Anusandhan.net - Indian Science and Technology Portal

Devasthal is a picturesque mountain peak in Uttarakand from which the snowcapped Himalayas is clearly visible and the nearest settlement is 8 Km away.

The tranquil place far from the maddening crowd however stands out from many such hilly spots is being a symbol of India's rising position in global science and technology.

The world-class 3.6 meter optical telescope set up at the place has assumed global importance for observing a number of time-critical cosmic explosive events such as Gamma Ray Bursts and Supernovae. It is the Asia's largest fully steerable optical telescope, an international facility for and people from different parts of the world compete for observation and machine time by submitting research proposals.
It was set up in year 2016 by Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), an autonomous research institute of DST with support from Belgian government and established India's role as a global player in astronomy research and is facilitating strong future collaborations with national, international institutions and industries.

The technological know-how gained from the development of this telescope and back-end instruments are beneficial for optical facilities planned for future such as the Thirty Meter Telescope – one of the mega projects in which the country is participating.

India has emerged a key mover of global S&T partnerships in critical areas like energy, water, health and astronomy which are global challenges to make the world a better and more scientific place to live in.

Some flagship international partnerships which India has driven include Mission Innovation to boost research, development and innovation and related investment in clean energy, the Dutch Indian Water Alliance for Leadership Initiative (DIWALI), a platform where all stakeholders from both countries could participate and form a consortium for designing solution for water challenges, key role in the functioning of the World Health Organisation during the COVID 19 pandemic.

Energy: India is a key player in Mission Innovation'

India played a crucial role in sowing the seed of 'Mission Innovation', launched as a partnership of 20 countries in 2015. The country funded 9 RD&D projects under smart grids engaging 17 Indian institutes, 22 foreign institutes and 15 industries and 8 innovators. The country has initiated three R&D programs including national and international bilateral programs to bring in affordable heating and cooling of buildings, supporting 40 R&D projects, engaging over 50 Indian institutes, 15 foreign institutes and 20 industries.

The country is one of the co-leads in Smart Grids Innovation Challenge in coordination with the member countries, which targets innovation and deployment of reliable, efficient and affordable smart grids technologies at regional, distribution and micro-grids levels in various geographical areas to achieve the ability to accommodate 100% renewable based energy sources in power grids.

DST has supported 9 Projects involving 8 countries--Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, UK and USA, for large scale renewable energy generation & integration to conventional grid, transition from conventional vehicle to electric vehicle, cyber physical systems in smart grids and financial & market strategies considering renewable penetration.
DST is leading in the thrust area of Thermal Comfort and actively participating in other five areas of the Affordable Heating and Cooling of Buildings challenge.

It is furthering thermal comfort research and it's dovetailing with building energy efficiency. The ongoing initiatives include delineation of thermal comfort requirements in built environments to regulate the operating set points of heating and cooling systems. A research program on comfort driven Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system control is being conceived by DST. It is also working with Indian Exhibitions Industry Association (IEIA) on a technology called comfort climate box for tropical regions to develop a sustainable, modular and comfortable living environment for tropical regions

DST, Government of India and Rocky Mountain Institute, USA have launched Global Cooling Prize for encouraging development of cooling technology that requires radically less energy to operate, utilizes refrigerants with no ozone depletion potential and with low global warming potential, and has the potential to be cost-effective at scale.
Water: Dutch Indian Water Alliance for Leadership Initiative (DIWALI)

In order to find solutions for water related challenges a platform called DIWALI has been developed in which India and Netherlands could participate for designing solution for water challenges. The consortium of experts from the two counties would explore the potential and sustainability of Dutch Solutions to resolve challenges in specific water challenged sites in India which are scalable, sustainable and affordable.

Under this initiative The Dutch consortia titled “Water for Change. Integrative and Fit-for-Purpose Water Sensitive Design Framework for Fast Growing Livable Cities” in 2019. It is being led by IIT Roorkee as lead along with other consortia member named MANIT, Bhopal; CEPT University, Ahmedabad; IIT Gandhinagar; CWRDM, Calicut.
Further, based on assessment of R&D needs for cleaning of Ganga system and study on impacts of agriculture on quality and quantity of water in its basin, the DST and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) is stimulating sustainable research collaboration between the two countries. They are supporting joint research in which 13 Indo-Dutch proposals involving premier research and academic organisations from both sides have been funded.

A key mover in international health efforts

The COVID 19 established India's position as one of the key movers in tackling the pandemic crisis. Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, India, was elected the Chair of World Health Organization's Executive Board in 2020. India is chairing the Executive Board for 2020-21, taking the baton from Japan and led the fight against the COVID 19 pandemic. The Chair of the Executive Board is elected by its members on being nominated by the Regional Committees of the six WHO Regions, by rotation. The government has also allocated Rs 700 crore for COVID 19 related therapeutics including vaccine and 100 crore for non-health issues related to COVID 19.

Besides, the global initiative of Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness for Innovation (CEPI) has identified an Indian laboratory for centralised assessment of Covid-19 vaccines. Translational Health Science And Technology Institute (THSTI), has been recognised by CEPI as one of the global network of laboratories for the assessment.

Global Partnerships on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI)

Expanding the areas of its foray of global scientific leadership into new and emerging areas of science, India has joined the 'Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI)' as a founding member to support the responsible and human-centric development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The country will be participating in the global development of Artificial Intelligence, leveraging its experience around use of digital technologies for inclusive growth. AI being a new and emerging area, while firming up its own strength, India is also looking out for global partnerships with countries like US, UK, Germany, France Russia., Korea and Japan.

As India forges ahead in international collaborations in new and emerging areas in science and technology and in other common global challenges, it will take a leaf out of its association with international projects like mega-science projects-- European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and Thirty meter telescope (TMT). While in the earlier ones India contributed to set up facilities in other countries, with the 3.6 meter telescope at Devasthal, it has established a key facility for researchers of the International community to probe the origin of the universe and understand stars and black holes on its own soil. India's key role in international scientific partnerships in establishing such facilities and in key areas like health, energy and so on is helping the country to rise rapidly in the global S&T map.

Source Link : https://pib.gov.in/
Date : 2021-02-22

CSIR-CMERI unveils the Outdoor Air Purifier at residential campus

CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur today unveiled the CSIR-CMERI developed Outdoor Air Purifier at its residential campus in Durgapur (West Bengal). Prof.(Dr.) Harish Hirani, Director , CSIR-CMERI said that Air Pollution due to industries and automobile is the major cause of concern these days. Particularly during the pandemic COVID period, it was especially noticeable on account of more getting an environment free from pollution as well as microorganisms, bacteria and viruses etc. Prof. Hirani briefly explaining about the technology of the product, said that Indoor Air Cleaner and purifiers are available in the market but it is an outdoor one which has the radial range of 5 meters. With its help air pollution can be reduced by 50% depending on the environment and pollution level. A customized adjustable timer can be set for the most pollution period say 8 AM to 6 PM. The machine is very cost effective and has a low maintenance cost. We can clean it with the vacuum cleaner. These air purifiers have been installed on the street light poles focusing the narrow lanes of the campus and the machine also runs on solar power. Considering the comprehensive features, used components and the materials, the existing cost of a unit comes to 25 thousand rupees which may go up to 30 thousand rupees inclusive of taxes. This cost can be well reduced when steel sheet body is replaced by plastic and UV lamp is removed or customized as per requirement.

Shri Pradip Kumar Das, Joint Director, Br. MSME-DI, Durgapur, Govt. of India on this occasion appreciated the role of CSIR-CMERI and its continuous R&D innovations towards self sustenance, import substitution and for the Atmanirbhar Bharat. He described the product as a very innovative one and requested the MSMEs to come forward for mutual benefits with the technological developments and innovation of the Institute. Shri Das pleaded that in this virtual global environment the availability of MSMEs on Government e Marketplace (GeM) is very low which needs to be improved for providing skill and employment opportunities to the youths of this region also.

Shri Arup Kumar Dey, Officer In-Charge, Durgapur Regional Office, West Bengal State Pollution Control Board, Govt. of West Bengal told that the CSIR-CMERI developed Outdoor Air Purifier is innovative and cost effective. He said that in sustainable development, such innovative products would play a very significant role in the developing society like ours. Shri Dey also talked about the Smokeless Chulha developed by the Institute and said that it would also be a crucial product in bringing down the level of pollution in our country particularly in the rural populace.

During his interaction with the media Prof. Hirani elaborated the development of the Air Purifier and said that the product is first of its kind in the state of West Bengal on several parameters. On the question of the cost he said that it can well be reduced on production at mass scale and further customization as per requirement. He also said that the product was already developed few months back and was under experimentation.

Source Link : https://pib.gov.in/
Date : 2021-02-22

Astronomers detect huge optical flare of oldest astronomic objects

Indian Astronomers have reported one of the strongest flares from a feeding supermassive black hole or blazar called BL Lacertae. Analysis of the flare from this blazar, one of the oldest astronomical objects, can help trace the mass of the black hole and the source of this emission. Such analysis can provide a lead to probe into mysteries and trace events at different stages of evolution of the Universe.

Blazars or feeding supermassive black holes in the heart of distant galaxies receive a lot of attention from the astronomical community because of their complicated emission mechanism. They emit jets of charged particles traveling nearly at the speed of light and are one of the most luminous and energetic objects in the Universe.

BL Lacertae blazar is 10 million light-years away and is among the 50 most prominent blazars that can be observed with the help of a relatively small telescope. It was among the 3 to 4 blazars that was predicted to be experiencing flares by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT), an international consortium of astronomers.

A team of astronomers led by Dr. Alok Chandra Gupta from Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India who had been following the blazar since October 2020 as part of an international observational campaign detected the exceptionally high flare on January 16, 2021, with the help of Sampurnanand Telescope (ST) and 1.3m Devasthal Fast Optical Telescopes located in Nainital.

The data collected from the flare observed will help calculation of the black hole mass, size of emission region, and mechanism of the emission from one of the oldest astronomical objects known, hence opening a door to the origin and evolution of the Universe.

The link to Astronomical Telegram #14343 with the announcement of blazar BL Lacertae's luminosity record: Click here

For more details, Dr. Alok Chandra Gupta (Scientist-F) (+91-7895966668, alok@aries.res.in ) can be contacted.

Source Link : https://pib.gov.in/
Date : 2021-02-13

Aqua Rejuvenation Unit treats Waste water comprehensively

PURPOSE OF THIS TECHNOLOGY: It has been observed that most old Drainage systems are choked and have Improper Sanitation Infrastructure such as cracks in the Drain Surfaces. This Sewage Water seeps down through the cracks and contaminates the soil and ground water. In a recent study, it was observed that untreated sewage water is rampantly being used for agriculture, against NGT protocols, which may have adverse health consequences. Recent studies also revealed that the Coronavirus can thrive in Waste Water for over a month.

The effluents in household water discharge includes: organoleptic water pollutants such as colour, odour, pH, turbidity, TSS, TDS, oil & grease etc. along with some undesirable toxic compounds, and bacteriological components (E. Coli, Total Coliform etc.). To remove the water contaminants & to purify the sewage water ,CSIR-CMERI developed innovative technology in combination with chemical & physical processes such as i) mechanical segregation & filtration, ii) coagulation-flocculation techniques and iii) chemical/physical adsorption.

Aqua Rejuvenation Plant (ARP) comprehensively treats Waste Water, based upon diverse purification parameters. The approx. 24,000 litres of Water that can be rejuvenated using ARP, will be sufficient for almost 4 acres of Agricultural Land (barring seasonal variations in water requirements). The CSIR-CMERI developed technology is capable of removing all pollutants from sewage (below W.H.O recommended level) and based upon geographical variations they may be modified. The filter media is also locally source-able so as to ensure that there would not be any stress in the supply chain for scaled-up manufacturing of ARP.

CSIR-CMERI has recently transferred four indigenously developed Water Purification Technologies to three prominent MSMEs engaged in the Water Purification domain. The MSME partners hailed the indigenously developed Water Purification technologies as a major stepping stone towards Self-Reliance and Import-Substitution.

HOW TO PURIFY SEWAGE WATER:

The methods of purification applied by CSIR-CMERI in this technology are Sedimentation (settlement of flocculated or coagulated particles), Filtration (process of removing solids from Liquid) and Aeration (Oxidation and Hydration). The Adsorbent media in the filtration components also plays a major role. They are abundantly available naturally and thus are easily source able.

IS THIS TECHNOLOGY PATENTED? HOW IT WILL BE BENEFIT THE SOCIETY?

The technology is already IP protected.

The Aqua Rejuvenation Pilot Plant (ARP) installed at CSIR-CMERI has a maximum capacity to treat 40,000 litres/day in its scaled-up version. With this technology, CSIR-CMERI will incrementally reach towards a Zero Liquid Discharge Ecology. The treated water processed from the ARP is preferable for agricultural purposes and with enhanced settling time it can be used for drinking purposes. This treated water will help to improve the environment by fixation of carbon dioxide and will also provide food security.

UNIQUENESS OF THIS TECHNOLOGY:

The presently developed technology combines both mechanical and physico-chemical treatment processes in order to purify the municipal sewage water from the household uses. A five compartmental chamber is implemented herein for removal of unwanted suspended solids (TSS). Thereafter addition of another water tank (~3000 L capacity) helps for proper settling of the remaining unwanted TSS/TDS/oily substances etc. with the help of coagulation-flocculation technique. Moreover, in cartridges various low-cost, R&D tuned adsorbents are kept in an unique wt % ratio in sequential manner to get the best contaminants removal efficiency (below W.H.O recommended level) from the ETP. An additional micron filter further allows to remove any residual suspended/dissolved solids in the treated water.

All the aforementioned scientific works were controlled by wet chemical experimentations, duly supported from contemporary literature review in the relevant domain. The salient features of the developed technology are:

The technology will help in solving two problems at one go:
In one hand it converts sewage water to potable water which may be used for agricultural purposes thereby conserving the fresh water resources on the other hand it helps to reduce the burden of pollutant enriched grey water converting it into potable one.
An integrated mechanical and physico-chemical treatment processes based water purification system for effective removal of sewage water contaminants.
The technology is economical in terms of maintenance and affordable in terms of operation.
Sustainability towards healthy livelihood generation
Selective backwash without dismantling any part of the plant; less cumbersome approach.

Source Link : https://pib.gov.in/
Date : 2021-02-12

TIFAC unveils two new initiatives of Technology

Two new initiatives of Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) —SAKSHAM (Shramik Shakti Manch)- a dynamic job portal for mapping the skills of Shramiks vis-à-vis requirements of MSMEs to directly connect Shramiks with MSMEs and facilitate placement of 10 lakh blue-collar jobs and a Seaweed Mission for commercial farming of seaweeds and its processing for value addition towards boosting national economy were launched on the occasion of the 34th Foundation Day celebrations yesterday.

Dr V.K. Saraswat, Member Science, Niti Ayog and Chairman-TIFAC, while underscoring the increasing nonlinearity of science in the new era, identified the technological priorities of the future like cyber-physical systems, quantum computing, green chemistry and water. He stressed that it is imperative to focus on technologies that can make India self-reliant or Atmanirbhar and are futuristic as well.

"We should identify those areas where technologies have made breakthrough and bring in indigenous technologies to be independent and globally competent. It is important to make sure we have an eye on the future as well as on the present, and that is where TIFAC's role comes in a big way," Dr Saraswat said.

The SAKSHAM job portal will help eliminate middlemen/ labour contractor as well as help identification of skill proficiency level and development of Skill Cards for Shramiks.

Two reports prepared by TIFAC -- 'Techno-economic feasibility on Indian bamboo as Wood Substitute' and 'Opportunities for Fruit and Vegetable Processing in North Eastern region of India' were also launched by Dr Vijay Chauthaiwale, an independent Healthcare consultant.

Here are some details about the two initiatives:

SAKSHAM

SAKSHAM (Shramik Shakti Manch), a dynamic portal for jobs/ mapping the skills of Shramiks vis-à-vis requirements of MSMEs and other industries all across the country. The portal with the demand and supply data uses algorithm and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, for geo spatial information on demand and availability of Shramiks, and also provide analysis on skill training programmes of Shramiks. The pilot portal originally initiated with two districts is now being launched as an all India portal.

The portal is now live and can be accessed at www.sakshamtifac.org. The data / information pertaining to the Shramiks and the industries (especially MSME) are being updated automatically through various whatsapp and other links. Efforts are on to popularize these links among the Shramiks and MSMEs all across the country through various channels including social media. Discussions with various state Govts, MSME clusters, etc. are also ongoing.

As the industry contribution to the project, M/s. Sapio Analytics, Mumbai has agreed to give complimentary license of a business automation and accounting software to the MSMEs towards encouraging them to fill up their data and requirements on the portal on a first come first basis. The portal is expected help both Shramiks and MSMEs to take advantage of technology in this era of economic revival. This would empower Sharamiks by projecting their candidature directly to the MSMEs & other employers and would also address aspects related to their skill proficiency levels. This would also eliminate the dependence of industry on the middlemen / labour contractor for their manpower requirements.

The MSME industries have been enlisted from Tamilnadu, Bihar, Maharashtra etc. The list is growing.

Key Features of SAKSHAM:

• A dynamic job portal - opportunity for Shramiks and MSMEs

• Facilitate creation of 10 lakh blue collar jobs

• Direct connect between Shramiks and MSMEs, no middleman in between

• Minimise migration of Shramiks – job opportunity in proximate MSMEs

SEAWEEDS

Out of the global seaweed production of ~ 32 million tons fresh weight valued around 12 billion US dollars. China produces ~57 %, Indonesia ~28% followed by South Korea, whereas India is having a mere share of ~0.01-0.02%. Despite several advantages, commercial seaweeds cultivation has not been taken place in the country at an appropriate scale, as being practiced in South-East Asian countries.

By an estimate, if cultivation is done in ≈10 million hectares or 5% of the EEZ area of India, it can provide employment to ~ 50 million people; set up new seaweed industry; contribute to national GDP; ocean productivity; abates algal blooms, sequesters millions of tons CO2; Healthier ocean; bio-ethanol of 6.6 billion litres

TIFAC Initiatives and proposed Mission Contours

Looking at the immense latent and untapped potential of seaweeds in India, TIFAC had brought out a report on Seaweeds in 2018, which besides highlighting the huge potential also drew out a road map for implementations of the recommendations.

The report, brought out in coordination with CSIR- CSMCRI, Bhavnagar, and other stakeholders like: Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), CSIR - Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) and Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) also strongly recommended launching a mission on Seaweeds.

This recommendation was discussed in the meeting of the TIFAC Governing Council and it was decided to prepare a Detailed Report for launching the Mission.

The detailed report has now been prepared and finalized in consultation with all the stakeholders namely: CSIR- CSMCRI, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), CSIR - Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) and Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT).

The Mission envisages the following activities:

• Establishing model demonstration farms over one hectare for cultivation of economically important seaweeds in nearshore and onshore along the Indian coast

• Kappaphycus all over Indian coast

• Gracilaria dura in Gujarat

• Gracilariaverrucosa in Chilka lake (Odhisa)

• Ulva linza or Ulva proliferainChilka lake (Odhisa)

• Ulva lactuca or Ulva fasciata or Ulva indica all over India coast

Proposed Demonstration Sites:Gujarat / Tamil Nadu / Andhara Pradesh / Odisha / Karnataka

Stakeholder Organizations: CSMCRI,

• Establishment of seaweed nurseries for supplying seed material for large scale farming of economically important seaweeds in the country

• Ulva (spore-based methods or vegetative as applicable)

• Kappaphycus and Gracilaria (vegetative methods)

Demonstration Site: along the proposed cultivation sites and leveraging the available infrastructure Gujarat/Tamil Nadu/Odisha/Karnataka/Andhra Pradesh

Onshore cultivation for (i) Seedling supply facility (ii) Seaweed cultivation for processing

• Establishment and demonstration of processing technologies/recipes for edible seaweeds in line with consumer acceptability or cultural food habits

• Dried flakes, Dried powder, Dried sheets or processed dried sheets with additional flavour meeting the acceptance/perceptions of people

• Seaweed-based proteins as an alternate to meet

• Food supplements

• Feed supplements

Setting up of processing plant for integrated production of plant growth stimulants (sap) along with industrially important cell wall polysaccharides (phycocolloids) such as agar, agarose, carrageenan and alginates from fresh seaweeds

• Sap

• Polysaccharides (Ulvan, agar, agarose, carrageenan and alginates)

• Value addition technologies aimed at making high value products for niche markets (personal care, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, feed supplements)

Specific Zones Identified: East & West Coast

• An activity on seaweed cluster development including value chain development, supply chain development, collection of data on environmental, economic and social impacts of seaweed projects in the country.

Implementing Organisation: TIFAC

Stakeholder/ Supporting agencies: CSIR labs (CSMCRI, CFTRI, etc) ICAR labs (CMFRI, CIFT, etc.) and State Fisheries Departments

TIFAC’s role would be to network and orchestrating the operations, demonstrating farming, nucleating value addition products, support policy changes and advice on regulatory issues, market control, etc.

Methodology

• Technology demonstration for commercial farming of seaweeds in the country

• Technology demonstration for processing of seaweeds for value-added products

Potential

• Scope for attracting overseas investments in Indian seaweed sector

• Got potentials to contribute to the ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan’

SAKSHAM

Saksham is a dynamic portal for mapping the skills of Shramiks vis-à-vis requirements of MSME and other industries all across the country. The portal with the demand and supply data uses Agenda for the 54th Meeting of TIFAC Governing Council- 28.01.2021 11 algorithm and logic being integrated with the system along with various Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, so that it would not only provide geo spatial information on demand and availability of Shramiks, but would also provide analysis on skill match, skill gaps, recommendations on skill training programmes, etc. The portal is now live and can be accessed at sakshamtifac.org. The data / information pertaining to the shramiks and the industries (especially MSME) are being updated automatically through various whatapp and other links. Efforts are on to popularize these links among the shramiks and MSMEs all across the country through various channels including social media. Discussions with various state Govts, MSME clusters, etc. are also ongoing. As the industry contribution to the project, M/s. Sapio Analytics, Mumbai has agreed to give complimentary license of a business automation and accounting software to the MSMEs towards encouraging them to fill up their data and requirements on the portal on a first come first basis. The portal is expected help both Shramiks and MSMEs to take advantage of technology in this era of economic revival. This would empower Sharamiks by projecting their candidature directly to the MSMEs & other employers and would also address aspects related to their skill proficiency levels. This would also eliminate the dependence of industry on the middlemen / labour contractor for their manpower requirements.

Source Link : https://pib.gov.in/
Date : 2021-02-11

CSIR-CMERI developed water purification technologies

CSIR-CMERI transferred four indigenously developed Water Purification Technologies to three prominent MSMEs engaged in the Water Purification domain on 9th February 2021, in the presence of Prof. Harish Hirani, Director, CSIR-CMERI at a Press Conference. The MSME partners hailed the indigenously developed Water Purification technologies as a major stepping stone towards Self-Reliance and Import-Substitution.

Prof. Harish Hirani on this occasion shared, "There is a huge scarcity of Water across the Globe and it is more so for Drinking Water. CSIR-CMERI is focussed upon Research & development of Affordable Water Purification Technologies, because penetration of these technologies to the rural regions of the country is utmost significance and it can be effectively achieved only when we forge a partnership with the MSMEs. The MSME partners can also tremendously benefit by availing the Government Marketing Promotion Schemes, to reach out to our immediate neighbouring countries and African Nations. Every region requires tailor-made purification solutions as per the variability of the local parameters and thus CSIR-CMERI developed technologies are designed in a modular fashion to increase its dynamicity and effectiveness for diverse geographical regions. The CSIR-CMERI Water Testing Facilities can facilitate the assessment of local Water Parameters and thereafter in partnership with the Local Government Institutions, this Institute can develop solutions for impactful Water Treatment."In response to queries by the Media Personnel, Prof. Harish Hirani shared CSIR-CMERI ensures holistic Technology Follow-Up to the MSME partners for ensuring Market Outreach.

The technologies were transferred to the following MSME partners:

Sl.No.	Name of Technology	Name of Licensee
1	High flow rate Arsenic removal filter	M/s TECHNOCHEM,KNC Road, Barasat, North 24PGS- 700124, WB Mr.Sumit Mukherjee (M) 93396003256, Email: watersumit@gmail.com
2	Domestic Iron Water Filter	M/s Zenith Aquatech, 292, SaratChatterjee Road, Shibpur, Howrah-711102, WB Mr.SouravGanguly, (M) 9830043695
3	Domestic Fluoride, Arsenic & Iron Removal (FAIR) filter	M/s Zenith Aquatech, 292, SaratChatterjee Road, Shibpur, Howrah-711102, WB Mr.SouravGanguly, (M) 9830043695; Email: mail.zenithaqua@gmail.com
4	High flow rate Fluoride & Iron removal filter	M/s HES Water Engineers (India) Pvt.Ltd., K-27, 5Star Industrial Area, MIDC, Buttibori, Nagpur-441108, Maharashtra Mr.JatinAhuja, (M) 9921208383 Email: jatinahuja@hesweindia.com

Shri Sourav Ganguly, M/s Zenith Aquatech, Howrah, shared, "The already transferred CSIR-CMERI Water Technologies has had tremendous Market Response. The CSIR-CMERI indigenously developed Water Purification Technologies are much more effective and affordable than imported technologies already being used by the Company. These technologies are reliable & authentic owing to the technical assurance of brand CMERI. The CMERI technologies are playing a crucial role in promoting the Jal Jeevan Mission of the Government of India and can be one of the most prominent factors in achieving water sufficiency for the nation."

Shri Sumit Mukherjee, M/s TECHNOCHEM, Barasat, shared, "When compared with imported technologies , the CSIR-CMERI developed high flow rate arsenic removal technology is more affordable & sustainable . The Raw Materials are easily available and low maintenance. Numerous regional projects in Bihar have been successfully implemented using CSIR-CMERI Water Technologies. CSIR-CMERI developed water purification technologies are purely society-centric and the profit-motive of the MSMEs.

Mr.Jatin Ahuja of M/s HES Water Engineers(India) Pvt. Ltd shared, "After 16 years in the domain of large-scale Water Purification, we are hereby forging a partnership with CSIR-CMERI, owing to the Market Stature that it is steadily gaining in the domain of Water Purification. The Technology initiatives of CSIR-CMERI will help achieve Atma Nirbharta in the truest sense and us MSMEs are enthusiastic to partner in this progress."

Source Link : https://pib.gov.in/
Date : 2021-02-09

News

12 companies selected for the prestigious National Technolo..

12 companies selected for the prestigious National Technology Awards 2020 for commercialization of innovative indigenous technologies

February 22, 2021 (N. Delhi)

A total of 12 companies have been selected for the National Technology Awards 2020 for commercialization of successful commercialization of innovative indigenous technologies.

They have been selected under three categories --indigenous technologies, MSME, and startups. Every year, for furtherance of its mandate, TDB seeks applications for prestigious National awards for commercialization of technologies under these three categories. These awards conferred to various industries provides a platform of recognition to Indian industries and their technology provider, who have worked as a team, to bring innovation to the market and contributed to the vision of "Aatma Nirbhar Bharat".

The awards were given by the Technology Development Board (TDB), a statutory body of Government of India functioning under Department of Science of Technology for the year 2019-20. The winners were selected from a total 128 applications after thorough examination by eminent technologists and a stringent two-tier evaluation process.

The Technology Development Board is a statutory body of Government of India functioning under Department of Science of Technology which provides financial assistance to companies working for commercialization of indigenous technologies and adaptation of imported technologies for domestic applications. TDB was established in 1996 with a novel aim of providing financial assistance to Indian companies for commercialization of innovative indigenous technologies.

Since its inception, TDB has funded more than 300 companies for commercialization of technologies. The notable amongst the companies supported by TDB over the years are Bharat Biotech International Limited, Shantha Biotechnics Biocon India Limited, Reva Electric Car Company Tata Motors (for Indica), Zen Technologies VEM Technologies Su Kam Power System Limited, Sahajanand Laser Technology Limited, and many more.

Annexure:-

The details of National Awards for the year 2019-20 under following three categories are as follows: -

Category 1: NATIONAL AWARD FOR SUCCESSFUL COMMERCIALIZATION OF INDIGENOUS TECHNOLOGY

This award is given to an industrial concern which has successfully developed & commercialized an indigenous technology. In case, the technology developer / provider and the company commercializing the technology are two different organizations, each is eligible for award of ₹25 Lakh and a trophy.

This year following two companies have been selected for this award: -

(i) Company: M/s L&T Special Steels and Heavy Forgings Private Limited, Surat

Technology Provider: Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), Mumbai
Nuclear power plants are critical for India's energy security. The Steam Generators, Bleed Condensers and other subsystems of nuclear plants need critical heavy forgings made with extreme precision and outstanding quality. These specialized forgings were mostly imported for nearly last six decades, incurring precious foreign exchequer and denying opportunity to develop indigenous production ecosystem.

The Department of Atomic Energy envisaged a joint venture between Larsen & Toubro, the EPC, Hi-Tech manufacturing and services conglomerate and Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), the sole nuclear-power producer of India, to indigenously produce such heavy forgings. L&T Special Steels and Heavy Forgings (LTSSHF) has successfully developed critical forgings of 700 MWe after setting up the facility which has a melt capacity of 125 tons and an open die press that can exert force of 9000-10000 tons. NPCIL provided critical guidance for development of this indigenous capability, taking India to the league of the global major forging producers of heavy and complex nuclear forgings.

(ii)Company: M/s Vinati Organics Limited, Mumbai

Technology Provider: CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad
Vinati Organics Limited(VOL) was established in 1989 and is a specialty chemical company producing aromatics, monomers, polymers and other specialty products. VOL has been closely associated with CSIR institutes like National Chemical Laboratories (NCL), Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad (IICT), for developing new process for commercially manufacturing specialty chemicals.

The company worked with CSIR-IICT which developed the technology for making p-tert Butyl Toluene-PTBT (alkylation of Toluene using Isobutylene) followed by oxidation of PTBT to p-tert butyl Benzoic Acid (PTBBA) and licensed the same to VOL. The company with help of IICT, its own R&D /QC team and Detail Engineering companies commercialized the technology by erecting the plant in MIDC Lote near Chiplun on Mumbai Goa Highway in Maharashtra

PTBBA is used in manufacturing of its methyl ester (also being made by VOL) which finds use in manufacturing of Avobenzone. PTBBA also has uses in manufacturing of Alkyd resins and PVC Stabilizers. Prior to VOL commenced manufacturing of PTBBA, it was being imported from China. Currently VOL is catering to local demand of PTBBA as well as exporting to various customers in US. Europe. Korea.

Category 2: NATIONAL AWARD FOR MSMES

The Award, of Rs. 15 lakhs each in this category is given to selected MSME's that has successfully commercialized the product based on indigenous technology. This year following four companies have been selected for this award: -

(i) M/s AKS Information Technology Services Private Limited, Noida :-
The company provides services in the domain of Information Security, comprising auditing, consultancy, compliance, Network Security, Application Security, Cyber Forensic, IT Security Training and also develop Cyber Security Products. The company has been at the vanguard in rendering the top grade Cyber security services and products for more than 14 years. The company has developed Integrated Anti DDoS & Web Application Firewall which provides comprehensive security from Network to Application level layer. This product ensures 360-degree protection to organizations. HaltDos uses machine learning to identify real-time threats from HTTP requests that do not match any known attack vector.

(ii) M/s SVP Laser Technologies Private Limited, Chennai: -

The company has indigenously developed mission critical Digital Manufacturing technologies like MultiCNCTM CNC controller, AutoCAM2D CAM software, and various CNC controlled machines for applications like Jewellery manufacturing, PCB, Furniture, Foam fabrication etc. with several patented technologies. The products have been exported to countries like Canada, USA, UK, UAE, Oman, Philippines etc.

(iii) M/s Kan Biosys Private Limited, Pune: -

The company has developed a novel aerobic process for in situ incorporation of rice stubble using Speed KompostTM. The product can be the Indian solution to fight climate change caused by global stubble burning and best method of choice for global carbon sequestration.

(iv) M/s AlgalR NutraPharms Private Limited, Thanjavur:-

AlgalR has developed a Green Technology to produce Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an important omega-3 fatty acid, from microalgae. DHA extracted from microalgae is 100% Vegan and is currently marketed in the name of "AlgalR's DHA". Algal DHA can prevent cardiovascular diseases and brain stroke. It improves brain functions among young children, and it is essential for fetal brain development in pregnant women and reproductive health of adults. AlgalR holds the demand up to 2000 MT Algal DHA per annum from India, the US, Europe, Korea, France, and Brazil. Upon further scaling-up of this product will eventually reduce our import of 500 million USD and increase the revenue generation for about 500 Cr per annum.

Category 3: NATIONAL AWARD FOR TECHNOLOGY START-UPS

This award is given to a technology start-up for promising new technology with potential for commercialization. The award in addition to the trophy includes a cash award of ₹15 Lakh. This year six start-ups have been selected for these awards. These are as follows: -

(i) M/s RAR Engineering Private Limited, Delhi: -

The company is in the field of designing, developing and manufacturing new generation active industrial shock absorbers and recoil buffers which can automatically adjust its damping characteristics as per the payload parameters, give real-time feedback information to weapon controller, its working conditions and generate warning alarms in case of preventive maintenance, failure or abnormal recoil characteristic. Once active recoil dampers is successfully developed and implemented into the weapon system, this technology will be further enhanced to actively isolate the vibrations produced during firing of weapon to improve its target accuracy.

(ii) M/s Fibroheal Wound care Private Limited, Bangalore: -

Fibroheal Wound care worked exclusively on "Silk Proteins" as "Biomaterial for Wound Healing" and utilizes cut cocoons and other by-products of sericulture industry for value addition. The healing products are used for acute/chronic wounds or non/slow healing or difficult to heal wounds.

(iii) M/s Althion Tech Innovations Private Limited., Hyderabad: -

Althion Tech Innovations has developed the ultra-pure water units based on novel RO membrane technology licensed from CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad. Althion's kidney dialysis water units produce pure water and meets AAMI standards. The membrane configuration removes the need for a resin softener, thereby removing the need for salt, and saving water and electricity up to 25%. Althion type-2 and type-1 units are more affordable to purchase and maintenance is very less as compared to imported products.

(iv) M/s KBCols Sciences Private Limited, Pune

KBCols Sciences focuses on microbes; Microbes produce colors as a response and defensive mechanism in order to protectthemselves from the environment. This property of theirs is being explored/exploited by KBCols for over producing pigments in bioreactors using inexpensive waste raw materials. The Company developed customized recipes for using its natural colors (products) in sectors like textiles, home care, foods, cosmetics etc.

(v) M/s Shira MedTech Private Limited, Ahmedabad

Shira MedTech has developed Shira Clamp, which attempts to make blood vessel surgeries easier and potentially prevent 100,000 amputations in India every year. With Shira Clamp, surgeons with less experience can attempt a complex blood vessel surgery with lesser chances of error and reduced need of assistance. Shira Clamp is now being used in surgeries across 10 countries in the world.

(vi) M/s Newndra Innovations Private Limited, Jaipur

Newndra Innovations has developed exoskeleton called JaipurBeltTM. JaipurBeltTM supports by off-loading the spine and waist up to a configured, variable limit without restricting body movements. It has a patented single point and compact toque adjustment mechanism. This allows the user to adjust the load in a remarkably simple and user-friendly way without tensioning the springs. This exoskeleton can avoid surgeries and drudgery and ensure a safer and faster recovery.

Source: https://pib.gov.in/

India-EU Joint Committee on S&T Cooperation creates action-..

India-EU Joint Committee on S&T Cooperation creates action-oriented agenda focusing on ICT, resource efficiency & electric mobility

February 22, 2021 (N. Delhi)

The India-EU joint steering committee on science and technology has agreed to develop and adopt a long-term strategic perspective for India-EU collaboration in research and innovation at the 13th Joint Steering Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation meeting hosted by the European Commission recently.

The two sides appreciated the achievements under India – EU science, technology Innovation cooperation and decided to create an action-oriented agenda which can be implemented within the agreed timeline at the meeting co-chaired by Director-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission (EC), Mr. Jean-Eric Paquet, on the EU side and Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, Professor Ashutosh Sharma.

Taking into account the Joint Statement and the 'EU-India Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025', adopted at the EU-India July Summit, both sides have shown keen interest for possible cooperation on ICT, in particular, cyber-physical-systems (ICPS), including artificial intelligence and robotics, circular economy and resource efficiency (waste-to-energy; plastics; etc.), electric mobility and sustainable agri-food processing and so on.

The important role of Mission Innovation to concentrate efforts on research and innovation to accelerate the clean energy transition, necessary for a carbon-neutral planet, was underlined, cooperation on health beyond Covid-19 pandemic areas through global fora was also reinforced. Both sides also underlined the cooperation on polar sciences and discussed future cooperation under Horizon Europe at the virtual meeting.

The two sides reiterated their commitment to human capital development, including researchers' training and mobility, based on mutual interests and reciprocal promotion of each other's equivalent programmes, aiming at a more balanced flow of researchers between Europe and India.

Indian side presented the key elements of new Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP 2020), which aim to create a fit for purpose, accountable research ecosystem promoting translational as well as foundational research; indigenous development of technology, technology indigenization; facilitating open Science; equity and inclusion.

The Indian side proposed Implementation Arrangement (IA) for co-funding future joint projects under India-EU Science, Technology, and Innovation Cooperation to streamline the process of collaboration and to address certain issues on project evaluation, selection, funding, monitoring, and also IPR sharing/data sharing/materials/equipment transfer mechanism and so on.

During 2014-2020, 42 collaborative projects amounting to a total of EUR ~157 Million funding (EUR 113 from H2020 & EUR 44 from Government of India) have been funded. The majority of these collaborations took place in the form of flagship calls on water, a new generation influenza vaccine, and smart grids cooperation. The mobility of researchers from both sides was significantly increased over the years, and cooperation among scientists and research organisations from India and Europe strengthened.

Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, Dr. Renu Swarup, Mr. Christophe Manet, Chargé d' Affaires a.i., Delegation of the European Union to India and the Debasish Prusty, Deputy Chief of the Mission in Brussels, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Varshney Head, International Cooperation DST, Ms. Maria Cristina RUSSO, Director International Cooperation (DG R&I- EC) and other officials from different scientific Ministries/Departments (DST, MOES, DBT) also participated in the deliberations.

Source: https://pib.gov.in/

The Case for Rapid Vaccination of India -- and the Rest of ..

The Case for Rapid Vaccination of India -- and the Rest of the World

February 22, 2021 (N. Delhi)

By:-
-Rajeeva L. Karandikar, Chennai Mathematical Institute
-Shekhar C. Mande, CSIR Headquarters
-M. Vidyasagar, IIT Hyderabad

Publicly available data on the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, indicates that the number of infections in India peaked sometime in September 2020, and has been consistently declining ever since. From a maximum of 97,655 daily new cases on September 11, 2020, the daily new case count is 11,924 by first week in February 2021, with half of it from Kerala. According to the projections of the COVID-19 National Supermodel Committee set up by the Department of Science and Technology, the number of active cases will drop to the low tens of thousands by the end of March.

All this connotes only the end of the first phase of our fight against the virus. It is crucial to ensure that the number of cases does not start increasing again, as it has in many countries such as Italy, the UK, and the USA. According to both serological surveys as well as model predictions, a substantial fraction of India's population currently has immunity against the virus, coupled perhaps with some natural form of immunity. Although the current evidence is suggestive of long lasting immune memory, the immunity afforded by the presence of antibodies might be expected to last for only several months and not longer, while T-cell mediated immunity might last longer. The most reliable longer-term protection is, however, provided through vaccination. It has been suggested recently that vaccination offers much stronger immune response than natural infection, and therefore is the key to controlling the spread of the disease. While this issue has not yet been settled decisively, some medical researchers are of the opinion that the presence of antibodies (caused by a previous infection) offers less protection against reinfection from a mutation of the virus, compared to vaccination. Hence, it is imperative that the nationwide vaccination program be completed as early as possible with the approved vaccines. Interestingly, the breadth of antibody response generated by a killed virus vaccine is likely to offer greater protection against mutated viruses, compared to vaccines that generate antibodies against the spike protein.

In the context of the need for nationwide vaccination, we are happy that the regulatory authorities in India have given approval to two vaccines, one of them (Covishield) unconditionally and the other (Covaxin) in the clinical trial mode. Both vaccines have satisfied the expert committees as to safety and immunogenicity requirements. We wait for the Phase III data on Covaxin to become available so that its efficacy can be assessed.

The requirement that any vaccine must have 50% efficacy before it can be approved for emergency approval comes from the WHO. Even at 40% efficacy, a vaccine affords some protection, and even at 80% efficacy, some vaccine recipients would still be left unprotected. Therefore, we trust the regulatory authorities to take an informed decision, and not be bound by this arbitrary guideline. A corollary to the above is that, even if everyone in the target population is vaccinated (basically, everyone over the age of 18), it is imperative for the public to continue observing safety protocols.

While there have been thousands of mutations observed in the SARS-CoV-2 virus to date, the so-called UK variant is the first one to have demonstrated increased transmissibility, and perhaps, greater lethality after infection. The world has thus far been fortunate in this regard. However, the longer the virus is allowed to spread among an unprotected public, the greater the opportunities for the virus to mutate into a more virulent form. This is all the more reason to start vaccinations with all available resources. In this connection, it is heartening that a preprint deposited in Biorxiv suggests that Covaxin is effective against the UK variant. We quote: "A comparable neutralization activity of sera of the vaccinated individuals shown against UK-variant and the heterologous strain with similar efficiency, dispel the uncertainty of possible neutralization escape."

The above line of reasoning suggests that we must stop the virus spreading and mutating and for that it is not enough that everyone in India only are vaccinated. In order to see an end to the pandemic, it is essential for the rest of the world also to be vaccinated as quickly as possible. India is well-poised to meet not just its own vaccine requirements, but also that of the world at large, in this critical area. It also suggests that India's "vaccine diplomacy" of being the supplier of choice for the world's vaccine demands is well-placed and offers hope for the global community.

Source: https://pib.gov.in/

Stakeholders discuss the implications & implementation of t..

Stakeholders discuss the implications & implementation of the Guidelines for acquiring & producing Geo-Spatial Data and Geo-Spatial Data Services including Maps

February 19, 2021 (N. Delhi)

Dignitaries from a range of domains discussed the implications and the road to implementation of the recently released Guidelines for acquiring and producing Geo-Spatial Data and Geo-Spatial Data Services including Maps at stakeholders meet on the issue.

"As the next generation of mapping technologies develop, these guidelines will enable Indian innovators to make advanced maps at the highest resolution, empower small businesses, and make our lives easier," said Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India Professor K VijayRaghavan at the stakeholder’s meet organized on February 19, 2021.

"The new geospatial guidelines have liberated this sector and have implications in several areas, whether it is mapping our biodiversity, our rivers, and mountains, or using such data for health-care delivery, agriculture, or urban planning. This is an opportunity for Indian industries to set up mapping and a transformative one for both industry and science," he added.

Secretary Department of Science and Technology (DST), Prof Ashutosh Sharma, said that the guidelines will stimulate and empower Indian industry and surveying agencies without diluting security concerns. Atmanirbharta in Geospatial products and solutions can bring around one lakh crore business by 2030 and will also have economic impact through development.

"Surveying and mapping is very critical to planning and execution, and the guidelines will lead to liberalization of the process of approval, democratization of geospatial data, and Atmanirbharata in the sector. Our corporations and innovators will not require prior approvals before they collect, generate, prepare, disseminate, store, publish, update digital geospatial data and maps within the territory of India and it will also lead to fair and transparent pricing of related products," he pointed out.

Secretary, Department of Space Dr.K.Sivan pledged support for implementation of the geospatial guidelines. He said that the space-based remote sensing policy that ISRO has now put in the public domain and the geospatial policy is going to do wonders for the country bringing new avenues.

He added that ISRO is committed to seeing all Indians benefit from the good work that has been done at MapmyIndia over the last 25 years and helping accelerate India’s rise as the most advanced country in the world through the full power of our maps and geospatial technologies, all developed indigenously in India, for India, and in future, for the world.

Principal Economic Adviser Shree SanjeevSanyal elaborated on the history of cartography and the relevance of the guidelines in that context. He said that the guidelines are historic at multilevel, and the Indian companies can now use it for the development of society and the country. The announcement will lead to full liberalization of the cartography and geo-spatial mapping sector, for the first time, this sector is open to private innovation.

The meet was attended by representatives from several stakeholders like industry, startups, academia, surveying agencies, and government ministries and departments who participated in a panel discussion organized on the occasion.

The Government has recently announced liberalised guidelines for geo-spatial data. The guidelines drafted by the Department of Science and Technology bring sweeping changes to India’s mapping policy, specifically for Indian companies.

With the advent of publicly available geospatial services, a lot of Geospatial Data that used to be in restricted zone would be freely and commonly available now, and some of the policies/guidelines that used to regulate such information have been rendered obsolete and redundant. The guidelines would ensure what is readily available globally does not need to be regulated. For Indian entities, it would mean complete deregulation with no prior approvals, security clearances, licenses, etc. for acquisition and production of geospatial data and geospatial data services, including maps

High spatial accuracy geospatial data finer than 1m horizontally and 3m vertically can now be acquired and owned only by Indian entities and stored in servers physically located in India Government agencies, and others will collaborate and work towards open-linked geospatial data.

The stakeholders benefitted will include practically every segment of society, from industry to academia to government departments. No security clearances are required for acquisition of Geospatial data for SWAMITVA Project launched by Hon’ble PM to provide ownership titles to villagers for abadi areas, National Hydrology Project, preparation of High-Resolution National Topographic Data Base, Geoid model, etc. by Survey of India, Industry, academia, for researchetc. It would also ensure ease of doing business, promoting innovation and unlocking of potential in the Geospatial sector.

Source: https://pib.gov.in/

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Council of Scientific a..

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India sign MoU to promote health research

February 19, 2021 (N. Delhi)

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Indiahave signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support the development, conduct and promotion of health research in India. Gates Foundation and CSIRwill worktogether to identify opportunities to initiate scientific and technological collaborations. These will focus on developing and testing new preventions, therapies and interventions that can help to solve major health concerns that affect India and other developing countries.

As per the MoU, areas of research collaboration would include genetic diseases that impact infant and neonatal mortality; new diagnostics and devices for infectious disease and environmental surveillance; development of cost-effective processes for drug, vaccines, biologics, and diagnostics manufacturing; novel microbiome-directed foods; socio-economic impact of science and technological tools; and other areas of health and development.

The MoU was signed by Hari Menon, Director, India Country Office on behalf of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Dr G N Dayananda, Head, Technology Management Directorate – Industry Interface, CSIR.

Talking about the importance of this collaboration, Hari Menon stated, "Under this MOU, we look forward to collaborating with CSIR on many important themes linked to India's health and development priorities. We are excited about the innovation potential of CSIR's wide network and the promise of our partnership to develop innovative tools and solutions for public health challenges in India and globally."

On the occasion of the signing of the MoU,DG-CSIR, DrShekhar C Mande,commented, "The opportunityto work closely with Gates Foundation on broad spectrum of activities in health and development, will accelerate the R&D and implementation of innovations in the coming yearsthat are not only relevant to India but to the world'.

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) is India's premier S&T organization comprising 37 research laboratories focused on diverse scientific and industrial research areas. CSIR's research covers a wide spectrum of science and technology – from aerospace, oceanography, geophysics, chemicals, drugs, genomics, biotechnology and nanotechnology to mining, aeronautics, instrumentation, environmental engineering and information technology and provides significanttechnological intervention in many areas with

regard to societal efforts which include environment, health, drinking water, food, housing, energy and agricultural sectors.

Source: https://pib.gov.in/

Hopes shine among the flood-hit farmers of Gorakhpur..

Hopes shine among the flood-hit farmers of Gorakhpur

February 13, 2021 (N. Delhi)

Smt Koila Devi, an elderly marginal farmer of a tiny village in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh, had given up hopes of earning a decent living from the produce of her agricultural land.

Like many farmer's in northeastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, floods and associated water logging for more than three to four months affected her agricultural produce severely each year. Apart from this, the rising cost of seed, fertilizer, and pesticides reduced her income over the years. She had been scouting for alternative income options when help came in the form of Gorakhpur Environmental Action Group (GEAG), Gorakhpur, UP, a core support group under the TARA Scheme, the Science for Equity, Empowerment, and Development (SEED) Division, Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India.

GEAG provided her with technical support on effective farming planning like gradient-based cropping system, multi-layered farming with time and space management, appropriate crop combination, raised bed low tunnel poly house, and appropriate utilization of weather advisory. Such support at the systemic level has helped and empowered the 64 years old from the village Rakhukhor of Jungle Kaudiya block of Gorakhpur district to cultivate 20 crops in a single year, thereby raising her annual income by 30 percent.

Using her homemade organic compost, biopesticides, and other technical mechanisms, she has harvested 220 kg of wheat in 266 sq m of land (82.52 Quintal/Hectare), the highest yield amongst the farmers who were provided seeds of DBW 187 for demonstration in Uttar Pradesh. These S&T based interventions have helped her to reduce market dependency on agriculture inputs like seed, fertilizer, and pesticides.

Smt Koila Devi is one of the several model farmers of flood-affected areas under the Core support project, TARA scheme of DST, which empowers communities through scalable technologies and transformation at the rural level ensuring forward & backward linkages being facilitated by GEAG, Gorakhpur, UP.

A total of 36 model farmers and more than 2200 other small and marginal farmers have adopted flood resilient techniques of farming developed along with 9 community institutions on cluster level during the last two and half years with facilitation and handholding support under the Core support projet being implemented by GEAG. This has shown a new direction towards flood-resilient livelihoods and also transformed the flood-risks into an opportunity with socio-economic gain. Since the inception of the project in 2018, proper facilitation and handholding support for adopting these resilient farming technique packages compatible with local situations has increased the average income of small and marginal farmers by 37.5 per cent by lowering the input cost (30-35 percent) in the farming system.

GEAG, a Core Support Group, has acted as a bridge between nearby R&D institutions and target beneficiaries and helped build local capacities in effective farming planning in scientific way with customization, demonstration, and adoption of proven technologies at the scale by the farming community.

Such S&T-based interventions like flood resilient farming practices and related technologies are inspiring the farming community to bring about a transformational change at the local level and encouraging the locals like Smt. Koila Devis of the area to uptake additional activities like managing millet processing unit as a group enterprises in the flood-prone area.

Source: https://pib.gov.in

SERB announces Women Excellence Award 2021 on the Internati..

SERB announces Women Excellence Award 2021 on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science

February 13, 2021 (N. Delhi)

Four young women fellows of National Science Academies have been awarded for excelling in science and engineering on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2021.

The SERB Women Excellence Award that has been conferred on them provides a grant of Rs. 15 lakhs for a period of three years to the awardees to pursue their research ideas.

The award given by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a Statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) supporting basic research in the frontier areas of science and engineering,�was launched in the year 2013. It is a one-time award given to women scientists below 40 years of age who have received recognition from any one or more of the National Academies such as Young Scientist Medal, Young Associateship, etc.

The for women scientists selected for the awards include�Dr. Shobhna Kapoor, Assistant Professor at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, working in the area of Chemical Biology with expertise in ?Host-Pathogen Interactions and Membrane Biology, Chemical Biology and Biophysics?,�Dr. Antara Banerjee, Scientist B National Institute For Research In Reproductive Health, Mumbai, Maharashtra�from the Health Sciences area with expertise in Signal Transduction, Biology of Reproduction and Endocrinology,�Dr. Sonu Gandhi Scientist D from National Institute Of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad�from Bionanotechnology area focusing on Nanosensors, Design and Fabrication of Label-free Biosensors and�Dr. Ritu Gupta, Assistant Professor at Indian Institute Of Technology Jodhpur, Rajasthan�working on Nanotechnology with expertise in Materials Science, Nanodevices and Sensors, Health & Energy.

The call for award is made open every year through�www.serbonline.in.

Source: https://pib.gov.in

In recent years CSIR has been putting in places processes t..

In recent years CSIR has been putting in places processes to have more representation of women in the system: Dr. Shekhar C Mande, Director-General, CSIR

February 12, 2021 (N. Delhi)

Vigyangranth- the PhD Thesis Repositoryhas been launched which is a joint initiative of Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, India (AcSIR) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India (CSIR). The portal is aimed to give a holistic view of R&D initiated and carried out by Indian research scholars in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with respect to their relevance to (i) Broad Heads of Research (targets for societal needs), (ii) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by United Nations, (iii) National Thrust Areas of Research, (iv) Disciplines, in addition to value of the contributions as deep discoveries in science and frontline advancements in technological space.

The portal was launched by the Chief Guest Lt. General (Dr.) Madhuri Kanitkar, Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Medical). At the online event organized by CSIR to mark the United Nations International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Dr. Kanitkar pointed out that theses repository is a valuable contribution to make the information and knowledge accessible to the world at large and also called upon the women scientists to follow their passion in science.

Speaking about Vigyangranth, Dr. R S Sangwan, Director, AcSIR said that the portal has been developed on the suggestion of the PM who, while Presiding over the Society Meeting of CSIR in 2020, emphasized the need and significance of a databank of researchers pursuing PhD in the country and of a Portal reflecting research work and topics directly relevant to national problems, needs and demands. He informed that close to 7000 thesis abstracts are available currently which are searchable by key words and discipline.

Earlier, welcoming the audience, Dr. Shekhar C Mande, Director-General, CSIR said that in the recent years CSIR is putting in places processes to have more representation of women in the system.

A webinar on "CSIR Women Researchers at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19" was organized on the occasion. Five women research students belonging to various CSIR laboratories shared their research work related to PPEs, COVID-19 drugs, viral sequencing, disinfection systems and so on which were taken up as a part of CSIRs fight against Covid-19.

Source: https://pib.gov.in

Integrating concepts at the intersection of algebra & geome..

Integrating concepts at the intersection of algebra & geometry could provide better machine learning algorithms

February 08, 2021 (N. Delhi)

Scientists may soon develop robust algorithms that can provide more efficient machine learning applications by focusing on concepts that lie at the intersection of algebra and geometry.

Hariharan Narayanan, Assistant Professor, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Mumbai, a recipient of this year's SwarnaJayanti fellowship instituted by the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, wishes to create machine learning algorithms that can learn from observations and make improved predictions based on mathematical objects known as manifolds and Lie groups. This can lead to improved modelling of data arising from certain sources, such as visual observations.

Machine learning can be broadly defined as a discipline whose goal is to enable a computer to make inferences from observed data about future observations. There are two directions in which progress is crucial to make progress in machine learning. The first is making inferences from very few observations. The second is dealing with complex data, which has come to prominence through recent applications in vision, imaging like Cryo-electron Microcrope and the World Wide Web.

The use of manifolds and Lie groups can help addressing both of these issues and may lead to algorithms that make better predictions in real-life applications.

Source: https://pib.gov.in

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