Pune: MKSSS’s Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture for Women (BNCA) has secured the First Prize at the prestigious Moving Million national competition organized by School of Planning and Architecture Bhopal, winning a cash award of INR 50,000.
In an outstanding overall performance, two additional BNCA teams received appreciation prizes of INR 10,000 each. Notably, three BNCA teams were shortlisted among the top five finalists, presenting their work at the grand finale held on 10th April at SPA Bhopal.
The competition focused on developing crowd and traffic management strategies for the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2028 in Ujjain—a mega-event expected to host millions of pilgrims within a compact urban setting.
BNCA’s entries stood out for their GIS-based planning and crowd management strategies, featuring hotspot mapping, clear entry–exit systems, dedicated emergency corridors, and well-defined ingress–egress flows. The proposals also included timing plans, strategic signage and barrier placement, along with universal accessibility measures to ensure safe and inclusive movement.
The winning team comprised Girija Ganorkar, Nupoor Bodhe, Rutuja Billade, Sanika Korade, and Prachi Thorve, whose collaborative effort earned the top honor.
The teams were guided by Dr. Amruta Garud, Head of the GIS Bhumi Research Lab at BNCA.
Principal Dr. Anurag Kashyap highlighted the importance of architects contributing to large-scale crowd management and decision-making processes, especially for mega-events like Simhastha. Vice Principal Dr. Sharvey Dhongade congratulated the students, noting that a planning-focused national competition being won by undergraduate architecture students reflects their strong interdisciplinary capabilities.
This achievement reinforces BNCA’s position as a leading institution fostering innovative, research-driven architectural education and preparing students to address complex real-world urban challenges.
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