Seven young problem-solvers from Maharashtra have punched their way into India's most competitive school-level science innovation contest — and one of them has claimed the top prize. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday, October 15, 2026, celebrated the state's performance at the 12th National INSPIRE-MANAK Exhibition and Project Competition (NLEPC) 2026, spotlighting the achievers by name and school.

Shradha Londhe's gold — Ahilyanagar leads the nation

The headline moment belongs to Shradha Londhe of New English School, Chandgaon, Ahilyanagar, who secured first rank nationally and etched her name on the Special Gold Medal. CM Fadnavis described her achievement as a matter of genuine pride, noting that students like her see the nation's problems not merely as questions but as engineering challenges waiting for a science-based answer.

Ahilyanagar — the district formerly known as Ahmednagar — now has a national champion at the school level, a signal that innovation talent is spreading well beyond Maharashtra's metropolitan centres.

Maharashtra's Super 60 seven — district by district

Out of roughly 800 students who competed at the national level, only 60 were selected into the 'Super 60' cohort. Maharashtra claimed seven of those slots. The full list, as posted by CM Fadnavis:

• Shradha Londhe — New English School, Chandgaon, Ahilyanagar (Special Gold Medal, Rank 1)
• Rajwardhan Kale — Zilla Parishad School, Lakshmiwadi, Sangli
• Devika Tad — M.E.S. Rani Lakshmibai Girls' Military School, Pune
• Arnav Bhusari — City Pride School, Pune
• Geeta Dhanwade — D.E.S. Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar Guruji Secondary School, Pune
• Shambhavi Ajagunde — K.L.E. Mangrule High School, Akkalkot, Solapur
• Viraj Shinde — Podar International School, Washim

The geographic spread — Ahilyanagar, Sangli, Pune, Solapur, and Washim — underlines that Maharashtra's pipeline of young innovators runs across the state, not just its cities.

What INSPIRE-MANAK is built to do

Launched in 2008 by India's Department of Science and Technology, the INSPIRE (Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research) scheme was designed with a single animating idea: pull young minds toward science before they drift elsewhere. The MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge) component sharpens that focus on school students, asking them to identify a real-life problem in their community and build an original, science-backed solution.

The competition now runs in multiple tiers, culminating in the national exhibition where a panel assesses both the quality of the innovation and the student's ability to defend and explain it. Reaching the 'Super 60' from a national pool is a genuine credential — not a participation ribbon.

CM Fadnavis's message to the next generation

Posting in Marathi, the Chief Minister called this cohort Maharashtra's 'उज्ज्वल भविष्य' ('bright future'), saying their creativity, determination, and progressive thinking were a source of deep pride. He signed off with a pointed wish: that their ideas find the right opportunities, their research instincts find new horizons, and their talent continues to contribute to national development. The congratulations were extended not just to the Super 60 winners but to every Maharashtra student who competed at the national stage.