Srinagar, Feb 09: A teenager, from central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, has become the first Kashmiri boy to make it to ‘India Book of Records' in technology and innovation.

Aqib Ahmad Shah, 18, a resident of Safapora received the award on January 24 for his innovation ‘seat belt ignition’ for cars that ensures safety of the people, especially drivers and can save precious human lives in road accidents.

“I am qualified for India Book Records in technology and innovation. I am the first Kashmiri boy to have created history in technology and innovations. I am still working on different innovations for the bright future of the country,” he said.

While talking about the ‘seat belt ignition’ innovation for which he was enlisted in India Book of Records he said it is the custodian of records in India since 2006.

He said he got the innovative idea some six years back when he was travelling in a passenger cab in Srinagar that  met with an accident in which he escaped unhurt. The teenager started working on his idea  in 2016.

“This is the way forward for better safety and security of people. A seat belt can reduce the likelihood of death or serious injury in a traffic collision by reducing the force of secondary impacts with interior strike hazards,” he said.

“Seat belt is considered Primary Restraint Systems (PRS) because of its vital role in occupant safety. If we introduce the ignition-based seat belt, without fasting the seat belt, the vehicle would not start. By this innovative idea we can save precious lives, which matter to us all,” he said.

Earlier also Aqib who is a student of class 12th  Govt HSS Safapora, has won many innovation awards.

“From childhood, I would open toys and other electric devices at home for which I was scolded many times, it was not yielding until I got admission in Boys Higher Secondary School Safapora,” he said.

Later, he applied for the INSPIRE Awards - MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge), that aims to motivate students in the age group of 10-15 years and studying in classes 6 to 10.

Aqib’s award winning journey began in 2019 and is still continues. He won the inspire award by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

“This year I could not make it because of age bar. But I applied for the Innovation Conclave at IIT Kanpur, for which my idea was selected and I was invited, I have attended a recently held innovation hunt held at Sri Pratap College. I have also sent an innovative idea for review to Incubation Center NIF University of Kashmir,” he said.

Aqib said that all these different ideas have been conceived and executed with the help of his mentor and teacher, Dr Muzafar Ahmad, who teaches at his school.