17-year-old Indian American scientist and inventor Gitanjali Rao has been honoured on International Day of the Girl for her inspiring work.

US First Lady Jill Biden celebrated her, along with 14 other young women, for leading change at the White House event, "Girls Leading Change".

Rao's lead contamination detection tool earned her the EPA Presidential Award and America's Top Young Scientist title.

She authored the 'Young Innovator's Guide to STEM', used globally in select schools, offering a five-step innovation process.

As Time Magazine's first Kid of the Year, Gitanjali is dedicated to expanding STEM education for over 80,000 students.