Minutes of the Third meeting of the General Body of the Goa State Innovation Council held on Tuesday, 17th September, 2024 at 3.30 pm at the Don Bosco College of Engineering, Fatorda, Margao, Goa 403602 in hybrid mode.

Ref: GSInC/2023-24/                                                                                                       17/09/2024

Minutes of the Third meeting of the General Body of the Goa State Innovation Council held on Tuesday, 17^th September, 2024 at 3.30 pm at the Don Bosco College of Engineering, Fatorda, Margao, Goa 403602 in hybrid mode.

The list of the members and other participants present in the meeting are mentioned below:

Chairman informed that he had invited Rev. Fr. Kinley D’Cruz, Director – Don Bosco College of Engineering, Fatorda for the meeting.

3.0    In the Opening remarks, Chairman formally welcomed the members of the General Body of the Society and the Invitees and stated that the quorum was established and the meeting was properly constituted at 3:30 p.m. He informed the General Body members that they had received the Annual Report for 2023-24, which highlighted the Society’s active role in organizing a diverse range of innovation-driven programs and events. These initiatives aim to expose the youth and innovators to various dimensions of innovation, encouraging creative thinking and fostering a culture of innovation. He, then directed the Project Officer, GSInC to take up the agenda items.

3.1                Confirmation of the Minutes of the Second General Body meeting held on 19th March 2024.

The Project Officer informed that the Minutes of the Second General Body meeting held on 19^th March 2024 were circulated through e-mail and since no comments were received from any members, the minutes were confirmed by the General Body.

3.2                Item no 3.2: Follow up action on the decisions taken in the Second General Body meeting of the Society.

The Project Officer briefly explained the status update on 12A & 80G registration of the Society was still in process and the Chairman directed the Project Officer to follow-up with the concerned departments. The Member Secretary updated the General Body on the progress regarding the creation of the new post for the Society. He informed that the proposal had been accepted by the Administrative Reforms Department, Government of Goa, for post verification. He further informed that the Technical Officer from the Administrative Reforms Department had made certain observations and requested additional clarifications, which were promptly addressed and responded to by the Member Secretary.

However, out of the six proposed posts, only four were approved.

The approved posts are as follows:

The Project Officer informed the General Body about the status of the Grant-In-Aid received by the Society. It was informed that the Society has received the following Grant-In-Aid orders:

It was further informed that an amount of ₹7,50,000/- (₹1,43,508/- + ₹6,06,492/-) had been received, while an amount of ₹20,00,000/- was still pending. The Member Secretary assured the General Body that efforts would be made to get the pending amount cleared soon.

3.3                Item No.3.3: Progress achieved for the year 2024-25

The Project Officer presented the General Body with an overview of the progress achieved, along with details of the events, initiatives, and programs previously conducted by the Society.

The Project Officer informed the General Body that the Society had organized a total of 49 programs and events, which successfully trained 3,829 participants. These participants included students from schools and colleges, research faculty, innovators, startups, and entrepreneurs, among others.

The Project Officer showcased the overall achievements of the Society:

The Chairman and the members expressed their appreciation for the Society's accomplishments. The Chairman directed the Project Officer to ensure that the success stories of the projects and innovations supported by the Society are featured through various news and media channels to inform and engage the general public.

3.4                Item No.3.4: Annual Report 2023-24

Copies of the Annual Report 2023-24 were presented to the General Body. It was further informed that the report had been tabled on the floor of the Goa Legislative Assembly on 16th July 2024. The Chairman and the members acknowledged the Secretariat Staff of the Goa State Innovation Council for this significant achievement. The Chairman expressed his appreciation for the Society's consistent efforts and informed the General Body that he had given a press interview highlighting the Society's key accomplishments.

3.5                Item No.3.5: Chairman visit to Katowice, Poland

At the General Body meeting of the Goa State Innovation Council held on 19th March 2024, it was approved that the Chairman would attend the E-Innovate event as the Chief Guest from 14th to 18th May 2024 at Jagiellonian University Campus, Krakow, Poland. This decision was taken to enable the Chairman to explore possibilities of working closely with IBS Global, Poland. The Chairman informed the General Body that he had applied for a Polish Visa, which was granted for 6 days between 20th March 2024 and 9th April 2024. However, due to the visa timing, the  Chairman could not attend the program. During his personal visit to Frankfurt, Germany, Mrs. Edyta Wolczyk, President of IBS Global, invited the Chairman to Poland to observe the work being carried out by IBS Global. Since the Goa State Innovation Council had already entered into an MOU with IBS Global, the Chairman expressed his desire to visit their organization and explore ways to further strengthen the association.

During this visit, it was reported that the Chairman met with the following delegates:

3.6                Item No.3.6: India International Innovation & Invention Expo (INEX) 2024

The proposal for the India International Innovation & Invention Expo (INEX) 2023 was presented, suggesting dates from 13th to 15th November 2024. It was proposed that the venue for INEX 2024 be the Don Bosco College of Engineering, Fatorda.

The General Body approved the following list of deliverables for the Goa State Innovation Council:

The General Body was informed that the INEX Higher Education Institutions (HEI) Award for Promoting and Incubating Innovators and Startups is scheduled to be held during INEX 2024, managed by IBS Global and the Indian Innovators Association. It was further decided that the letter to the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) would be submitted through the Director, Department of Science, Technology, and Waste Management, Government of Goa. This communication aims to facilitate the arrangement of a Goa Heritage Tour for the international delegates, showcasing the rich cultural heritage and natural beauty of the region.

3.7                Item No.3.7: Any other Item with the permission of the Chair:

1.  The General Body proposed the creation of a platform to develop a database focused on innovation-based research from various organizations, including Goa University, CSIR-NIO, and others. The Chairman appointed a sub-committee comprising Dr. Krupashankar M.S., Principal of Goa Engineering College, and Dr. Neena Panandikar, Principal of Don Bosco College of Engineering, Fatorda, to present this proposal at the next meeting.

2.  The General Body proposed the establishment of an Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Lab by the Society, aimed at providing students with the opportunity to learn and gain hands-on experience with these advanced technologies. After extensive discussions regarding the potential benefits and implementation strategies, the General Body approved the proposal. The Chairman subsequently directed the Project Officer to prepare a budget of ₹5 lakhs for the establishment of the lab, emphasizing the importance of equipping students with the skills needed to thrive in a technology-driven future. Furthermore, it was decided that the proposal would be submitted to the Government for approval.

The meeting concluded with Thanks to the Chair and all the members/participants.

CHAIRMAN