A 23-year-old student, K. Goutam Kumar, has developed an UV-E SAFE kit that helps in sanitising money, documents, files and other belongings within a minute.

Kumar is pursuing entrepreneurship skills training from Bharatiya Skill Development University (BSDU).

Taking about his invention, Kumar said: "In times of a global pandemic like COVID-19, a sudden need to sanitise our belongings has emerged. These belongings could be mobiles, laptops or anything that we carry. We were also worried how academic material could be exchanged without the fear of infection. This was the reason behind this invention."

Describing the device, Prof Achintya Choudhury, President, BSDU, said, "It is a sanitation device that sterilises money, notes, documents, files and many more things that otherwise are impossible to sanitize through conventional means. The use of ultraviolet ensures that up to 99.9 per cent of bacteria and pathogens are killed in a minute.

"It's safe and moreover it is portable as the sleek design makes it easy to carry it around," he added.

"We cannot avoid carrying items such as mobile phone, jewellery, laptop or an innocuous appearing letter and all are possible carriers of the pathogens they come in contact with. It is not always possible to clean these things with a sanitizer. Hence, UV E-SAFE kit could prove a great boon."

"The kit can kill almost all types of bacteria and viruses. UV rays exposure can be controlled as well. The box has been made using a robust CKT design technology which makes it long lasting. Also, it has zero maintenance and hassle free installation," said Prof Ravi Kumar Goyal, Principal, School of Entrepreneurship Skills.(IANS)