Category Archives: World Opinion

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS / ATHLETICS / DISCUS: Silver for Seema Punia in 33rd Qosanov Memorial Athletics, Kazakhstan, Achieves AFI’s Asiad qualification mark

Discus thrower Seema Punia opened her international season with a season-best 57.35m for a silver medal at the 33rd Qosanov memorial athletics meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Saturday.

That saw the 2014 Asian Games gold medallist, who will be 40 later this month, achieve the Athletics Federation of India’s qualification mark (57m) for this September’s Asian Games in China.

Thailand’s Subenrat Insaeng, a bronze medallist at the 2019 Asian Championship in Doha, took the gold with 59.57m.

Iran’s Farzaneh Fasihi surprised Kazakhstan’s Asian champion Olga Safronova and emerged the meet’s fastest woman, winning the 100m in a personal best 11.41s.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS/ ATHLETICS / JAVELIN: Neeraj Chopra Wins for 02nd Consecutive Time the ‘Diamond League’ Title in Lausanne, Switzerland 

Chopra who started with a foul, had to wait till his fifth throw to lead the field with a distance of 87.66m.

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra clinched the prestigious Diamond League title for the second consecutive time by throwing his spear to 87.66m on Friday.

But the coveted 90m mark eluded the star Indian javelin thrower yet again.

Coming back from a one-month injury lay-off, Chopra’s title-winning performance at the Lausanne leg in challenging conditions was below his own top-10 efforts but he still stamped his authority in the prestigious One-day meet.

The 25-year-old Chopra, who had skipped three top events due to a muscle strain he sustained last month, had won the season-opening Diamond League in Doha on May 5 with his fourth career-best throw of 88.67m.

“I was feeling a bit nervous coming back from an injury. It was a bit cold here tonight. I am still far from my best, but I feel it is getting better,” Chopra said after his win.

It was a cloudy day with the temperature during the men’s javelin throw event recording 17 degree Celsius and humidity at 78 per cent.

“I am relieved it is coming together well for me. A win is a win and I will take that happily.”

Chopra began with a foul and then had 83.52m and 85.04m throws.

He had another foul in the fourth round before coming up with his title-winning throw of 87.66m next.

His sixth and last throw was 84.15m.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to congratulate the champion athlete on his latest achievement.

“Congratulations to @Neeraj_chopra1 for shining at the Lausanne Diamond League. Thanks to his extraordinary performances, he has finished at the top of the table. His talent, dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence is commendable,” PM Modi tweeted.

Germany’s Julian Weber was second with a best throw of 87.03m, while Tokyo Olympics silver medallist and season-leader Jakub Vadlejch (SB: 89.51m) of the Czech Republic was third with an 86.13m effort.

Reigning world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, who has been struggling for form, was fifth with a best throw of 82.23m.

Chopra had won the Lausanne leg in August last year also for his maiden Diamond League title.

A month later, he became the first Indian Diamond League champion after winning the 2022 grand finale in Zurich.

The Indian superstar, who has a personal best of 89.94m, cemented his top spot in the Diamond League standings with 16 points, followed by Vadlejch (13 points) and Weber (12 points).

Following the Lausanne event, men’s javelin throw will also be a part of the roster in the Monaco and Zurich legs on July 21 and August 31 respectively before the Diamond League grand finale in Eugene, USA, on September 16-17.

On May 29, Chopra issued a statement, informing about his injury.

He pulled out of the FBK Games on June 4 at Hengelo (the Netherlands), Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland on June 13 and Ostrava Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic on June 27.

All three meets were World Athletics Continental Tour gold events.

But he did not miss any Diamond League competition as the subsequent legs in Rabat, Rome, Paris and Oslo did not have men’s javelin events on the roster.

In the men’s long jump, India’s Murali Sreeshankar finished fifth with a below-par jump of 7.

88m which he achieved in the third round.

The 24-year-old Sreeshankar, who had clinched the third spot in the Paris leg on June 9 for his maiden Diamond League podium finish, had produced a career-best 8.

41m during the National Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar earlier this month.

LaQuan Nairn of Bahamas, who beat Sreeshankar for the gold in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, took the top spot with a third-round jump of 8.11m.

Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece was second with an 8.07m effort while Yuki Hashioka of Japan was third with a jump of 7.98m.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: INDIANS ACROSS THE WORLD: Canada’s First Turbaned Sikh Police Officer Baltej Singh Dhillon Appointed Chair of WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors

Baltej Singh Dhillon had a distinguished career as a police officer for more than three decades, working in critical investigations, including the 1985 Kanishka Air India bombing task force.

Baltej Singh Dhillon, a veteran Canadian Sikh police officer who was a part of the team that probed the 1985 Kanishka Air India terror attack, has become the first South Asian chair of an agency that promotes safe and healthy workplaces in British Columbia province.

Dhillon, the country’s first Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer to wear a turban as part of the uniform, was appointed to chair the WorkSafeBC’s board of directors for a three-year term, effective June 30, the British Columbia government has announced.

WorkSafeBC is a provincial agency promoting safe and healthy workplaces across British Columbia, a province of Canada, and Dhillon has been a member of its board of directors since 2017.

A recipient of Queen Elizabeth II Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals for community service, the veteran officer “made history by being the first RCMP member to wear a turban as part of the uniform,” an official release said on Friday.

Dhillon had a distinguished career as a police officer for more than three decades, working in intelligence, special enforcement, protective services, and critical investigations, including the 1985 Kanishka Air India bombing task force.

On June 23, 1985, a bomb exploded on Air India Flight 182 en route from Toronto to London and then to its final destination Bombay, England killing all 329 people aboard, most of them Canadians.

To this day, the Air India bombing is still the worst terrorist attack in Canadian history blamed on pro-Khalistan elements.

“Baltej was a veteran police officer who brings expertise in law enforcement and six years of experience as a director at WorkSafeBC. He will be committed to WorkSafeBC’s role in investigating serious workplace incidents to prevent similar incidents from happening again,” said Harry Bains, Minister of Labour.

Dhillon takes over the role from Jeff Parr, who served as Board chair from August 2020 to June 2023.

“We look forward to working with him in this new role, alongside our Board members and our stakeholders, to help achieve our vision of a province free from workplace injury or illness,” Anne Naser, president and CEO of WorkSafeBC, said in a statement.

“I look forward to taking on the role as chair of WorkSafeBC’s board of directors,” Dhillon was quoted as saying in the press release.

“I am committed to working with our key stakeholders to improve workplace health and safety and help ensure that workers get home safely at the end of the day. I am excited to begin working as chair with my fellow board members and WorkSafeBC staff to continue making progress in improving the workers’ compensation system to meet the needs of workers, employers and others throughout the province,” he said.

According to WorkSafeBC’s website, the agency serves more than 2.6 million workers and close to 270,000 registered employers in BC and partners with workers and employers to save lives and prevent work-related injury, disease, and disability.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: DEFENCE / GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS: Indian Marching Contingents of 3 Services, Military Band, Rafale Jets of IAF to take part on July 14th, French Bastille Day Parade, Paris

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will witness the event as the Chief Guest; India and France are celebrating the 25th anniversary of a strategic partnership that was launched in 1998.

Marching contingents of the three Services and a military band, making up a total of 242 personnel, will take part in the French Bastille Day parade on July 14 in Paris, while three Rafale fighter jets of Indian Air Force (IAF) will be part of the flypast as Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnesses it as the Chief Guest.

Each Service contingent will have 68 personnel while the military band will have 38 personnel, adding up to 242 personnel, the parade plan released by France shows.

Mr. Modi has accepted the invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to be the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day Parade. An official press release from the Ministry of External Affairs had said that a contingent of the Indian Armed Forces will participate in the parade which marks “liberty, equality and fraternity”.

Mr. Modi’s visit to France also comes as India and France are celebrating the 25th anniversary of a strategic partnership that was launched in 1998. Earlier, in 2009, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh participated in the July 14 celebrations.

The visit comes amid a hectic diplomatic calendar for India and international travel for Mr. Modi as India hosts the G20 and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summits, the G7 outreach and Quad summit in May, as well as several other bilateral visits, both incoming and outgoing

In another instance, the IAF is planning to host a multilateral air exercise Tarang Shakti at the end of this year and approval from the Defence Ministry is awaited. “The plan is to invite 12 friendly foreign countries with whom we interact regularly and have a certain degree of interoperability,” a senior defence official said, adding that, of these, six countries will be with a fighter compliment while the other six would be present as observers.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS /CRICKET: INDIAN ORIGIN: From Marketing to being Holland’s Matchwinner, Andhra-born Anil Teja Nidamanuru hopes to play World Cup in India

The right-hand batter from Vijayawada hopes his team qualifies for the World Cup so that he can play in India with his family members watching him from the stands.

Chasing a mammoth target of 375 against West Indies in their ICC World Cup Qualifier match in Harare on Monday, the Netherlands were 170/4 after 29.1 overs when skipper Scott Edwards joined Anil Teja Nidamanuru in the middle.

Born in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, Anil then stitched together a 143-run partnership with his captain for the fourth wicket. The 28-year-old Anil might have lost his wicket before the Netherlands shocked the two-time world champions in a Super Over thriller but it was his quickfire hundred (111 off 76 balls, 11×4, 3×6), which is also the fastest ODI century by a Dutch player, that kept his team in the match.

Having played 16 ODIs for the Dutch side so far, Anil must have enjoyed the latest innings the most. The win could act as a catalyst for the team as the Netherlands now have a realistic chance of making it to the World Cup scheduled in India in October-November this year. And Anil would definitely want that to happen as he wants to exhibit his skills in a country where it all started more than two decades ago.

“It will be a dream come true to come to India and play. India loves cricketers, it’s a part of their culture. It would mean everything to me, especially with my family in attendance. Having them at the ground would be nicer,” the right-hand batter told this daily from Harare after his team’s memorable victory.

With his mother Padmavathi Pallekona studying and working in Singapore, Anil grew up at his grandparents’ home in Vijayawada.

“My grandfather Pitchia Shastri bought me the first cricket bat there (Vijayawada) and encouraged me to play. When I was six, my mother got a job in Auckland and we both moved to New Zealand. Say it a coincidence, my mother’s hospital where she got the job was next to Cornwall Cricket Club, the venue where Kiwi greats like Martin Crowe and Mark Greatbatch honed their talent. I also started training there once we settled in Auckland.”

Anil played age-group cricket in the city before making his List A debut for Auckland Aces at the age of 23 in 2018. He also went on to play T20 and one-dayers for the team but given the tough competition, he could never become the permanent fixture of the team.

“I worked very hard to get into that team but never managed to cement my place. The best way to continue playing cricket was to go abroad so I started playing as an overseas professional for clubs in England. The weather permitted me to do so as when it was winter in New Zealand, it was summer in England. So in that way, I could play cricket throughout the year.”

‘Played cricket after working 40 hours a week’

However, by then Anil, who also bowls right-arm off-break, has started looking for a full-time contract. He had two options back then — either move to Ireland or Netherlands.

“In 2019, I decided to go to the Netherlands for six months. But the stint which was supposed to be of six months extended as I got a job in the marketing department of a technology company. My initial aim was to live and work hard but somewhere back in my mind there was always that dream of playing cricket. Work was the driving force but cricket was my passion. So despite working 40 hours a week, I started doing fitness training in the morning and cricket training in the evening after work.”

The hard work paid off as he made his international debut against West Indies in an ODI on May 31 last year. His team might have lost the match but Anil scored an unbeaten 58 to impress all and sundry.

“The team management is very understanding. They are very supportive as they let me work as well as play. I know hard work is the only option so I make maximum use of time I have after work. But it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Netherlands coaches, support staff and everyone associated with the game in the country. The coaches especially head coach Ryan Cook take time out for me so that I can do one-on-one quality training. The trainers, the support staff they all are very supportive.”

Speaking on the game plan while chasing the improbable total against the mighty West Indies, Anil said, “Chasing 375, there is only one way to play. The openers gave us a good platform. Given the momentum we had, we just have to be positive. As far as I was concerned, my strategy was to be positive for the first 2-3 balls of every over. The icing on the cake is the Super Over win. It really means a lot as a century wouldn’t have made me happy had we lost the game. Credit goes to the boys, the coaching and support staff.”

‘Kohli, a role model on and off the field’

Like many players across the globe, Anil is a big fan of India’s star batter, Virat Kohli.

“Of course, it has to be Kohli for a number of reasons. I have scored only two international centuries so far but here is he who has scored more than 70 hundreds. I really loved the way he goes about his game. We played against him in the T20 World Cup in Australia. I was amazed at how he constructed his innings. Besides, the way he carries himself off the field. He is fully professional and a fitness freak. Basically a role model both on and off the field.”

Anil tries to visit India at least once a year but his work and cricket commitments mean he is forced to miss the trip quite often. The last time he visited the country was in March 2021.

“My grandfather passed away five years ago but my grandmother still lives there. I really hope we make it to the World Cup so that I come to India and play with my grandmother and family members watching me from the stands,” signed off Anil.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

WORLD: HEALTH & SCIENCE: PM Modi’s ‘Yoga Day Event’ at UN HQ Creates Guinness World Record

The Yoga Day event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Wednesday created a Guinness world record.

The Yoga Day event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Wednesday created a Guinness World Record for seeing the participation of most nationalities in a Yoga session.

PM Modi – who arrived in the US on Tuesday night (IST) at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, led the historic event at the UN headquarters to commemorate the 9th International Yoga Day. The PM was joined by the President of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly Csaba Korisi, deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The event also saw several other UN officials, diplomats, and prominent personalities.

Sporting a customised white yoga T-shirt and trousers, PM Modi thanked the people for attending the celebration. “I’m delighted to see you all. And I thank you all for coming. Friends. I’m told that almost every nationality is represented here today,” he said.

Yoga Day event in Surat sets new Guinness World Record

Earlier in the day, the Yoga Day event organised in Gujarat’s Surat set a new Guinness World Record for the largest gathering for a yoga session in one place with 1.53 lakh people joining the program. The previous world record was set in 2018 in Kota city of Rajasthan when 1,00,984 people participated in a Yoga Day session in one place.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: INDIA IN THE WORLD: India Gifts Missile Corvette INS Kirpan to Vietnam

Rajnath Singh holds talks with visiting Vietnamese counterpart .

India gifted the indigenously-built in-service missile corvette INS Kirpan to Vietnam to enhance that country’s naval capabilities. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced this on June 19 after bilateral talks with his visiting Vietnamese counterpart General Phan Van Gang.

“Progress on various bilateral defence cooperation initiatives was reviewed during the meeting, with both sides expressing satisfaction at the ongoing engagements,” a Defence Ministry statement said on the talks, stating that the two Ministers had focussed on enhancing cooperation between defence industries of both countries, and maritime security.

Both Ministers identified means to enhance existing areas of collaboration, especially in defence industry cooperation, maritime security and multinational cooperation, the Ministry said. As part of his engagements, General Phan also visited headquarters of the Defence Research and Development Organisation and discussed ways to enhance “defence industrial capabilities by cooperation in defence research and joint production”.

Earlier in the day, General Gang laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and was later given a Tri-Service guard of honour. He arrived in India on June 18 on a two-day visit.

INS Kirpan is a Khukri class missile corvette displacing 1,350 tonnes and was commissioned into the Navy on January 12, 1991. It has a displacement of close to 1,400 tonnes, a length of 91 metres, a beam of 11 metres, and is capable of speed in excess of 25 knots. The ship is fitted with a medium range gun, 30 mm close range guns, chaff launchers, and surface to surface missiles, enabling it to perform a wide variety of roles, including coastal and offshore patrol, coastal security, surface warfare, anti-piracy, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, according to the Navy.

In June 2022, India and Vietnam signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on mutual logistics support in the presence of the two Defence Ministers during Mr. Singh’s visit to the Southeast Asian nation, and the two Defence Ministers signed the “Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam defence partnership towards 2030”, which the Ministry had said would significantly enhance the scope and scale of existing defence cooperation.

Hanoi has procured 12 high speed patrol boats for the Vietnamese border guard force under a $100 million Line of Credit (LoC) extended in September 2014. In 2016, India extended another $500 million defence LoC, and discussions are under way to identify the equipment.

India has also announced gifting two simulators and monetary grant towards the setting up of a Language and IT Lab at the Air Force Officers Training School for capacity building in the Vietnamese armed forces.

India and Vietnam have shared a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since 2016 and defence cooperation is a key pillar of this partnership. Vietnam is an important partner in India’s ‘Act East’ policy and the Indo-Pacific vision, the statement added.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL RECORD: ARTS & CULTURE / DANCE: 16-year-old girl Srushti Sudhir Jagtap Dances Nonstop for 5 Days, sets World Record

Srushti’s feat, dancing continuously for an astounding “five days straight,” has garnered her a well-deserved place in the prestigious Guinness World Records.

In an extraordinary display of talent and endurance, a 16-year-old girl named Srushti Sudhir Jagtap has accomplished a feat that has left the world in awe. This remarkable young dancer, originating from Latur, Maharashtra, has shattered the existing record for the longest dance marathon, leaving an indelible mark on the global stage.

Srushti’s feat, dancing continuously for an astounding “five days straight,” has garnered her a well-deserved place in the prestigious Guinness World Records. The official announcement states that Srushti Sudhir Jagtap has not only broken the previous record but has surpassed it by an impressive margin, achieving a staggering time of 127 hours. The previous record holder, Bandana Nepal, a talented dancer from Nepal, held the distinction of dancing relentlessly for 126 hours.

The dance marathon, as governed by its rules, required Srushti to keep her feet constantly in motion, synchronized with the rhythm and melody of the music. It demanded an unparalleled level of dedication, stamina, and passion for dance, all of which Srushti exemplified throughout her extraordinary journey.

Srushti’s astounding achievement was not solely the result of her innate talent and determination. She received comprehensive training from her grandfather, Baban Mane, who imparted his knowledge of Yoga Nidra, a form of guided meditation that is also known as ‘yogic sleep.’ This rigorous training regimen, undertaken for a span of 15 months, played a pivotal role in preparing Srushti for her ambitious record attempt. It provided her with the mental and physical strength necessary to endure the demanding dance marathon.

When asked about her motivation behind breaking this grueling record, Srushti passionately shared her aspiration to represent India through the mesmerizing art of dance. She saw this remarkable feat as an opportunity to showcase her talent and bring glory to her country on a global platform. Srushti’s unwavering commitment to her craft, coupled with her relentless pursuit of excellence, has made her an exemplary role model for aspiring dancers worldwide.

Srushti Sudhir Jagtap’s name will forever be etched in the annals of dance history, serving as a testament to the human spirit’s indomitable nature. Her awe-inspiring accomplishment serves as a reminder to us all that with passion, perseverance, and unwavering determination, we can transcend boundaries and achieve greatness.

source/content: dnaindia.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / CINEMA: Anurag Kashyap named ‘Head of the Jury for Official Competition Category’ of ’70th Sydney Film Festival’

Anurag will be joined by Mia Wasikowska, Dorothee Wenne, Larissa Behrendt and Visakesa Chandrasekaram as fellow jury members.

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, whose film Kennedy received a seven-minute standing ovation at the 76th Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, has been named the head of the jury for the ongoing 70th Sydney Film Festival’s Official Competition category.

“The ultimate film fan long weekend continues!🍿 The Official Competition jury and filmmakers galore made their way to @statetheatreau for screenings. Meanwhile, The Hub was buzzing all day and night with talks and a special party with our friends Discoteca Tropical🥳,” the official Twitter handle of the festival wrote, sharing photos of the jury members on Monday.

Actor Mia Wasikowska (Australia), film curator-journalist Dorothee Wenne (Germany), writer-director Larissa Behrendt (Australia) and filmmaker Visakesa Chandrasekaram (Australia/Sri Lanka) are part of the jury that Anurag heads.

They will be judging the 12 films shortlisted for the Official Competition category. These films celebrate “courageous, audacious and cutting-edge cinema”, according to the festival organisers. The best film in this category will win a AUD 60,000 cash prize. Sydney Film Festival also presents eight other cash awards over the course of the festival.

Written and directed by Anurag, Kennedy will also be screened at the 70th Sydney Film Festival. Itwas the first Indian film that was screened at the midnight section at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Anurag had previously presented films such as Raman Raghav 2.0, Ugly, Bombay Talkies and the two-part gangster drama Gangs of Wasseypur at the Cannes Film Festival.

Starring Rahul Bhat and Sunny Leone, Kennedy is based on an insomniac cop who dwells in different circumstances while looking for redemption.

The film festival that began on June 7 will conclude on June 18.

source/contents: telegraphindia.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)