Semmalar Annam, a small-town girl who dared to dream big, says she never had an alternate career in mind from the word goTiruvannamalai, an ancient spiritual-pilgrim center in Tamil Nadu, hit the headlines recently when Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the local women for rejuvenating the dried up Naganadhi river. Well before, the temple town had been making strides in the global environmental arena, thanks to Vinisha Umashankar, a 15-yearold science buff. Grade Ten student of ‘The Path Global Public School’ in Malappambadi in Tiruvannamalai, Vinisha was one of the 15 finalists shortlisted for ‘Earthshot Prize’ - the prestigious global environment prize instituted by Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge and Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Prize, aimed at turning the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism, by highlighting the ability of human ingenuity to bring about change and inspire collective action. Vinisha’s innovative ‘Solar ironing cart’ won her the prestigious place in a panel of 15 finalists. The Earthshot Prize is about much more than awarding achievement; it is to inspire people all over the world to work together to repair the planet. The solutions offered by Vinisha and 14 other finalists demonstrated their potential to create game-changing impact around the world, the expert selection panelists said. The finalists were selected after several screening stages which assessed the nominations, their impact on...