Amethi: The Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT), Jais campus, Amethi, organised a two-day socio-technical festival, SOUHARDYA 2026, on October 30 and 31 under the aegis of its Social Service Council, ARPAN. The event brought together researchers, academicians, industry experts, social innovators and students from educational and research institutions across the country to promote social responsibility, sustainable development, innovation and nation-building.
The inaugural ceremony on October 30 was held under the guidance of RGIPT Director Prof. Harish Hirani. Prof. Mahesh G. Thakkar, Director of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow, attended as the chief guest. Environmental scientist Prof. Binisha Payattati and Dr Harish Kumar, Scientist ‘F’ at the Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment (DMSRDE), DRDO, Kanpur, were the guests of honour.
Dr Kaushik Guha Biswas, Dean of Student Affairs, introduced the objectives and activities of the festival. Dr Arvind Singh, Coordinator of the Social Service Council (ARPAN), and Gaurav Srivastava, Secretary of ARPAN, welcomed the guests and participants.
Two major events formed the centrepiece of the festival: NIRMAAN 2026 (New India: Research, Management, and Advancement Towards Nation-Building), a national socio-technical conference, and SOCI-O-THON 2026, a social innovation challenge. Both provided participants with opportunities to present research, interact with experts and develop practical, innovative solutions to societal challenges.
More than 125 participants from institutions including SMS Lucknow, SVVV Indore, Tezpur University, Kanpur Institute of Technology, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, REC Pratapgarh, FGIET Raebareli, IET Lucknow, Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University, Fursatganj, and RGIPT participated in the competitions.
A science and social innovation exhibition was another major attraction, drawing more than 250 students from 15 schools across Amethi and Raebareli. Students showcased scientific models, creative projects and socially relevant innovations, demonstrating their scientific understanding and problem-solving abilities.
The festival also featured PRATIBIMB, a short film and reel competition; DRISHTIKON, a photography competition; and RIWAAJ – Heritage India. The latter showcased traditional jute crafts, the making of lacquer bangles and caricature art, highlighting India’s rich artistic, cultural and handicraft traditions.
The cultural evening, KAVIRAAG, featured renowned poets Shambhu Shikhar, Varun Anand, Ayushi Rakecha, Zubair Ali Tabish, Durgesh Dubey and Lalit Deepak. Their performances, covering humour, satire, patriotism, human emotions and social values, captivated the audience and added vibrancy to the festival.
Winners of NIRMAAN and SOCI-O-THON 2026 Announced
Under NIRMAAN 2026, outstanding research presentations across different thematic categories were recognised. The winners included Suryansh (REC Pratapgarh), Umang Shankar Kishore (RGNAU), Rishika Singh (United Institute of Technology), Aniruddh Mishra (SMS Lucknow), Aryan Kushwaha (RGIPT) and Purushottam Sam Sundar (RGNAU).
The runners-up included Shreyansh Singh, Aditi Tripathi, Palak P., Aman Raj and P. Darshit (RGIPT), along with Ajay Pathak (CSJMU, Kanpur).
In SOCI-O-THON 2026, the winning teams were Renewable India (RGIPT), Nal Authority (SMS Lucknow), YPE (Kanpur Institute of Technology), AMETS (SMS Lucknow) and Nexus Knight (SMS Lucknow).
The runner-up teams included Solar Apex and Decimals (SMS Lucknow), The God’s Eye (Tezpur University), and Agni, Binary Drift and Well-Being Warriors (RGIPT).
The festival was organised under the guidance of Dr Kaushik Guha Biswas, Dean of Student Affairs, and Dr Arvind Singh, Faculty Coordinator of the Social Service Council (ARPAN).
Dr Sajal Agrawal, Dr Vijay Kumar Singh, Dr Malay Kumar Sahu, Dr Ankur and Dr Amey N. Agharkar, along with student Gaurav Srivastava, faculty coordinators, student volunteers and members of the organising committee, played significant roles in ensuring the successful conduct of the event.
SOUHARDYA 2026 reaffirmed RGIPT’s commitment to addressing social concerns through education, technology and research. The festival highlighted that the purpose of technical education extends beyond knowledge and skill development to finding solutions to societal challenges, empowering young people, promoting sustainable development and contributing to national progress.
The event emerged as an inspiring example of youth creativity, innovation and social participation in advancing the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
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