Month: February 2021

IIT Kharagpur Develops Solar-powered Pest Control System for Smaller Farm Fields

Researchers at IIT Kharagpur have developed energy-efficient pest controlling device for smaller agricultural tracts owned by marginal farmers. The research team has developed a self-propelled boom-type sprayer that can be operated using solar energy while safely guided through the crops in smaller tracts of land. The device is aimed to increase field capacity and uniformity in liquid spraying and also to reduce drudgery to the operator and dependency on fossil fuel for carrying out spraying in cropped areas. 

Prevention of pests and diseases during different growth stages of crops is an important process to increase its yield. For larger tracts of farmlands, tractor mounted sprayers are used, while manually operated knapsack sprayer is used for smaller tracts. This impacts the efficiency of spraying as it depends on the skill of the operator leading to non-uniformity in spraying. Further, it requires intensive labour capacity and operation time. Using tractor-mounted sprayers in smaller tracts on the other hand would make the crops prone to damages due to their higher turning radius. Also, it leads to the wastage of chemicals due to lower control on automated spraying. Not to mention the environmental pollution due to the fuel emissions from the tractor.

It is important to note, about 82% of the farming community are categorized as small or marginal as per FAO with landholding less than 2 hectares [Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India, 2019]. With a view to improve the condition of small and marginal farmers and to double the income of farmers by 2022, Government is realigning its interventions from a production-centric approach to farmers’ income-centric initiatives, with a focus on better and new technological solutions.

“This is an open call to the technical institutions in India to deliver in the field of precision agricultural technologies. In the IIT system, IIT Kharagpur has the sole distinction of having an Agricultural & Food Engineering department. Hence it is our foremost responsibility to answer this call,” opined Prof. Virendra K Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur.

The semi-automated device developed by Prof. Hifjur Raheman, Anup Behera Rahul K and Prof. P.B.S. Bhadoria from the Dept. of Agricultural and Food Engineering at IIT Kharagpur will address several challenges of the mechanized pest control systems in the small farm sector. 

The system comprises a propelling unit fitted with a liquid storage tank, a DC motor operated pump to pressurize the liquid to be sprayed. Multiple numbers of spray nozzles are mounted on a boom fitted to the front of the machine to cover wider width at a time. A set of solar-powered battery act as the power source of the DC motor to propel the spraying unit as well as for running the pump. Unlike a knapsack sprayer, the liquid storage tank is of bigger capacity and it is carried on a solar-powered three-wheeler trolley. An operator is required to control the movement of the spraying unit. A simple arrangement has been provided to vary the height of spraying (i.e., nozzle height from the ground) to carryout spraying for different heights of crops. Solar panels are mounted on top of the machine to provide continuous power supply during operation through the Maximum Power Point Tracker controller and it also provides shade to the operator during spraying in the field.

“As compared to conventional knapsack sprayers, the developed sprayer has a higher field capacity and more uniformity of spraying with less drudgery to the operator. It can be easily operated in the field using solar energy with a maximum speed of 2 km/h and can cover a width of 1.5 metre at a time with a field efficiency of 81% thus saving time, human involvement and chemicals,” remarked Prof. Raheman. 

The researchers have filed a patent for the product and it is ready for commercialization. 

Director Tewari who is also a leading expert in the field of farm machinery and power engineering said, “We have developed several such technologies covering micro-irrigation, shed net cultivation and food processing at the Dept. of Agricultural and Food Engineering which are in use in various villages across the 23 districts of West Bengal and other states in Eastern India, covering almost 20000 farmers. Such innovations empower each member of the farming community following the pathway towards Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

Contact: 

Dr. H. Raheman, Professor, Department of Agricultural & Food Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur; Tel: 03222-283160 (O); E: hifjur@agfe.iitkgp.ac.in

Connect with us on social media: Facebook: @IITKgp Twitter: @IITKgp Instagram: @iit.kgp; Or write to us at media@iitkgp.ac.in

More information:

Dept. of Agricultural and Food Engineering: http://www.iitkgp.ac.in/department/AG

Center for Rural Development and Innovative Sustainable Technology: http://www.iitkgp.ac.in/department/RD

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Honorary Awards for Exemplary Contributions to IIT and Society

With the onset of 2021, IIT Kharagpur is all set to welcome luminaries with exemplary contributions to the Institute and society as it announces the prestigious DSc Honoris Causa and Life Fellow awards.

The Institute will felicitate Shri Vinod Gupta, distinguished alumnus and philanthropist, US-based entrepreneur and former ambassador, Swami Atmapriyananda Maharaj, monk of the Ramakrishna Order and Former Vice-Chancellor,  Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (RKMVERI), Dr. Randeep Guleria, Director, All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi and Dr. Elattuvalapil Sreedharan, former Managing Director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) popularly known as the “Metro Man” with Honoris Causa in acknowledgement of their contribution to public welfare, social upliftment and India’s overall development.

IIT Kharagpur recommends this award to honour luminaries who have excelled in areas of relevance to the Institute’s vision in categories related to the major stakeholders of the Institute viz. Academics and Research, Industry, Alumni and Public Welfare Services. The award is approved by the Hon’ble President of India and Visitor to the IITs. 

The Institute will also confer its coveted Life Fellow award on Shri Ranbir Singh Gupta, renowned architect, distinguished alumnus, US-based entrepreneur and philanthropist, and Prof. Mahan Mj (Swami Vidyanathananda), monk of the Ramakrishna Order and eminent mathematician and Professor at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai in acknowledgement of their contribution to academics, social service and public welfare.

IIT Kharagpur recommends this award to honour luminaries from diverse fields of academics, industry, governance, art and culture, spirituality, social service, sports, defence etc. who through their expertise contribute or likely to contribute for the benefit of students and faculty of IIT Kharagpur and support the mission statement of IIT Kharagpur – dedicated to the service of the nation.

Both the awards will be presented on the occasion of the 66th Convocation of the Institute to be held later this month.

Congratulating the awardees Director, Prof. Virendra Kumar Tewari said, “We are glad to confer these awards and hope to felicitate these luminaries in person on the occasion of the 66th Convocation of the Institute, to be held later this month, which will be live telecasted globally. They resonate with the mission statement of IIT Kharagpur, dedicated to the service of the nation, aimed to achieve a greater good for the country. Each of them is the personification of our motto YogaH Karmasu Kaushalam, which you can observe in their imprint as professionals and human self.”

Brief Bio of Honoris Causa Awardees:

Vinod Gupta – Vinod Gupta is the Managing Partner, Everest Venture Group. An entrepreneurial career spanning over 50 years, Vinod has served as an ambassador of USA. He is a philanthropist supporting causes related to education, health and welfare. Despite a modest background from a small town in Uttar Pradesh, not only he reached the pinnacle of success but gave the IIT education a new direction defining the path of success for others. He is the pioneer of management and law education in the IIT system. Read Full Bio

 

Swami Atmapriyananda – Swami Atmapriyananda is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order and an Indian university administrator. He was the first Vice-Chancellor of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (erstwhile Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University). He has been in service to humanity in the spirit of worship of God in man and has been serving higher education institutions for nearly four decades. Read Full Bio

Dr. Randeep Guleria – Dr. Randeep Guleria is an Indian pulmonologist and the Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. He is regarded as one of India’s leading medical expert and is credited with the establishment of India’s first centre for pulmonary medicines and sleep disorders at AIIMS. He is the director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. He is also part of India’s COVID-19 response effort. Read Full Bio

Dr. E. Sreedharan – Elattuvalapil Sreedharan is an Indian civil engineer and a retired IRSE officer popularly known as the “Metro Man”. He is credited for changing the face of public transport in India with his leadership in building the Konkan Railway and the Delhi Metro while he served as the managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation DMRC between 1995 and 2012. Read Full Bio

Life Fellow

Ranbir Singh Gupta – Ranbir (Ron) Gupta has been President of Gupta Associates Inc., and Chairman of SIGMA7 design group, architectural, planning and infrastructure consulting firms. He has over 40 years of successful experience in the management, design and construction of facilities for various global financial services, mission-critical, high-technology, and institutional projects. He is also very passionate about public service. He has served on numerous regional and state-wide boards, national professional societies, and Indian Institutes of Technology alumni associations. Read Full Bio

Swami Vidyanathananda / Mahan Mj – Prof. Mahan Mj also known as Mahan Maharaj and Swami Vidyanathananda, is an Indian mathematician and monk of the Ramakrishna Order. He is currently a Professor of Mathematics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai. He is best known for his work in hyperbolic geometry, geometric group theory, low-dimensional topology and complex geometry. Read Full Bio

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Gymkhana Celebrates National Girl Child Day Celebration

Contributed by Priyanka Singh and Saumyata Khandelwal

IIT Kharagpur is known for a great many things – be the alumni across the globe leading in the industry, academia, entrepreneurship including those in India in even more diverse fields from public services to creative fields, or the R&D output of the Institute bringing transformation from industry to society – but beyond this first in the IIT system has another face, unobtrusive but telling, in the area of public outreach and social impact. One such mark of the Institute can be spotted at the Gopali Youth Welfare Society (GYWS), an NGO run by IIT Kharagpur students along with some faculty members with the support of local members from Gopali.

Started in 2002, GYWS offers free education, social awareness campaigns, skill development programs and vocational training to better the living standards of people in Gopali village and ensuring a life of dignity. From time to time, programs are conducted through various sections of the Institute to improve the engagement of faculty and students with the Gopali community. In one such initiative, the Technology Students Gymkhana, IIT Kharagpur organized an educational webinar on January 29, 2021, to celebrate the cause of National Girl Child Day.

Prof. Somesh Kumar, Dean Students Affairs and Prof. V R Desai, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture graced the occasion and shared their perspectives on the upbringing and development of gild child. The speakers focused on how educated women can create a stronger societal framework through better home care in children’s education, health and hygiene regardless of their family background. They cited women achievers from various spheres whose stories can serve as a constant source of inspiration for girl children especially those who have struggled through various socio-economic barriers or have created a significant social impact. They explored impactful storytelling of these achievers to motivate young girls to pursue the path of success which awaits them. Along with education, they emphasized the need for sports and healthy living for all-round development.

Priyanka Singh, sports official at Technology Students’ Gymkhana who organized the event in association with GYWS encouraged the girls to dream big and find their true calling in any field of their choice and achieve their goals riding on their will irrespective of their circumstances.

The event witnessed the participation of thirty-six students including twenty girl students from Jagriti Vidya Mandir, a school run by GYWS. A quiz competition was also held in association with IIT Kharagpur Quiz Club. The event was hosted by Saumyata Khandelwal, Institute Women Representative, IIT Kharagpur.

Book Review: Blue Infrastructures by Dr. Jenia Mukherjee

Dr. Jenia Mukherjee, Assistant Professor at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Kharagpur, has published a pioneering volume on Kolkata’s ecological history – Blue Infrastructures: Natural History, Political Ecology and Urban Development in Kolkata.

Sponsored by ISIRD, SRIC, IIT Kharagpur, this book is a strong manifestation of interdisciplinary research on the urban environment. The author focuses on Kolkata, formerly the colonial capital of and currently a major megacity in India, in terms of its extensive blue infrastructures, i.e., its rivers, canals and wetlands as an integrated composite whole.

“I have tried to unfold ways in which this reclaimed urban space could determine, and in turn, could get determined by political fate, economic calculations and social livelihoods across changing political-economic imperatives and with large-scale implications on urban sustainability. Employing historical urban political ecology (HUPE) as the methodological framework by combining urban environmental history and urban political ecology, I have studied the changing urban environmental equations through several centuries, and their impact on the city and its people,” says Dr. Mukherjee.

In the book, Dr. Mukherjee has woven the past, present and posterity of deltaic Kolkata and demonstrated that it is in these ‘blue infrastructures’ that the anecdote of origin, the account of functioning and the apprehension of survival of the city is rooted. By emphasizing the ecology ‘of’ cities instead of ecology ‘in’ cities’ approach, she exposes the limitations of contemporary ecological restructuring efforts regarding Indian cities. Further, it offers a blueprint for future innovative and empirical research focusing on other major cities.

The book is drawing wide attention from the international fraternity on environmental humanities. It has been included in the syllabi on environmental studies and programs offered by universities and institutes in the United States and Europe. It has already been reviewed in Frontiers in Water by Dana Hellman and Melissa Haeffner, School of the Environment Portland State University, the United States and Biblio by Emeritus Professor Sukanta Chaudhuri, Jadavpur University.

In their review, Dana Hellman and Melissa Haeffner from the School of the Environment Portland State University, United States argue: “This work adds to scant literature on India’s urban environmental history, and the HUPE framework offers a novel way to conceptualize resilience and ecosystem management. Individual chapters would make excellent reading assignments for courses in urban planning, water management, political ecology, environmental justice, and related fields. For scholars, this work provides a useful example of how historical and political analyses might be combined in any socio-ecological study. For practitioners, a strong case is made that natural resources (blue infrastructures and beyond) are inextricably connected to culture, politics, and history, and must be managed accordingly. Just and resilient urban futures call for holistic consideration of environmental transformations, opportunities, and risks played out across space, time, and culture. Blue Infrastructures is a compelling, informative contribution to this practice.”

Dr Jenia Mukherjee also received the prestigious Carson Writing Fellowship from the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, Munich Germany to complete the book project.

Published by Singapore: Springer Nature the book is part of the prestigious ‘Exploring Urban Change in South Asia‘ series edited by Marie-Hélène Zérah.

Being topical and original book is relevant for students and researchers of environmental humanities, political ecology and urban studies, opines Dr. Mukherjee.

IIT Kharagpur and NIUA Collaborate to Build Accessible, Safe and Inclusive Indian Cities

IIT Kharagpur has inked an MoU with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) for ‘Building Accessible Safe and Inclusive Indian Cities’ (BASIIC). The collaboration is aimed towards developing a framework for universal city planning which would be more accessible and inclusive for various sections of the community with age-friendly disabled-friendly measures.

Talking about the significance of such an initiative, Director, Prof. Virendra K Tewari said, “India is a young country with a population growth rate of 1% as of 2019. Such a growth figure along with the current status will create a dynamic need for housing and urban planning in India. Further, under the new leadership as we move towards a more inclusive approach it is crucial to develop novel designs, frameworks, guidelines for cities covering larger demographics and people with varied needs.”

He further added, “The Department of Architecture and Regional Planning at IIT Kharagpur is considered the best school in the country in the domain of architecture as per NIRF. We are proud to collaborate with NIUA in fulfilling its mission statement and achieving the comprehensive goals towards building sustainable living conditions for all.”

Through the Urban & Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation Guidelines, NIUA is dwelling upon new emerging aspects like regional development, inclusive planning, sustainable habitat, land use and transport integration at the planning stage, Service Level Benchmarks, disaster management concepts, and governance reforms. But, there is a lack of consideration for universal design principles.

“After a thorough review of the various acts, guidelines and design standards in the related field and studying global best practices and international standard, IIT Kharagpur will propose a framework for universal cities to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, the elderly and parents with children, can participate in society and access built environment, transport, services and urban amenities including recreation and also livelihood and information,” said Prof. Subrata Chattopadhyay from the Dept. of Architecture and Regional Planning at IIT Kharagpur.

He further stressed the need for seamless accessibility and the complete travel chain for safe and independent movement for all within the city.

The proposed framework will be instrumental for sector-wise assessment of the existing cities in terms of safety, accessibility and inclusivity as well as planning of Greenfield cities. The framework will include sections on (i) Infrastructure, amenities and services including water, electricity, sanitation and solid waste (ii) Outdoor environment, (iii) Livelihood, (iv) Urban mobility and public transport, (v) IT connectivity, digitalization and citizen’s participation(vi) Tourism and recreation.

“Differently abled persons and elderly often face discrimination and segregation due to the presence of sensory, attitudinal, cognitive, physical, and economic barriers. Through this framework, we would aim to crystallize future pathways for the planning of accessible, safe and inclusive cities in India, by laying emphasis on the process of audit, ground-level data collection, analysis, planning and implementation that would lead to sustainable and user-centric outcomes. The framework will attempt to achieve urban inclusiveness through “participation,” “appropriation,” and the creation of “value” in the context of urban life of its vulnerable group.” said Prof. Haimanti Banerji from the Dept. of Architecture and Regional Planning at IIT Kharagpur.

The researchers are further working on several such developmental projects encompassing affordable housing, innovative construction technologies, dignified living and productive participation for the trans-generational population.

Contact: Prof. Subrata Chattopadhyay, E: schat@arp.iitkgp.ac.in; Prof. Haimanti Banerji, E: haimanti@arp.iitkgp.ac.in

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Purvodaya 2021 – Excellence Through Resilience

Vinod Gupta School of Management, IIT Kharagpur, is proud to host the first-ever online adaptation of the institute’s Annual Business School fest Purvodaya, an amalgamation of different events where budding managers from top business Schools test their mettle against one another. The central theme – “Excellence through Resilience” – is especially relevant in contemporary times because of the pandemic’s devastating effects. The role of resilience is all the more critical regarding the shifting geopolitical, economic landscape as building adaptable businesses has been the mantra of the corporate world steering across these unprecedented times.

The three-day affair is a prodigious mix of competitions spanning across multiple domains like consulting, analytics, finance, supply chain management, and social entrepreneurship and is all set to launch on 5th February 2021. The event will be graced by the esteemed presence of our Chief Guest, Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal’ Nishank’, Hon’ble Minister of Education, our Guest of Honour, Mr Ronojoy Dutta, CEO at IndiGo and Mr Vinod Gupta, philanthropist, an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and founder of the Vinod Gupta School of Management. The event will also be graced by Mr Ramesh Ramadurai, Managing Director of 3M India Limited, Dr Raghunath Anant Maashelkar, a Padma Vibhushan Awardee who has served as Ex-Director General of CSIR and Mr Sanjeev Sharma, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, ABB India & South Asia. 

This festival provides an ideal platform for aspiring leaders to sharpen their skills as top B-school talent across the country come together to test their prowess against their peers. The enthusiasm surrounding the preliminary rounds has given us a glimpse of the intense competition that we are to witness in the finals. Deliberations with renowned industry stalwarts are also spaced throughout the event to inspire the budding managers in their corporate journeys ahead.

The event attracts CXOs, strategists, technology evangelists, thought leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals pioneering change to come together to analyze real-world business scenarios and bring to life theoretical concepts in a practical framework. It is a platform for the industry and academia to come together to engage in discourse and the students to draw lessons from this. The Leadership Summit is all set to go live on 6th February 2021 will witness the fusion of enriching insights put forth by renowned corporate leaders from different realms of industry on the topic – “Reimagining Leadership: Building resilient and sustainable businesses.” Additionally, the fest will also play host to Reminiscence, the annual alumni interaction session that is a testament to the institute’s legacy.

For more details please visit: https://www.purvodaya.in/

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