Washington/Jamshedpur, May 20: A boy from the steel city has won the world's largest pre-college science competition in the US in the environmental engineering category for his project on biodegradation of pesticides.

"My project will actually help farmers in biodegrading pesticide which is plaguing the country," said Prashant Ranganathan, a 12th grader from Carmel Junior College, said after he was declared winner in his category at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

Prashant, along with 20 other high school students from various parts of India, took part in the competition. In all, more than 1,700 students from across the world, took part in the week-long event which concluded yesterday.

Four Indian-Americans received top awards in various other categories.

Prashant's project, 'Bio-degradation of chlorpyrifos using native bacteria', calls for farmers to shun pesticides.

"In states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Bihar and Jharkhand, there's extensive farming. Using excessive amounts of pesticides is affecting the health and the environment around them," said Prashant, who bagged the coveted award for his innovation to fight against pesticide and getting rid of its side effects through biodegradable use.

Prashant's parents in Jamshedpur were over the moon. "Prashant called us at 1.30am today and sounded very emotional as well as enthusiastic. He felt happy to note that we had already seen him on YouTube before he called us," said father S. Ranganathan, a scientist with NML.

Mother Vijayalaxmi said it was amazing moment for her son and them. "His school was also awarded $ 1,000 during the US function," she said, adding that Prashant would be heading to the UK to attend the Science Congress in London in August.

Prashant's Hindi teacher Paramjeet Kaur said she always knew him as calm and composed. "I know him from childhood. He is a brilliant student who has a keen interest in agriculture. He is also an animal lover."

While the topmost Gordon E Moore Award of $75,000 went to Ivo Zell (18) of Germany for designing and constructing a remote-control prototype of a new 'flying wing', almost all participants of the Indian delegation received an award.

"India boasts extraordinary mathematics, science, physics, education," Maya Ajmera, president and CEO of Society for Science and Public, told PTI.

In fact, every section the award ceremony had budding Indian scientists on stage.

So were Indian American high school students, prompting an Intel official to say "Indians and Indian Americans rock today" at the conclusion of the awards ceremony at the Los Angeles Convention Centre in downtown Los Angeles.

Indians and Indian Americans accounted for nearly one-fifth of the top categories awards.