the roots is taken orally aching joint56; fruits are ground and taken orally to cure
- Priyanka Kumari, Gopalganj, Bihar diarrhoea 54.

Jaundice ‘Herbolax’4, made from Solanum along with other plants,

Juice extracted from the roots is taken orally is used as gentle laxative, for constipation and electrolyte
- Suman Kumari, Gopalganj, Bihar balance. Ninety patents were found for its medicinal uses
mainly on hepatitis57, 58.
Uses from other states

Stomachache
Leaves of makoi (200g) are fried in mustard oil (20ml),
salt is added and then taken orally
- Sukhai Mali, Faridabad, Haryana

Nasal bleeding
Dry fruit (25g) is boiled in mustard oil (100g), oil is
filtered and applied on the forehead
- Sahim Ansari, Lohardaga, Jharkhand

Mouth ulcer
Leaves are chewed
- Shripal Singh, Bulandshahar, Uttar Pradesh

BIHAR INNOVATES 36
Source: [Link]
steverplantgallery/Solanum_nigrum_02_black%[Link]
PART II : HERBAL PRACTICES & PRODUCTS

Uses of Vitex negundo L. (Nirgundi)

NIF Database Rheumatism
Lukewarm leaves are applied on aching joints
- Naganath Durga Chogule, Sholapur, Maharashtra
Uses from Bihar
Skin disease
Stomachache Small pieces of plant are mixed with cow’s urine and
Powdered leaves of Vitex, Cocculus hirsutus (L.) Diels. applied on the affected skin
and Bombax ceiba L. are mixed in equal ratio and taken - K. Lakshmana Shetty, South Karana, Karnataka
- Yusuf Khan, East Champaran, Bihar

Muscular pain Uses in Classical Codified Literature

Leaves are smeared with mustard oil, warmed slightly
and applied on the affected part
- Savita Kumari, Gopalganj, Bihar Smoulder leaves and inhale the smoke to get rid of
cough2; in case of diarrhoea flowers are used59; extract
Veterinary practice of the plant is taken as a diuretic2.

Wound ‘Muscle & joint rub’4 is a highly effective medicine for

Leaf paste is applied topically on wound backache, muscular sprain and joint pain. ‘Dental
- Nageshwari Devi, Hazaribag, Bihar Cream’ 4 is a specially formulated toothpaste that
tightens and reduces swelling of gums, stops gum
Uses from other states bleeding, prevents toothache, decay and controls bad
breath. ‘Atharva Nirgundi Siddha Tail’ 60 is useful in
Ear pain arthritis, joint pain, relieves oedema. Thirty five patents
Leaves are boiled in mustard oil, oil is then filtered and have been found on the medicinal applications like for
used as an ear drop treating rheumatic arthritis61.
- Bhagat Ram, Kangra, Himachal pradesh

Ulcer
Half cup juice is extracted from the leaves and taken
orally
- P D Walikar, Bagalakot, Karnataka

BIHAR INNOVATES 37 Source: SRISTI Database

PART II : HERBAL PRACTICES & PRODUCTS

Herbal Formulations for Healthy Crops~

SRISTI SHASTRA
Arkhiben Vankar, Ranabhai Kamaliya, Banidan Gadhvi, Gemal Rana, Rajnikant Patel, Ahmadbhai Kadivala,
Gujarat.
It flourishes the growth of the plant by increasing flowering as well as fruiting. Besides overall vegetative
growth, it is not harmful to nature and human beings. It also controls sucking pests like white fly, heliothis,
aphid etc.

SRISTI KRUSHAK
Popatbhai Rupabhai Jambucha, Gujarat
It is an excellent remedy for leaf curl disease. Besides controlling the disease it increases the vigor of the
plants by increasing overall growth.

SRISTI SURAKSHA
Community Knowledge, Gujarat
It is a very efficient treatment for termite and acts as a vitaliser to the affected crops. To control termites
the herbal formulation is mixed with sand and spread in the field. Some times it is released in the field along
with the flow of irrigation water. In some cases, it is also drenched in the affected part of the plant and
sprayed on the vegetation to repel termites.

SRISTI PRAYAS
Community Knowledge, Gujarat
It is a highly effective formulation to act as a herbal growth promoter, which stops shedding of flowers as
well as increases the overall growth of the plant. This formulation strengthens the plants internally and
enables them to withstand extreme weather conditions. Constant use of this formulation increases the yield
and reduces the toxic content in our daily diet.

SRISTI SHAKTI
Community Knowledge, Gujarat
A herbal growth promoter, which helps in production of excellent quality organic food grain. Constant use of
this formulation not only increases the yield but also reduces the toxic contamination in our food and
environment.

BIHAR INNOVATES 38
PART II : HERBAL PRACTICES & PRODUCTS

Herbal Formulations for Livestock and Poultry~

Coccicure
Sudakarbhai K. Gauli & Jeevalbhai M. Gauli, Dang, Gujarat

It is a unique herbal medication for prevention and curing of Coccidiosis (Eimeria sp infections) in Poultry.
The primary function of the medication is to reduce the oocytes maturation and affects the life cycle of
various Eimeria species.

Poultmax
Community knowledge, Valsad, Dang, Gujarat

It is a unique herbal medication for promoting poultry immunity. It cures symptoms like greenish diarrhoea,
conjunctivitis, nasal sputum, drop in egg production and respiratory distress in poultry. About 30g/100 birds
for 0-4 weeks & 60g/100 birds for 4-8 weeks may be administered for seven days in stress or for three days
before and three days after expected stress.

Mastiherb
Ukhardiyabhai S. Raot, Dang, Gujarat

Mastiherb is a unique intramammary herbal medication for curing mastitis in animals. Clinical trials indicated
efficacy of the medication over subclinical mastitis; clinical mastitis and chronic mastitis. It was also
validated in case of mastitis due to Staphylococcus aureus. The dose rate was found to be single intra
mammary infusion for minimum three days after adequate standardization.

~
These formulations are based on traditional knowledge of farmers and developed by Sadbhav-SRISTI Sanshodhan Laboratory
([Link]). These products are licensed to Matrix Biosciences Pvt. Ltd, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. The benefits are
shared with the knowledge providers, communities, nature, those who add value and other stakeholders in the knowledge and
value chain.

BIHAR INNOVATES 39
 01 PART III : INNOVATIONS FOR BIHAR

Auto air kick pump

This innovation is a low cost, portable, compact aid to inflate tyre tubes/punctures of any
vehicle having kick start or auto start mechanism so as to fix the problem on the spot and
enable the rider to reach the nearby gas station or repair shop. This device uses the
engine as the compressor for pumping air into the tube. A pinch of polymer granules is
also inserted in the tube to seal the leakage in the tube.
Arvindbhai Patel
Gujarat
Arvindbhai won a National Award in NIF’s Second National Competition for Grassroots
Innovations and Traditional Knowledge in 2002. NIF, apart from filing a patent in his
name, facilitated sales of a few hundred pieces to customers in Assam and Arunachal
Pradesh through dealership technology licensing and local entrepreneurs. The
technology is available for licensing to enterpreneurs in different states.

BIHAR INNOVATES 42
PART III : INNOVATIONS FOR BIHAR
02
Unicool- the natural water cooler

We already have refrigerators that operate on the principle of heat transfer and earthen
pots that work on the principle of evaporation to cool water today. Arvindbhai has
combined both features. In his natural water cooler, water is passed through cotton string
covered copper coils, which are continuously being moistened by a dripper. Evaporation
of water from lining on the coil cools the water inside. Cool water without electricity, isn’t
it a nice idea!

BIHAR INNOVATES 43
 03 PART III : INNOVATIONS FOR BIHAR

Hand operated water lifting device

An efficient way of pumping water to meet requirements in a cost effective way is always
a challenge in rural India.

Developed from locally available materials, this hand operated water lifting device is
simple in design, delivers high discharge and is low cost compared to conventional
hand pump, bucket pump, and bicycle operated pumps.
N Sakthimainthan
Tamil Nadu The Innovation hasa been taken up for value addition at CMERI Durgapur (WB) through
the NIF-CSIR JIC Fellowship Scheme.

BIHAR INNOVATES 44
PART III : INNOVATIONS FOR BIHAR
04
Earthen kitchen products

Tawa/pan

Non stick tawas have become an essential part of our kitchens to prepare low oil food
but are costly. Their non stick coating also doesnt last long. Blending traditional and
modern technology, Mansukhbhai has developed a clay tawa with a black non-stick
food grade coating. Being non-metallic, the rotis, dosas and other items cooked on it Mansukhbhai Prajapati
give a different taste and feel altogether.
Gujarat

Mitticool

A fridge for the common man that does not require electricity and keeps food fresh too.
With this basic premise in mind Mansukhbhai came up with Mitticool, a fridge made of
clay. It works on the principal of evaporation. Water from the upper chambers drips down
the side, taking heat from the inside gets evaporated, leaving the chambers cool. Cool
and affordable, this is the option to keep food, vegetables and even milk fresh naturally
for days.

BIHAR INNOVATES 45
 05 PART III : INNOVATIONS FOR BIHAR

Sanitary napkin making machine

Sanitary napkins, a universally needed product, have a very low penetration in India due
to high price and the traditional trend of using cheaper but unhygienic old cloth pieces.
The innovator has developed a machine that produces quality sanitary napkins at a low
cost.

One can prepare sanitary napkins with industry standard raw materials while cutting
A. Muruganandam down the cost in production. It requires three to four persons to produce two pads per
Tamil Nadu minute. Costing less than half of conventional options, this machine produces sanitary
pads @ Rs.1 to Rs. 1.50 per pad approximately.

The innovator prefers to sell the napkin making machinery only to self-help groups of
women. He has also designed a napkin vending machine such that one can put a coin
and get a pad. With the support from the Micro Venture Innovation Fund scheme of NIF,
the innovator has been able to install over fifty units in seven states.

BIHAR INNOVATES 46
PART III : INNOVATIONS FOR BIHAR
06
An improved dual pod variety of chick pea-
“Sushil Laxmi”
The most distinctive feature of the variety is that it bears two pods per axil as compared
to single pod per axil, which is a common feature of all the varieties that are available
in the market. Plant is tall (50-60cm), spreading and has bushy type growth habit.
Foliage is dark green and seeds are attractive, bold (25-30 gram/100 seeds) and
brown in colour. The variety has been reported to be tolerant to wilting and insect
pest attack in farmer’s field, yielding on an average 14 - 16 quintals per acre under
Balasaheb Patil
irrigated conditions and 12 - 13 quintal per acre in unirrigated conditions.
Maharashtra

BIHAR INNOVATES 47
 07 PART III : INNOVATIONS FOR BIHAR

Manual milking machine

Safe milking of cows/buffaloes is a requirement across rural India and this product is an
efficient step in that direction. It is a low cost, manually operated device that helps farmers
to milk the animal hygienically and also reduces drudgery in the process.

The machine has simple controls and can be easily operated by women as well. The
creation of suction and low vacuum makes it suitable for other applications also. NIF has
Raghav Gowda been giving marketing support to the innovator. As a result, this machine has also been
Karnataka sold to customers in Phillipines, Uganda and Ethiopia apart from India.

BIHAR INNOVATES 48
PART III : INNOVATIONS FOR BIHAR
08
Aloe vera gel extractor

The innovator has developed an effective multipurpose unit capable of pulverizing,

steaming, and extraction of gel for herbal applications.

With this device, the innovator uses the specially designed pressure cooking chamber to
extract the essence from Aloe vera. Being a compact portable unit, it can be quickly and
easily transported and used anywhere, to process herbs and deliver on demand. The
present machine has a capacity to process 100 kg of Aloe vera per hour. The innovator Dharamveer
was supported for production and commercialisation through GIAN North from the Micro Haryana
Venture Innovation Fund at NIF. One unit has been sent to Kenya on a pilot basis for
application feasibility study in the country.

BIHAR INNOVATES 49
 09 PART III : INNOVATIONS FOR BIHAR

Aaruni-the tilting bullock cart

In a traditional bullock cart, with two wheels, part of the load is borne by the draft animals
on their shoulders and neck. Moreover, the harnessing system makes it difficult to
negotiate sharp bends or turns in the road. This causes galls on the neck of the bullocks,
which affects not only the efficiency of the animals but also their stamina. This cart is
thus designed to overcome the shortcomings of the traditional carts by having an extra
Amrutbhai Agrawat wheel to balance the load. In addition, the cart has a tilting mechanism that is based on
Gujarat
the rope and pulley system, which can be controlled by a lever located alongside the
cart driver.

BIHAR INNOVATES 50
PART III : INNOVATIONS FOR BIHAR
10
Bullet Santi-motocycle based multipurpose plough

Like other drought prone regions, Amreli region, from where the innovator belongs, has
severe labor shortage, few farm animals or mechanized implements to conduct farming
operations. To address this need, the innovator designed a unique unit: the ‘Bullet Santi”.

Using the chassis, drive and power of an Enfield Bullet motorcycle, the innovator has
retrofitted an attachment with two wheels at the rear with a tool bar to fit various farm
implements. This helps in plouging, weeding and sowing seeds. Being a unique local Mansukh Bhai Jagani
solution, the machine has proved to be cost effective and fuel efficient. Bullet Santi can Gujarat
plough an acre of land in half an hour consuming only two litres of fuel. Innovator got a
patent in India and USA. Given the fact, many other users and innovators copied this
technology, he has appreciated the concept of ‘Technology Commons’ implying no
restrictions for other innovators to copy and adapt. But commercial firms will need license
from members of the ‘Technology Commons’.

BIHAR INNOVATES 51
 11 PART III : INNOVATIONS FOR BIHAR

Production of soft muga silk

The innovator has mechanised the process of muga silk weaving by way of making
modifications in the conventional mechanised loom. Muga silk weaved with the device
becomes soft as well as blocks UV radiations up to 80 % as per laboratory tests at Tezpur
University.

The innovator has made various products like shirts, belts, caps etc. with the muga weaved
Dulal Choudhary* from this loom. He has also made an umbrella out of this material which is durable, stain
Kamrup
free, and water proof. It has a pleasing golden shine which illuminates colour, better
than that offered by conventional umbrellas.

NIF had facilitated the technology transfer of this muga umbrella to Assam Silk
Development Centre.

*As per its mandate, NIF

does not consider such
professionals for awards or
financial support, but only
helps in providing visibility or
linkages.

BIHAR INNOVATES 52
PART III : INNOVATIONS FOR BIHAR
12
Mobile operated switch and multi-media poster

Imagine a village where the farmer has the luxury of being able to stay at home and
switch his irrigation pump in the faraway field on or off as required during the day or at
night. This is made possible by this innovation, which uses the power of mobile telephony
to trigger electrical control switches.

The farmer can remotely know the status of the pump in his cell phone and turn the motor
Prem Singh Saini
on or off by calling the particular configured number. It activates the switching by certain
number of rings and hence incurs no call charges. Prem Singh has developed several Haryana
other innovations, one of which is the viewer triggered multi-media poster. If any agency
wants to communicate some graphic message with different language audios or videos,
this multi-media poster can be very useful. NIF facilitated a Mumbai based company to
purchase two hundred units of the talking poster worth around eight lakh rupees for
diffusion in various states. These were made available in five local languages.

BIHAR INNOVATES 53
 13 PART III : INNOVATIONS FOR BIHAR

‘Kudrat-9’- an improved variety of wheat

The innovator believes that every farmer should get good quality seeds to deliver high
yielding varieties of crops. He has developed a number of improved wheat, paddy, mustard
and pigeon pea varieties, which are high yielding, robust stem, having bold seeds with
good taste and resistance to major pests & diseases.

“Kudrat 9”, an improved wheat variety, developed by him using simple method of selection
Prakash Singh Raghuvanshi is quite popular among the farmers in different parts of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh,
Uttar Pradesh Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat and some parts of Bihar, Haryana and
Punjab. This variety bears large number of ear bearing tillers with lengthy spikes and has
a hardy stem. The grain contains high protein and has better taste. The average yield of
this variety is 55-60 quintals / hectares.

BIHAR INNOVATES 54
PART III : INNOVATIONS FOR BIHAR

14
Herbal growth promoter

A herbal plant growth promoter, which is effective in protecting the plants from a broad
spectrum of pests apart from providing necessary nutrition has been developed. It is
named as “Kamaal” meaning wonderful, due to its performance. It is effective in field
crops as well as in vegetable crops.

The main ingredients of the product are “aak” (Calotropis gigantea), “reetha” (Sapindus
trifoliatus), “dhatura” (Datura metel), “neem” (Azadirachta indica), Tobacco (Nicotiana Ishwar Singh Kundu
tabacum), and “bhang” (Cannabis sativa), etc. Haryana

The innovator won a Consolation Award in NIF’s Fourth National Competition for
Grassroots Innovations and Traditional Knowledge in 2007. He has also been supported
under the Micro Venture Innovation Fund of NIF for commercialising “Kamaal”. The
product is a good hit in the local market and is fetching steady income for the innovator.
This product has also been supplied for use in the gardens in the Rashtrapati Bhavan
with encouraging results.

BIHAR INNOVATES 55
 15 PART III : INNOVATIONS FOR BIHAR

An improved variety of pigeon pea- “Virat (JP-6)”

This new variety has coloured flowers, long leaves and bunchy type pods bearing at the
top. The seed weight (19 – 20 gram/ 100 seeds), number of pods / plant (500 - 600), big
size pods (3 – 5 inch), number of seeds/pod (5 – 6) and perennial yield (1st year 12 -14
quintal/ acre and 2nd year 14 – 15 quintal/ acre) is higher as compared to the local
popular variety. This variety requires less quantity of seed (4 – 5 kg/acre) and maintenance
as compared to other varieties grown in the region.
Jai Prakash Singh
Uttar Pradesh

BIHAR INNOVATES 56
PART III : INNOVATIONS FOR BIHAR

16
An improved variety of pigeon pea- “Richa 2000”

This variety has coloured big flowers, long leaves and bunchy type pod bearing at the top.
Topping is done periodically, which results in bushy growth. This variety has synchronous
maturity with higher yield (24 quintals/acre), more branches / plant (12-14) and more pods/plant
(700 – 800) than other local popular varieties of the region.

Rajkumar Rathore
Madhya Pradesh

BIHAR INNOVATES 57
End notes & References
1) Akhtar, M.S. 1992. Hypoglycaemic activities of some indigenous medicinal plants traditionally used as antidiabetic drugs. J. Pak. Med. Ass. 42 (11): 271-277.
2) Reddy, M.B., Reddy, K.R. and Reddy, M.N. 1989. A survey of plant crude drugs of Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Int. J. Crude Drug Res. 27 (3): 145-155.
3) Zagari, A. 1992. Medicinal plants. Vol. 4. (5th ed.) Tehran, Iran. Tehran University Publications, p. 969.
4) Himalaya healthcare products, [Link] dt. 20.08.2008.
5) Guangkui, Z. 2008. Chinese traditional medicine preparation for curing laryngopharyngitis. Hunan Times Sunlight Pharmaceu (CN). (Pat no. CN101116680 dt.
06.02.2008; http: //[Link], dt. 20.08.2008).
6) Muthuswamy, M.P. 2003. Polyherbal composition for the treatment of Bronchial Asthma and the process. Dalmia C.T. for Res and Dev (IN) and Murali
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