Category Archives: Education

NATIONAL: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / HEALTH & MEDICAL/ RESEARCH: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ( IIT) Roorkee, Pioneers unveil Innovative Catalyst to Alleviate Environmental Impact of Antibiotics

‘This increased usage of antimicrobials and their accumulation in the environment has exacerbated the problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among microbes.

In a significant breakthrough, scientists at IIT Roorkee have unveiled an innovative catalyst designed to tackle the burgeoning concern of antibiotic pollution in the environment.

This pioneering strategy aims to effectively detect, mitigate, and disintegrate prevalent antibiotics such as tetracycline and erythromycin that pervade aquatic ecosystems, the researchers said.

The team noted that recurrent waves of the COVID-19 virus and its variants have resulted in a huge increase in the use of antimicrobials to control infections. These antibiotics and other antimicrobials end up accumulating in the water bodies.

This increased usage of antimicrobials and their accumulation in the environment has exacerbated the problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among microbes, they said.

Addressing this crucial concern, the team led by Naveen Kumar Navani from the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, devised a simple but effective strategy by merging nanotechnology and biology.

The innovative strategy addresses three major events in the process —detection of antibiotics using biosensors, removal of antibiotics and related xenobiotics using a carbon nanotubes-based magnetic system, and degradation of antibiotics using a catalytic process within 3-4 hours.

The research, published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, tackles the challenge of identifying, minimising, and breaking down two of the most commonly used antibiotics, i.e. tetracycline and erythromycin, in aquatic environments.

The team used carbon-based nanotubes and modified them to be magnetic in nature for easy extraction. Carbonaceous surfaces provide amazing sticking sites for antibiotics, which can be removed or degraded further.

They genetically engineered bacteria for biosensing these particular antibiotics in such a manner that the biosensor bacteria start to glow in the presence of antibiotics.

The team found that these bacteria are really good at their job, detecting even trace amounts of these particular antibiotics.

Followed by detection, these antibiotics can be broken down by a simple strategy, which triggers a specialised free radical-based chemical reaction, according to the researchers.

This special chemical reaction was like a key that unlocked the potential of the modified carbon nanotubes and facilitated the degradation of more than 93 per cent of the antibiotics within a time frame of 3-4 hours, they said.

The researchers found that the strategy’s versatility extends beyond antibiotics. It proved effective in addressing a spectrum of hazardous compounds, encompassing dyes, pharmaceutical chemicals, and other antibiotics, that may be present within the water bodies.

The research was funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). In addition to Navani, the team comprises Shubham Jain, Ankita Bhatt, Shahnawaz Baba, Pinakshi Biswas, Kiran Ambatipudi, and Vinod Bisht, all from IIT Roorkee.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

source/content: telegraphindia.com / PTI (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: GLOBAL NETWORK OF LAW ENFORCEMENT: CBI Academy joins Interpol Global Academy Network

The network supports academic collaboration among law enforcement training institutions across the world.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Academy on Tuesday joined the Interpol Global Academy Network at a virtual event. The network supports academic collaboration among law enforcement training institutions across the world.

The event was organised by the agency and the Singapore-based Interpol Global Complex for Innovation. The Letter of Acceptance was signed by Mohit Gupta, Deputy Inspector-General (Training), CBI Academy, and his counterpart at Interpol, Glenn Martindale, Director (capacity building & training directorate).

The signing ceremony was held subsequent to the negotiations with Interpol in consultation with the Ministries of Home and External Affairs and the Department of Personnel and Training.

The CBI Academy had become the 10th member of Interpol Global Academy Network. According to the agency, over the years, it has emerged as a major police institution of the country and South Asia.

Since 2005, it has imparted training to over 50,000 police officers, including around 1,432 foreign nationals from SAARC nations, Africa, South East Asia, Central Asia and West-Asia.

Several programmes have been conducted in collaboration with foreign agencies such as U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, French Embassy, National Cyber Crime Unit and National Crime Agency (United Kingdom), Interpol and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Canada), the CBI said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: RIVERS OF INDIA / SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: IIT(ISM) in Dhanbad develops ‘Online Real-Time River Health Monitoring System’

Based on artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, IRHIS is the result of a joint effort by departments of environmental science and engineering at the IIT(ISM).

The IIT(ISM) in Dhanbad has developed an online real-time river health monitoring system called the Integrated River Health Investigation System (IRHIS) that can send early signals on flooding and pollution.

Based on artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, IRHIS is the result of a joint effort by the departments of environmental science and engineering at the IIT(ISM).

“The system developed by faculty member S.K. Gupta in association with his research scholar Sujoy Gupta in 2021-23 is inbuilt with safety alarms and video cameras to facilitate early signals to the decision makers against flooding, theft, and critical pollution locations,” said IIT(ISM) dean (media and branding) Rajni Singh.

Singh said the system was demonstrated last week during a mega exhibition of the Union ministry of education held on the occasion of the third anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the second edition of the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam in New Delhi.

“The event was held from July 29-30 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi and only deep-tech and high-impact innovations were selected for demonstration,” Singh added.

“IRHIS is one of the most advanced AI and IoT-based online real-time river health monitoring systems developed to fulfil the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-6) keeping in view its vital application in the Namami Gange mission,” Gupta said.

He said IRHIS, which is equipped with advanced sensors, can help in real-time monitoring of the discharge of any toxic material in the river.

“The patent for the system has already been published,” Gupta added.

On the selection of his system for demonstration at the exhibition, Gupta said: “The education ministry’s innovation cell and the All India Council for Technical Education selected 150 Technology Readiness Level 7 (TRL-7) or above early-stage startups, edutech growth stage startups, innovations and institutions to demonstrate their contributions towards achieving the overall goal as envisioned under NEP 2020.”

“The collaboration with the Telecom startups-MSMEs Mission, SRI, DoT and the ministry of communications is in progress for its implementation in rural development, river monitoring and industrial surveillance,” Gupta added.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: EDUCATION: Government launches ‘Study in India’ Portal to attract Foreign Students

Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar jointly launched the portal in Delhi on Thursday, in the presence of ambassadors of over 10 countries.

The government on Thursday launched the Study In India (SII) portal to offer a one-stop solution for student registrations and visa applications, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of establishing India as a global education hub. Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar jointly launched the portal in Delhi on Thursday, in the presence of ambassadors of over 10 countries.

While addressing the gathering, Jaishankar said that the portal would help the country establish a strong international footprint in the education sphere. “The integrated approach of the portal enables user-friendly application processes for international students from registration to visa approval. This simplifies their entire journey, facilitating the choice of desired courses and receiving offers from relevant institutions,” he said.

Pradhan said that the portal is guided by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. “With PM Modi’s vision of making education transcend geopolitical boundaries, the SII portal is going to be a pivotal step,” he said.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: HISTORY: New Book Launched: ‘Indians: Histories of a Civilization’. Root of the matter.

Launched by Ramachandra Guha, this book offers a peek into the Indian subcontinent’s history over the last 12,000 years.

Indian culture today is so varied, it needs to be called cultures. The roots go back to ancient times and it has developed through many races and people. Hence, among its ingredients, it is impossible to say surely, what is native and what is alien, what is borrowed out of love and what has been imposed by force.

If we view Indian culture thus, we realise there is no place for showmen,” said renowned author and historian Ramachandra Guha, quoting polymath and Jnanpith awardee Kota Shivaram Karanth.

Speaking of the book Indians: Histories of a Civilization, during its launch at the Bangalore International Centre in Domlur on July 18, Guha felt the spirit of Karanth’s perspective “hangs over the book”.

A brainchild of author and literary critic, GN Devy, Indians: Histories of a Civilization is a comprehensive volume that collates the many histories of the Indian subcontinent over the past 12,000 years. Jointly edited by Devy, journalist Tony Joseph and archaeologist & adjunct professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Ravi Korisettar, the book is a culmination of inputs by over 90 historians globally. 

“What was worrying in recent years is that a few autonomous institutions such as the Indian Council of Historical Research and a committee constituted by the Ministry of Culture, GOI had initiated steps to ‘rewrite’ Indian history…History expects a conversation about a society’s past while keeping a safe distance from fantasy and wishful nostalgia. The main objective should be to provide justice to society at large. With these objectives in mind, we embarked on this project,” said Prof. Korisettar, about the book’s ideation. 

According to Guha, the book’s generational, disciplinary and international range is unprecedented, at least in the sphere of Indian publishing. “What is truly impressive about this work is the range of themes and contributors. It explores wide-sweeping disciplinary themes, from biology, ecology, language, culture, and sociology. The contributors are of different generations and from different parts of the world, but all are acknowledged specialists in their respective fields,” he added.

While Indians: Histories of a Civilization explores a wide range of themes through its diverse contributors, Prof Korisettar says the chapters of the book are merely a synopsis and hopes to expand on each theme in the future. “We plan to obtain full-length articles, spanning 50-60 pages each and publish them into a series of 30-40 expanded volumes. Our aim is to work consistently over the next decade, closely adhering to the scientific method and with judicious use of recent data and finding, so that we may produce the magnum opus,” he added. 

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: GREEN ENERGY : IIT-Madras Generates Hydrogen from Seawater using Solar Energy

The researchers have optimised all the parameters so that water electrolyte can directly use photovoltaic-derived voltage and current density to split water and generate hydrogen.

Researchers from the Department of Physics at IIT-Madras have developed critical components for a highly efficient, cost-effective way to electrolyze seawater to generate hydrogen. The results were published in the journal ACS Applied Energy Materials.

State-of-the-art alkaline water electrolyser technology is energy-intensive, requires an expensive oxide-polymer separator, and uses fresh water for electrolysis. The IIT-Madras team led by Dr. Ramaprabhu Sundara has addressed each of these challenges by developing simple, scalable and cost-effective alternatives that are highly efficient in splitting seawater and generating hydrogen. 

In place of pure or fresh water, the team has developed an electrolyser using alkaline seawater. They used a carbon-based support material for the electrodes instead of metals to almost eliminate the possibility of corrosion. They also designed and developed transition metal-based catalysts that can catalyse both oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions. The catalyst enhances the production of both hydrogen and oxygen even when impurities and chemical deposition on one of the electrodes takes place. Also, the researchers have developed a cellulose-based separator that is very economical and serves the purpose of allowing hydroxide ions to pass through but prevents oxygen and hydrogen that are generated from crossing-over. Finally, the researchers have optimised all the parameters such that the water electrolyser can directly use photovoltaic-derived voltage to split seawater and generate green hydrogen and oxygen, oxygen can be used elsewhere.

The reactions

Alkaline water electrolyser consists of two half-reactions occurring at the anode and cathode. At the cathode, water dissociates into H+ and hydroxide ions, and the H+ ions get converted into hydrogen. The hydroxide ions produced at the cathode permeate through the separator and oxygen is generated at the anode.

When seawater is used for electrolysis, hypochlorite formation occurs at the anode. Hypochlorite is responsible for corrosion of the electrode support material, and competes with the oxygen evolution reaction thus reducing the amount of oxygen produced. At the cathode, the hydrogen evolution reaction is slowed down when several impurities get adsorbed on the electrode surface.

The electrodes have a support material that is coated with a catalyst. “Since conventional metal support materials get easily corroded when seawater is used, we developed a carbon-based support material,” says Prof. Sundara. “The support material is used in both the anode and cathode, and is coated with the catalyst. The catalyst allows enhanced and simultaneous production of hydrogen at the cathode and oxygen at the anode.”

According to Prof. Sundara, the transition bimetals present in the catalyst are more selective towards oxygen evolution reaction than hypochlorite formation. Thus the challenge of hypochlorite formation reducing oxygen production is taken care of. Similarly, even while the cathode continues to adsorb impurities, the catalyst promotes the hydrogen evolution reaction, which helps in the increased production of hydrogen. 

The separator

Another unique feature is the novel separator that has been developed by the team. When alkaline electrolyte is used, the anode and cathode are separated with a separator. Since zirconium oxide-based material that is routinely used is expensive, they came up with a cellulose-based separator which allows the hydroxide ions to pass through from the cathode to the anode. But it minimises the crossover of hydrogen and oxygen that is generated.

“We found our separator is highly resistant to seawater degradation,” says Sana Fathima, one of the co-authors of the paper.

“Using the assembled electrolyser, we have demonstrated an overall seawater splitting voltage of 1.73 V at 10 mA/sq.cm (a benchmark current density corresponding to about 12% efficient solar-to-fuel conversion device under 1 sun illumination) at 26 degrees C,” says Anamika Ghosh from IIT Madras and the first author of the paper. “We have optimised all the parameters such that the water electrolyser can directly use photovoltaic-derived voltage and work at 10mA/sq.cm current density to split seawater for green hydrogen production.” 

The team has developed two prototypes of different dimensions to assess the viability of the catalysts. “In the case of the smaller electrolyser (16 sq.cm dimension) hydrogen is produced at a rate of 250 ml per hour, while in the larger one (391 sq.cm dimension) hydrogen is produced at a rate of about one litre per hour at an applied voltage of 2 V,” Ms. Ghosh says. “We also fabricated a stack consisting of three such cells and hydrogen produced is about four litres per hour at an applied voltage of 2 V per cell.” All the measurements were done at ambient pressure and room temperature. 

“All the cells have shown a shelf-life of more than six months, and the study is continuing,” says Ms. Fathima.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / DIPLOMACY: PM Modi releases Tamil classic ‘Thirukkural’ in Tok Pisin language of Papua New Guinea

Tok Pisin is the official language of Papua New Guinea.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape on May 22 released the Tamil classic ‘Thirukkural’ in the Tok Pisin language to bring the Indian thought and culture closer to the people of this southwestern Pacific nation.

Modi arrived here on May 21 on his maiden visit to Papua New Guinea, becoming the first Indian prime minister to visit the country. He co-hosted with Marape a key summit between India and 14 Pacific island countries to boost bilateral ties.

Tok Pisin is the official language of Papua New Guinea.

“Indian diaspora keeping alive connect with the motherland! PM@narendramodi & PM James Marape launched a translation of the Tamil classic ‘Thirukkural’ in the Tok Pisin language of Papua New Guinea,” the Ministry of External Affairs tweeted.

Co-authored by Subha Sasindran and Governor Sasindran Muthuvel of West New Britain Province, the book brings Indian thought and culture closer to the people of Papua New Guinea, it said.

“In Papua New Guinea, PM James Marape and I had the honour of releasing the Thirukkural in Tok Pisin language. Thirukkural is an iconic work, which provides valuable insights across different subjects,” Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

Thirukkural, a collection of couplets on ethics, political and economic matters, and love, is written by Poet Thiruvalluvar.

“I would like to commend @pngsasi, Governor of the West New Britain Province and Mrs. Subha Sasindran for their effort to translate the Thirukkural in Tok Pisin. Governor Sasindran has done his schooling in Tamil while Mrs. Subha Sasindran is a respected linguist,” he said in another tweet.

Prime Minister Modi has previously released a translation of the book in his mother tongue Gujarati.

He has praised Thirukkural on many occasions.

In one of his speeches, the Prime Minister said, “Thirukkural is not only a literary masterpiece but an extraordinary guide for common living. It shows us the path of righteousness and inspires us to lead a selfless life.” He also stated that Thirukkural “remains relevant even today and can serve as an inspiration for the present generation.” The prime minister has often quoted Thirukkural in his speeches and tweets and even gifted a copy of the book to the late Japanese PM Shinzo Abe in 2014.

“Thirukkural is a treasure trove full of inspiring ideas that youngsters all over the world can read and benefit from,” he had said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: EDUCATION / ARTS & CULTURE: 10 Indian Languages to get Technical-Term Dictionaries

The Union government is now rushing to create vocabulary in scientific terminology for languages such as Bodo, Santhali, Dogri and Kashmiri, so that textbooks can be developed in these tongues.

The Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT), which works under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Education, is rushing to create technical and scientific terminology in 10 Indian languages underrepresented in the learning landscape.

The CSTT will bring out what it calls fundamental (basic) dictionaries with 5,000 words per language, in three to four months. These will be in digital, searchable format, and free of cost. About 1,000-2,000 copies will be printed in each language.

Bodo, Santhali, Dogri, Kashmiri, Konkani, Nepali, Manipuri, Sindhi, Maithili, and Sanskrit are a part of the list of 22 official languages of India’s Eighth Schedule. However, there is a paucity of study material created in them, primarily because of a lack of words to describe scientific phenomena and technical terms. The sparse content available was confined to the primary school level that used English words when regional vocabulary was unavailable.

15 subjects

The immediate focus is to cover 15 disciplines: journalism, public administration, chemistry, botany, zoology, psychology, physics, economics, Ayurveda, mathematics, computer science, political science, agriculture, civil and electrical engineering. These will enable textbook formulation at the middle- and senior-school as well as university levels.

The dictionaries will be distributed to State education boards, universities, engineering institutes, and the National Testing Agency that conducts entrance examinations such as the Common University Entrance Test (CUET), Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main, and University Grants Commission (UGC)-National Eligibility Test (NET) to aid in preparation of content.

The national language list, when created in 1950 had 14 languages. Sindhi was added in 1967; Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali in 1992; and Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali in 2004.

“There is a lack of content and linguistic resources in these 10 languages, leading to a lack of availability of learning material in these languages,” Prof. Girish Nath Jha, chairperson of the CSTT, Ministry of Education, said.

The CSTT, which was set up in 1961, has the mandate of evolving technical terminology in all Indian languages. The organisation is finalising several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with prominent institutes, including IIT Bombay, for quick online dissemination.

The move assumes importance as the National Education Policy 2020 has espoused the use of regional languages as a medium of education in both school and college.

Following this, the government has taken several initiatives such as introducing engineering and medical courses in regional languages in several States. The UGC has also said that it will soon release a road map to introduce undergraduate and postgraduate courses in regional languages in all disciplines, including commerce, humanities, and science.

In June, the Bar Council of India (BCI) also constituted a panel to formulate recommendations on how to introduce courses in regional languages in law colleges.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / LANGUAGE: Braille Edition of Assamese Dictionary ‘Hemkosh’ enters Guinness World Records

The official letter was presented at a ceremony coinciding with the 127th death anniversary of Hemchandra Baruah, who compiled it in the 19th century.

The Braille edition of ‘Hemkosh’, the first etymological dictionary of the Assamese language, has entered the Guinness World Records, an official said on Monday. The official certificate recognising ‘Hemkosh’ as the world’s largest bilingual Braille dictionary was handed to its publisher, Jayanta Baruah by the official adjudicator for Guinness World Records, Rishi Nath here on Monday.

The official letter was presented at a ceremony coinciding with the 127th death anniversary of Hemchandra Baruah, who had compiled the ‘Hemkosh’ in the last part of the 19th century. The confirmation of the recognition was received by the publisher on April 24 through an email.

The seminal work was first published in 1919, four years after Baruah’s demise. Subsequent editions of the dictionary were published and the 15th edition is currently under production, its members said. The dictionary is considered to be the standard reference of Assamese orthography, which is the set of conventions for writing a language, including norms of spelling, hyphenation, capitalization, word boundaries, emphasis and punctuation.

The braille edition is the adaption of Hemkosh’s 14th edition of the regular dictionary and is an Assamese and English one. It has 90,640 words printed in 21 volumes and are divided into six parts, comprising a total 10,279 pages and weighing 80.800 kg, a release said. Jayanta Baruah, who is himself an heir of Hemchandra Baruah and is the owner of Hemkosh Prakashan, has donated copies of the dictionary to all educational institutions for the visually impaired students, besides to different libraries.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited0

NATIONAL: I.T. / INNOVATION: India’s Easternmost District, Changlang of Arunachal Pradesh gets PM’s Award for Excellence for its Innovative ‘New Age Learning Centre, (NALC)

The award is for a flexible New Age Learning Centre set up at Miao in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh.

Changlang in Arunachal Pradesh, India’s easternmost district, on Friday received the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration for its innovative New Age Learning Centre (NALC).

Sunny K. Singh, the district’s Deputy Commissioner who conceptualised the centre, received the award given in the category of “innovation”.

NALC is a flexible, futuristic, leisure learning space-cum-library set up in a part of the Miao subdivisional office to enable people from all age groups to learn and improve every aspect of their personality.

The space is designed according to the comfort, needs, and demands of the users. Anyone can access the facilities without any membership fee, Mr. Singh said, crediting the project to teamwork.

“Apart from government officials, NGO and community members are involved in the project. It is a proud moment for all of us,” he said.

He said that community involvement has helped NALC run sustainably. The award has motivated those involved to replicate the concept elsewhere in the district, arguably the most geographically challenged in the northeastern part of India.

Prime focus

Mr. Singh said the NALC’s focus is also on e-learning through free Wi-Fi, online training through tablets, e-reading through Kindle, etc.

“It is kept open for children and members on all days and also late at night during exams. The NGO volunteers help the library staff ensure seamless operation. So, the idle time has been significantly reduced and the usage has almost doubled,” he said.

Among the other features at the NALC are free provisioning of books, including those for competitive exams, CCTV surveillance, air conditioning and heating to enable children to learn at ease, recording of videos of all activities for future reference and providing the members first-hand feedback of their activities, promotion of peer-to-peer learning to enable cross-exchange of talent, and ideas and skills.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)