Category Archives: Science & Technology

NATIONAL: Chandrayaan-3 Moon Landing: August 23 to be Celebrated as ‘National Space Day’, says PM Modi

Summary

-Terming the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission as an ‘extraordinary moment’ in the history of India’s space programme, he said the place where the Chandrayaan-2 lander crash-landed on the Moon’s surface in 2019 would be known as

-August 23, the day the Chandrayaan-3 lander touched down on the lunar surface, would be celebrated as

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew down to Bengaluru on Saturday directly from the Greek capital of Athens to interact with ISRO scientists on the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission and announced the decision to name the place where lander ‘Vikram’ touched down on the lunar surface as “Shiva Shakti Point”.

Terming the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission as an ‘extraordinary moment’ in the history of India’s space programme, he said the place where the Chandrayaan-2 lander crash-landed on the Moon’s surface in 2019 would be known as “Tiranga Point”.

23 August, the day the Chandrayaan-3 lander touched down on the lunar surface, would be celebrated as “National Space Day”, said the Prime Minister, who turned emotional while addressing the team ISRO at ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) here, as he lavishly praised them for their dedication and passion.

ISRO Chairman S Somanath briefed him about the Chandrayaan-3 mission. A large number of people, many of them holding aloft national flags, gathered outside the HAL Airport and Jalahalli Cross, which is close to ISTRAC, to greet the Prime Minister.

On Wednesday evening as the Lander Module of Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully touched down on the lunar surface, Modi joined the ISRO team at Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISTRAC virtually from Johannesburg, where he was attending the 15th BRICS summit.

Modi had also flown down to Bengaluru on the night of 6 September 2019 to watch the planned touchdown of Chandrayaan-2 mission’s ‘Vikram’ lander. But in the early hours of September seven, barely minutes before it was slated to land, ISRO lost contact with the craft, just 2.1 km above the lunar surface.

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

INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Infosys Signs Rafael Nadal as Ambassador for 03 years

Salil Parekh, CEO & MD, Infosys, said, “It is an honour to welcome Rafa – one of the world’s most respected champion athletes and humanitarians – as an ambassador for Infosys.

 Infosys on Thursday announced a three-year partnership with tennis star Rafael Nadal. 
His collaboration with Infosys will be in the development of an AI-powered match analysis tool.

“This tool will be available in real-time to Nadal’s coaching team to simultaneously track insights from his live matches, when he is back on tour, along with historical data from his earlier matches,” Infosys said.

Nadal said, “I love the way Infosys has brought its digital expertise across industries to the global tennis ecosystem. It has transformed the tennis experience for a billion global fans and truly empowered all players on the tour with analytics that they could have only dreamt of a few years ago.”

Salil Parekh, CEO & MD, Infosys, said, “It is an honour to welcome Rafa – one of the world’s most respected champion athletes and humanitarians – as an ambassador for Infosys. He is someone who personifies the spirit of always evolving, never giving up, utmost dedication and determination to give the very best in every situation.”

As the digital innovation partner for the ATP Tour, Roland-Garros, Australian Open, and The International Tennis Hall of Fame, Infosys has helped reimagine the tennis ecosystem for a billion fans globally leveraging AI, cloud, data analytics and digital experiences.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL RECORDS: CHANDRAYAAN-3 Breaks World Streaming Records as 8M Watch India’s Moon Mission

India’s Chandrayaan-3 breaks world streaming records with 8 million viewers, outpacing Spanish streamer Ibai, and prepares for significant scientific discoveries on the Moon.

India’s Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission has not only captured the global spotlight for its ambition but has also smashed live-streaming records in the process. As the country gets closer to achieving its historic soft landing on the moon, the mission’s live stream has surpassed a previous record held by Spanish streamer Ibai.

World Records and Global Eyeballs

Before the Chandrayaan-3 made its historic touch on the lunar surface, it was already setting remarkable records here on Earth. A whopping 5.6 million viewers converged on ISRO’s official YouTube channel at 5:53 PM IST, surpassing the previous live stream record of 3.4 million viewers set by Ibai. As space enthusiasts from all corners of the globe eagerly anticipated the Vikram Landing Module’s descent onto the Moon’s south pole at 6:04 PM on Wednesday, 23rd August, the digital realm buzzed with this unparalleled achievement. By the time Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed, a record-breaking 8M had tuned in, marking the highest peak viewership in YouTube’s live streaming history. This event not only showcased India’s space prowess but also its significant digital footprint.

What’s Next After the Landing?

Once the Vikram Module successfully lands on the lunar surface, it has a well-defined checklist. An initial systems check and diagnostics will be run to ensure the module’s operational efficiency. Subsequently, it will gear up the Pragyaan Rover for its journey onto the moon’s surface. This rover has a mission span of 14 days, during which it will scrutinize the lunar surface for water ice, helium-3, and various other vital elements.

Significance of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission

Developed at a cost of just over Rs 600 crore, the Chandrayaan-3 mission holds significant implications for both India and the international community. One of its primary objectives is to assess the feasibility of establishing a launch station on the Moon for future interplanetary missions.

The mission’s findings could be a linchpin for our clean energy aspirations. Helium-3 (He-3), a potential source of virtually limitless clean energy, is one of the components that Chandrayaan-3 aims to study. Its presence on the moon could drastically change the trajectory of our global clean energy initiatives, positioning the moon as an indispensable ally in our pursuit of sustainable energy solutions.

As the Chandrayaan-3 nears its moment of truth on the Moon, its profound impact on Earth, from breaking streaming records to promising a cleaner energy future, is unmistakably evident. It’s not just a monumental step for India, but potentially, a giant leap for mankind.

source/content: yourstory.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: INDIA WALKS ON THE MOON as Pragyan rover rolls into the lunar surface

The rover will carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during the course of its mobility.

Chandrayaan-3 mission’s Lander Module which touched down on the lunar surface, has rolled out the rover, Pragyan, with ISRO saying “India took a walk on the moon”.

On its official X handle, ISRO said the “rover ramped down.”

“Chandrayaan-3 ROVER: Made in India–Made for the Moon! The Ch-3 Rover ramped down from the lander and India took a walk on the moon!,” it said.

President Droupadi Murmu congratulated the ISRO team for the successful deployment of Pragyan. “Its rolling out a few hours after the landing of Vikram marked the success of yet another stage of Chandrayaan 3. I look forward with excitement, alongside my fellow citizens and scientists, to the information and analyses that Pragyan will acquire and enrich our understanding of the moon”, she said.

In a precision landing, Chandrayaan 3’s LM Vikram touched down on the lunar surface at 6.04 pm on Wednesday, sending the nation into wild celebrations.

The ISRO had earlier said the 26 kg six-wheeled rover was scheduled to descend from the lander’s belly, onto the Moon’s surface, using one of its side panels as a ramp. The lander (Vikram) and rover (Pragyan) — with a total mass of 1,752 kg — are designed to operate for one lunar daylight period (about 14 Earth days) to study the surroundings there.

However, ISRO officials do not rule out the possibility of them coming to life for another lunar day.

The rover will carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during the course of its mobility. Both the lander and the rover have scientific payloads to carry out experiments on the lunar surface.

The rover would study the surface of the moon through its payload APXS – Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer – to derive the chemical composition and infer mineralogical composition to further enhance understanding of the lunar surface.

Pragyan also has another payload–Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) to determine the elemental composition of lunar soil and rocks around the lunar landing site.

ISRO Chairman S Somnath had earlier said, “After powered descent (of lander) onto the landing site, there will be deployment of ramp and rover coming out. After this, all the experiments will take place one after the other — all of which have to be completed in just one day on the moon, which is 14 days.”

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: INDIA FIRST COUNTRY TO REACH THE LUNAR SOUTH POLE: Chandrayaan-3: India over the moon

First country to reach the lunar south pole l Fourth nation after Russia, the US and China to successfully land on moon l flawless touchdown at 6.04 pm l landing process lasted 17 minutes.

India on Wednesday scripted history in golden letters after recording the first-ever soft landing at the Moon’s south pole. With this landing, exactly at 6.04 pm, India also became only the fourth country to have soft-landed on the lunar surface after the US, the erstwhile Soviet Union, and China. Chandrayaan-3’s record-setting success comes four days after Russia’s lunar mission Luna-25 crashed on August 19, just two days before its scheduled touchdown near the lunar south pole attempting to be the first to do so. That record now lies with Chandrayaan-3 of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). 

The Chandrayaan-3’s lander Vikram began its powered descent at 5.47 pm from an altitude of 30 km. It completed all four landing phases of rough braking, altitude hold, fine braking and terminal descent in an error-free manner, as planned and sticking to their respective deadlines.

The powered descent of Vikram Lander lasted 17 minutes filled with tension as it was during this phase that Chandrayaan-2 had lost its lander in September 2019. “Chandrayaan-3 chose a relatively flat region on the lunar surface,” ISRO wrote on micro-blogging site X (formerly Twitter).

It touched down between Manzinus C and Simpelius N craters near the lunar south pole .

Agony and ecstasy

The entire community of ISRO scientists, including some former ISRO heads who had gathered at the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru, exulted in jubilation as Vikram landed.

“Sir, we have achieved a soft landing on the Moon. India is on the Moon,” said an overwhelmed ISRO chairman S Somanath, seconds after lander Vikram touched down on the Moon while addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who virtually joined to witness the historic moment from South Africa where he is attending the BRICS Summit. 

The thunderous applause echoed from inside the MOX and merged with the resounding applause at the press enclave at ISTRAC premises amid loud cheers of Bharat Mata ki Jai and Vande Mataram. 
The scientists inside MOX, who had watched the tense moments of ‘terror’ of the lander’s power descent after the last command from the Earth station at 5.47 pm, broke out into thunderous applause. It was a complete meltdown of emotions, perseverance, a lot of hard work and celebrations. 

“It was a flawless mission,” said Somnath while describing the mission so far until the soft landing was achieved. He described it as “an incremental progress” while crediting the preceding mission, Chandrayaan-2, which failed to achieve a successful soft-landing due to an anomaly in the thrusters while attempting to land on September 7, 2019, leading to its crash.

Chandrayaan-3 is an improvement on Chandrayaan-2 while its objectives remain the same. “It was not an easy task in the last four years. There was a lot of agony and learning from Chandrayaan-2, which helped us in perfecting the methodology for soft-landing. It was a flawless landing. The velocity (of the lander) was reduced to less than two metres per second (during the powered descent),” he said.

Somanath named and invited the scientists behind Chandrayaan-3 — project director  P Veeramuthuvel, mission operation director M Srikanth, associate project director K Kalpana, and U R Rao Satellite Centre director M Sankaran — to address the media.

Why south pole

Several missions from various countries, including India, Russia, Japan, and Israel have attempted landing near the lunar south pole but failed.

The significance of the lunar south pole is that it holds promise for setting up future human bases. While the region has been screened from orbit by various orbiting missions, including Chandrayaan-2, which continues to be in a lunar orbit, none has been able to land to conduct on-site experiments and studies of the lunar environment at and around the Moon’s south pole. The region is understood to hold abundant water ice and mineral resources that can sustain human bases in the future.

Vikram will deploy its rover Pragyaan to conduct on-site studies. Somanath said Pragyaan will be deployed from the lander in the “next few hours or even a day, looking at the surface conditions. It will operate on the lunar surface for 14 Earth days and gather valuable scientific data”, which would be relayed back to the Deep Space Network centre at Byalalu near Bengaluru for analysis.

The lander’s mission is planned to be over 14 days (one lunar day), during which the lander’s three payloads and the rover’s two payloads will be active to conduct the studies of the lunar environment. Explaining the various components used in the Moon mission, he said all of them were developed in the country. He added that the lander does have some instruments provided by some countries to conduct tests on the Moon’s surface. 

Beginning of multiple space explorations

ISRO chief Somanath said Chandrayaan-3’s success means a lot to ISRO and marks the beginning of multiple space explorations starting with ‘Aditya L1’ to study the corona of the Sun early next month. ISRO aims to explore Mars, Venus and other planets and asteroids, he added

5-watt signal amplifier

Chandrayaan-3 is the product of teamwork with several scientists, technicians, and entrepreneurs among others joining hands to make it a success. ISRO’s associate director Dr B H M Darukesha and his team had developed a 5-watt signal amplifier for communication — an important part of Chandrayaan-3’s lander and rover — when no other country came forward to provide it to India since amplifiers are mostly used by the military. Click here to read more…

Rover’s desi cameras

The Pragyaan rover has two cameras which would be its eyes compared to foreign space agencies that use expensive cameras. The software in the rover has been developed by a Noida-based start-up, Omnipresent Robot Technologies. The images captured by the rover would generate a 3-D map of the lunar landscape. It also has a spectrometer to determine the chemical composition of the surface.

Nationwide contributions to Chandrayaan-3

On the day India celebrated the successful mission of Chandrayaan 3, Hyderabad-based Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI), took a quiet bow for its contribution in the form of top-tier strategic materials that bolster India’s defence, space, energy, and allied industries. The company’s contribution to the Chandrayaan 3 mission is one of many key roles it has played in India’s scientific and technological advancements. Click here to read more…

Telangana’s Gadwal, once considered among the most underdeveloped regions in the country, has emerged as a source of pride with the remarkable achievement of Kummari Krishna, who played a pivotal role in the successful execution of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Click here to read more om Krishna’s contribution to the moon mission.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: ARMS MANUFACTURING: India’s State-owned Defence Co., AWEIL launches ‘Prabal’ 1st long-range Revolver; makes it accessible for civilians

The swing revolver —Prabal — is capable of firing up to 50 metres and will be made available for arms dealers and civilians with a valid licence.

Amid growing incidents of gun violence in recent years, India’s state-owned defence company has launched the country’s first long-range swing revolver ‘Prabal’ for civilians and arms dealers.

Manufactured by the state-owned enterprise Advanced Weapons and Equipment India (AWEIL) based in Kanpur, the Prabal revolver boasts of a firing range of up to 50 metres, which the company claims is “twice the range of other revolvers.”

The single and double-action ‘Prabal’ revolver weighs 675 grams (excluding cartridges). It has a chrome-platted barrel length of 76 mm and an overall length of 187.7 mm.

AWEIL’s officiating director Rajiv Sharma said the .32-bore revolver is capable of accurately hitting targets up to 50 metres away. “This range is more than double that of other revolvers currently in production, establishing Prabal as a frontrunner in the field of long-range handguns,” he added.

“The feature that sets Prabal apart from its counterparts is the incorporation of a side swing out cylinder. This innovative design element eliminates the need to fold the firearm for cartridge insertion, simplifying the reloading process and enhancing user convenience,” he said.

What does India’s gun law say and who can own firearms?

The gun control laws in India are among the most stringent legislations in the world.  According to the Arms Act of 1959, the possession, sale, manufacture and export of firearms without a valid license is outlawed and is punishable with a fine and jail term. 

Under the Arms Act, firearms are classified into two categories — Prohibited Bore (PB) and Non-Prohibited Bore (NPB) firearms. PB weapons comprise of fully and semi-automatic firearms and other specified types of firearms that are issued only by the Centre for certain groups of people, while NPB weapons are firearms issued by the government for civilians.

Only, defence officers, high-ranking government officials and select shooters can hold PB weapons while civilians are only granted a licence to hold NPB weapons. According to the Arms Act, a maximum of two firearms can be issued per license.

In order to hold a firearm in India, the individual applying for a license must be a citizen of this country and must be a minimum of 21 years of age. Guns can only be utilized for three purposes —  sports, crop protection and self-defence.

For a self-defence license, an individual must provide proof of a threat to life. However, this can also be cited with respect to protection from wild animals in certain cases. The individual must also detail a record of their criminal behaviour (if any) as the law prohibits gun ownership for civilians sentenced to imprisonment on charges of violence for five years.

Upon submitting the application, police will take two months to perform background checks, assess the individual’s mental health and criminal history. They will also evaluate any threats claimed and the individual’s competence to handle firearms. 

Amid a spate of gun-firing incidents

The revolver’s launch comes at a time when India continues to witness a surge in civilian-triggered gun violence and deaths.

From the killing of an Imam during the recent communal clashes in Haryana’s Nuh and Gurugram to the gunning down of a journalist in Bihar’s Aria district last week, gun violence continues to be a growing problem in India. 

On August 17, two people were killed and six others were injured when a person who works as a bank security guard opened fire on them from his double-barrel gun after an altercation over pet dogs in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore city.

In the past week, India’s top court had expressed concern over multiple incidents of gun violence across courts in Delhi and called the situation “appalling.”

However, gun violence is not restricted to civilians as well. 

An RPF constable gunned down his senior officer and three Muslim passengers on a Jaipur-bound train near Maharashtra’s Palghar station on July 31. While officials claim the motive behind the crime is not clear, the constable has a past history of harassing minority community members.

(With additional inputs from PTI)

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: FLOOD FORECASTING: Central Water Commission launches ‘FloodWatch’ Mobile app to Forecast Flood

The Chairman of the Central Water Commission Kushvinder Vohra launched the app in New Delhi on Thursday.

The Central Water Commission has launched its in-house developed mobile application, “FloodWatch” to forecast flood situations for the next seven days on a real-time basis. The Chairman of the Central Water Commission Kushvinder Vohra launched the app in New Delhi on Thursday.

With this app, users can access essential information regarding the flood situation across the country. The user-friendly interface will make it easy for anyone to stay informed and minimise risk during flood events.

However, the application will make forecasts based on only 328 flood monitoring points out of 1543 that are spread across the 24 river basins. The flood monitoring points are where water levels of rivers, reservoirs, and canals are gauged hourly.

“We will include as many flood monitoring points by this year’s end. The app aims to use the most common platform today i.e. mobile phones to disseminate information related to the flood situation and forecasts up to 7 days on a real-time basis,” says the ex-officio Secretary to the Government of India.

These data help in making informed decisions about water allocation and forecasting flood and drought risks. The bilingual app is available for download on Android devices, providing widespread accessibility to users globally.

He further said the current monitoring points are selected in consultation with state governments, which are mostly located around human settlements. In its presentation, the official said the app utilizes advanced technologies such as satellite data analysis, mathematical modelling, and real-time monitoring to deliver accurate and timely flood forecasts.

India’s flood situation monitoring system has been in question for a long time. There are around 400 rivers and seven major river systems which are more than 2 lakh km in length. But the flood monitoring points are too low to give a true picture of situational assessment.

“Delhi floods are a case in point,” says a senior official. “We couldn’t assess it timely and forecasted” he added.  

The Yamuna River in the national capital reached the staggering 208.62-meter mark, breaking the 45-year-old record of 207.49 meters by a big margin. It flooded the low-lying areas along the river and water logged in the heart of the city throwing daily life into disarray.

Vohra briefed the media that the mobile application would address the gap in the current forecasting of flood situations in the country.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: INDIA’S GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY TIE-UPS: Trinidad and Tobago becomes latest Country to Sign up for IndiaStack Tech Package

The Caribbean nation joins the list of others such as Papua New Guinea, Antigua & Barbuda, Armenia to tap India’s home-grown technologies such as UPI to advance their own digitization. 

Trinidad and Tobago has become the latest country to sign for IndiaStack — a set of technologies such as UPI — to help with the digital transformation of the Caribbean nation. 

These set of technologies were developed to solve India’s problems while progressing towards a presence-less, paperless, and cashless society.

Having been successfully deployed in India, the country is keen on exporting low-cost technology to other developing nations. 

A similar MoU was signed with Papua New Guinea also last month, showcasing the growing interest and acceptance of the initiative on a global scale.

Since June 2023, India has already signed technology export agreements with Armenia, Sierra Leone, Suriname, and Antigua & Barbuda.

In addition, UPI, which is also a part of India Stack, has been exported to France, UAE, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

The government said it is in advanced discussions with several other countries such as Mauritius and Saudi Arabia for finalizing cooperation on IndiaStack.

Under the latest agreement, India and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to conduct capacity building, training programmes, exchange of best practices, exchange of public officials and experts, development of pilot or demo solutions, etc.

This collaboration comes after Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar met with Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Digital Transformation, Senator Mr Hassel Bacchus, in August last week.

During the meeting, they discussed mutual cooperation in the fields of IT, emerging technologies, and the India stack.

The Indian government is keen to export the technologies across the globe, especially to “those that have been left behind in their digitalisation efforts”.

“With the help of India Stack, these countries can climb up the digitalisation ladder rapidly and transform their economies and governance,” the government said. 

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

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)

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)