Youth icons from Bihar are now leading by example and it’s not surprising to see that Minister of state for disaster management Nitish Mishra has been selected as one among the eight young achievers of Pepsi MTV Youth Icons for 2008. He, along with other icons, would now feature on one million Pepsi My cans.

The selection was made through online voting and SMS. The selected eight come from different walks of life. They are fashion designer, food chain owner, boxer, cyber security guru, filmmaker, musician, development professional and, of course, politician. They have been selected from among 30 nominees who were shortlisted from 8,000 plus entries.

The organisers, instead of looking for super achievers, opted for those who have made a difference. And the minister from Bihar with a postgraduate diploma in global political economy from University of Hull, UK, fitted the bill for making it to the list.

As the minister of disaster management in Bihar, he was the driving force behind the rescue operations following the Kosi floods early this year. Supervising one of the biggest rescue operations in the world, Nitish helped evacuate almost 10 lakh people.

After studying Global Political Economy from the University of Hull, United Kingdom, Nitish Mishra could have pretty much done anything that he wanted to. But unlike his peers who went for high paying Development sector jobs, Nitish went for the most unexpected option. He joined politics! As the Minister of Disaster Management in Bihar, Nitish has been the driving force behind the flood rescue operations in Bihar.

Nitish was identified as one of the most promising social entrepreneurs by Digital Partners Seattle, a venture capital firm funding technology companies, for his E-Swasthya project in Madhubani district of Bihar. From social entrepreneurship to social justice and equality, Nitish continues to be the steady worker that he is!

Watch Nitish's winning video here

Scientific foresight 2008 saw a grand opening by the Deputy CM of Bihar at the Sri Krishna Memorial Hall. The event intends to promote science and scientific research among the school and college students. Scientific Foresight is a movement to build a scientific knowledge temperament and promote innovation in our society.

The Deputy CM said the NDA government in Bihar was committed to promoting scientific exploration and research and it was evident by the set up of various new technical and engineering colleges across the state.

The workshop has been jointly organized by various universities and other teaching institutions in Bihar and would conclude on Sunday.

First of its kind in Bihar, it focuses on promoting scientific awareness with a purpose to develop Bihar on frontiers of knowledge creation and fostering research interest among enthusiasts. It highlights new challenges in science and technology domain through collaborative participations by seasoned professionals, eminent scientists, established entrepreneurs, and creative minds alike.

Please visit the scientific foresight website and blog for more details.