LUCKNOW, Dec. 26 -- Pooja Pal, 17, from Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki district received Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar from President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Friday for inventing a chaff-dust separation machine that reduces agricultural dust and air pollution.

Driven by concern for her surroundings, she created the machine that earned her accolades. She comes from a humble background. Her father is a labourer and mother a cook in a government primary school who gets a stipend of Rs.2000 per month. Pooja is studying in class 12 and aspires to become a scientist.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath in a social media post extended his heartiest congratulations to Pooja. "By developing the 'Chaff-Dust Separation M...