Student Of Shiv Nadar School Wins Prestigious CREST Gold Award By British Science Association For Innovation In Sustainable Farming

New Delhi, June 19, 2025: Navya Goenka, a class 12 student of Shiv Nadar School in Gurgaon, has been awarded the CREST Gold Award, one of the UK’s most prestigious science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) accolades, for her project titled “Agroventure: Soil Analysis & Agrochemical Optimization IoT Device”. The project was a collaborative effort with fellow students Aayush Anand, Gaurvica Gupta, and Simayah Jhingran, with Navya leading the initiative and representing the team on the international stage. This award recognises outstanding innovation and research by young minds around the world.

Congratulating Navya on this achievement, Sameer Arora, Principal of Shiv Nadar School Gurgaon said, “We are immensely proud of Navya’s remarkable achievement in winning the prestigious CREST Gold Award. Her project exemplifies the spirit of innovation and social impact that we strive to nurture at Shiv Nadar School. We congratulate her and look forward to seeing her continue to make meaningful contributions to society.”

Inspired by daily struggles of India’s farmers, this students-led initiative, Agroventure introduced Mati Rakshak, a device that provides real-time soil analysis for Indian farmers. It stands 5 ft tall with solar panels attached at the top, powering the battery inside the IP tested box. When inserted in the soil, the three probes analyse the soil’s chemical composition and display the reading on an LED screen. The readings are then sent to their bilingual Agroww app to display soil data and provide fertilizer and irrigation recommendations.

Expressing her views on this achievement, Navya said, “Agroventure addresses a critical issue in Indian agriculture: over-fertilization and delayed soil testing. By providing instant feedback through a bilingual app, Agroww, and leveraging solar power and sustainable materials, Mati Rakshak has the potential to redefine soil health monitoring in rural India. I’m incredibly grateful to the school for creating an environment that encourages curiosity, innovation, and real-world problem-solving. Winning the CREST Gold Award is an honour, and I owe so much of this achievement to the school’s encouragement.”

Agroventure’s vision doesn’t stop here. The team is already planning to integrate drones and autonomous rovers for large-scale, precision farming. Their ambition is to transform Indian agriculture into a more data-driven, sustainable sector—empowering farmers and protecting the environment.