Question: Team Members Full Names:
Answer: Mohit Jain, Aakar Gupta, Navkar Samdaria and Praveen Shekhar

Question: Mentor:
Answer: Joyojeet Pal

Question: Title of Project:
Answer: DISHA: DISease and Health Awareness

Question: Project Overview:
Answer: Our application, titled DISHA (DISease and Health Awareness), is a collaborative multimedia platform for public health information for children in low-income regions, using multiple mice based on the MultiPoint technology. Giving each child a mouse of his or her own, DISHA increases the use of a single computer, wider across all users through collaborative use of screen resources as well as boosts engagement between the children. DISHA encompasses every aspect including the spread, symptoms and prevention of the diseases. Using a narrative-interactive loop format of story-telling followed by concept-driven multiple-input games, DISHA ensures understanding and positive reinforcement of disease related information.

Question: Technology/Software Used:
Answer: Microsoft Visual Studio 2008, Microsoft MultiPoint SDK, Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Microsoft Expression Blend and Microsoft Expression Design

Question: Inspiration: What inspired your team to enter the Microsoft Imagine Cup and why did you choose the MultiPoint Education Award competition?
Answer: For the last three years, we have watched our seniors taking part in Imagine Cup and finally going to great places in their careers. Our initial push towards participating in Imagine Cup was a desire to be part of something which gives us a sense of achievement, which helps us carve our futures better. The push gradually became more about effecting a positive change in the society through our efforts, which germinated the seed of our idea. Our idea resonated perfectly with the Imagine Cup 2009 theme and it was after we came third at the Software Design National Finals, that we came to know about this award. Our project was apt for it and we saw another opportunity to display our innovation at the world stage and hence decided to participate in the MultiPoint Education Award competition.

Question: Team History: How did your team meet?
Answer: As friends we already knew each other, as we had been with each other for the last three years in the same batch, living in the same hostel. Our diverse areas of expertise, made us realize that we will form a perfect team for Imagine Cup and consequently, it was one night in December when we had our first team meeting, which sealed our fates for the next six months to come.

Question: Team Experience: What experience did your team have with MultiPoint Education Award before competing in the Imagine Cup?
Answer: All of us had been familiar with the ongoing efforts in the space of ICTD (Information and Communication Technology for Development); while one of our teammates actually interned at Microsoft Research Labs, India, working on designing the first of its kind CAL (Computer-Aided Learning) solution for children in developing regions using MultiPoint.

Question: Highlights: What has been the best part of the Imagine Cup competition to date?
Answer: The best part of the Imagine Cup competition was when we stood second runner up at the Software Design National Finals, India. The atmosphere at the venue was great and there were research and industry stalwarts who appreciated our demonstration; additionally, it was the first time we were presenting at such a big stage and it all added up to a memorable experience.

Question: Inspiration: How did your team come up with your submission? Include which Millennium Development Goal inspired your solution.
Answer: Being students, we form the core of the knowledge industry and our idea was instinctively aimed at the Universal Education Development Goal. One of the clauses in the goal description says that “The quality of education is as important as enrolment”. We realized how true this fact is, especially in a developing region like ours and this was the diktat that guided our project through out. We decided to spread effectual education concerning diseases, which still remain a bane in the rural areas. The application was targeted at children who are the future of a society, thus the application had to be usable, scalable and involving.

Question: Challenges: What personal or technological challenges did your team face while developing your submission?
Answer: The biggest challenge was to balance our collegial responsibilities with the project; all of us being final year students had tough time management issues and some really tough compromises to make. Technologically, designing an ergonomic GUI for our application which is best suited for kids was the biggest challenge.

Question: Future Plans: What does your team plan on doing after the Worldwide Finals in Cairo, Egypt? Do you plan to use your project to launch a new business?
Answer: After the Worldwide finals, we will deploy our project extensively in various primary level schools in rural and semi-urban India with the help of NGOs working in the education field. We will try to widen the scope of our project by localizing it in various regional languages. We intend to collaborate with the Universal Education programs of the government to reach the masses so as to benefit the maximum population through our product.