Category Archives: Education

NATIONAL: PARTITION HISTORY : Coventry University to digitise India’s post-partition heritage

A university is set to preserve digitally more than 20,000 pictures, prints and documents from the post-partition period in India.

Led by Coventry University, two decades of India’s history, from 1947, will be digitised from a collection housed at Hamilton Studios in Mumbai.

The collection contains more than 600,000 objects from nearly a 100 years of Indian heritage – including partition, which ended two centuries of British colonial rule and divided the subcontinent into two separate nations: India and Pakistan.

The project will specifically preserve items – including passport photographs and invoices – for the period up to 1967.

The collection also includes film negatives, test prints, and legal documents.

The project was inspired by Coventry Digital – an online archive of the city containing more than 70,000 local images, videos and documents.

Ben Kyneswood, professor at Coventry University’s Research Centre for Creative Economies, will collaborate with Hamilton Studios to digitise the images.

He said: “The success of Coventry Digital has demonstrated the power of digital technology in preserving and sharing cultural narratives.

“I am eager to extend this legacy to the preservation of India’s cultural heritage, ensuring that future generations have access to these invaluable historical records.”

A university spokesperson said the archive will aim to capture migration stories to “bridge historical divides, foster cultural preservation and illuminate how the partition continues to shape the stories of India and its people.”

source/content: bbc.com /shannen headley (headline edited)

NATIONAL: RESEARCH – SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: Indian Scientists Make Major Breakthrough In Quantum Cryptography

Quantum cryptography, also known as quantum encryption, refers to various cybersecurity methods for encrypting and transmitting secure data based on the naturally occurring and immutable laws of quantum mechanics.

In a major breakthrough, a team of Indian scientists has created a user-friendly way to generate unpredictable random numbers crucial for stronger quantum data encryption and provide robust cybersecurity, the Ministry of Science & Technology has said.

Quantum cryptography, also known as quantum encryption, refers to various cybersecurity methods for encrypting and transmitting secure data based on the naturally occurring and immutable laws of quantum mechanics.

The Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru, which is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), performed a photonic experiment to demonstrate a violation of what is called the Leggett Garg Inequalities (LGI) — a litmus test for “quantumness” in a system in a loophole-free manner.

The team carried out extensive research in collaboration with researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram and the Bose Institute, Kolkata to use such LGI violation in a completely unexplored domain — truly unpredictable random number generation, secure against device tampering and imperfections.

These numbers are crucial in applications like cryptographic key generation, secure password creation and digital signatures, among others.

With further engineering interventions and innovations, devices adopting this method could find powerful applications not only in cybersecurity and data encryption but also in diverse areas like economic surveys and drug designing/testing.

“We have successfully generated random numbers using temporal correlations certified by the violation of the Leggett Garg Inequality (LGI),” said Professor Urbasi Sinha, faculty at the QuIC lab at Raman Research Institute, and the corresponding author of the paper published in the Physical Review Letters.

“Our experimental setup ensures a loophole-free violation of LGI, providing an additional advantage of generating loophole-free randomness,” Professor Sinha added.

According to the researchers, this new method offers the enhanced protection “we all need in our daily lives, by using truly random numbers to generate keys that will be used to encrypt the passwords”.

There are several advantages to generating certified random numbers using this method.

“These include the creation of strongly protected passwords, enhanced account security by resisting brute-force attacks, ensuring uniqueness, integrity thereby preventing forgery and token generation with multi-factor authentication, adding a crucial security layer in this vulnerable cyber world,” explained Dr Debashis Saha, IISER Thiruvananthapuram faculty and co-author of the study.

The experiment generated over 9,00,000 random bits at a rapid rate of nearly 4,000 bits/second.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

source/content: ndtv.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: MIDDLE EAST/ QATAR: India Book of Records recognises Mikhail Vincent Paul, of Birla Public School Doha, a prodigy

In a jaw-dropping feat, Mikhail Vincent Paul, a budding paleontologist and a grade three student at Birla Public School, has roared into the spotlight by identifying a staggering 202 dinosaurs in a mere 2 minutes and 48 seconds.

This remarkable achievement has secured Mikhail a coveted spot in the Asia Book of Records and the India Book of Records affirming his position as a dino-legend in the making.

At the tender age of 7 years and 11 months, this young explorer’s passion for prehistoric creatures has propelled him into the limelight, capturing the hearts of dinosaur enthusiasts globally.

The astonishing accomplishment unfolded during a special event organised by the Asia Book of Records on February 4, 2024, where he showcased an encyclopedic knowledge of dinosaurs that left spectators in awe.

The family, teachers, and peers alike are celebrating this extraordinary achievement, with many marvelling at Mikhail’s ability to swiftly rattle off the names of dinosaurs with unmatched precision.

The event not only showcased the child’s exceptional memory and passion for paleontology but also served as an inspiration for other young minds to explore their interests fervently.

The young prodigy has earlier entered into the Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records, at the age of 6 years and 7 months, for being able to memorise 411 logos of various brands of automobiles and identifying them in under 9 minutes with accuracy.

The staff and students of BPS Doha are proud of Mikhail and congratulated him and his family for the great achievement accomplished.

source/content: thepeninsulaqatar.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL / NATIONAL: PATENTS: IIT Madras records 92% jump in Indian patents granted during 2023

The number of international patents filed, including those granted under the Patent Cooperation Treaty, also recorded a significant increase, going up to 105 in 2023, from 58 in the preceding year.

The Indian Institute of Technology – Madras (IIT Madras) saw a 92 per cent jump in the number of Indian patents granted in 2023, rising from 156 patents in 2022 to 300 in 2023.

Additionally, the number of international patents filed, including those granted under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), also recorded a significant increase, going up to 105 in 2023, from 58 in the preceding year. Furthermore, as many as 221 patents have already been filed during the current financial year (as of December 2023), including 163 Indian patents and 63 international patent applications (including PCT).

Since the institute’s inception, a total of about 2,550 IP (including patent) applications have been filed both in India (1,800) and abroad (750) so far, out of which about 1,100 are registered IPs/granted patents (about 900 Indian and 200 international). Interestingly, the institute started filing patent applications as early as January 1975 (granted in May 1977). The total number of IP applications filed crossed 1,000 in 2016, 2,000 in 2022, and 2,500 in 2023.

Lauding the faculty, researchers, and students on their pioneering and translational research, V Kamakoti, director of IIT Madras, said, “As we are marching towards our 100th year of Independence, for Bharat to become a superpower, it is very important to protect our ideas. In this direction, I congratulate the faculty and students and the Office of Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (ICSR) who have put together a very comprehensive programme, by which we have created a record in the number of patents filed.”

Researchers at IIT Madras are generating IP in domains such as wireless networks, advanced materials, robotics, additive manufacturing technology, engine advancements, assistive devices, advanced sensor applications, clean energy, aerospace applications, polymer materials, thin films, catalysts, and biomedical applications, among other emerging technologies. The Office of Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (ICSR) at IIT Madras coordinates the different aspects related to intellectual property and technology transfer. The centre collaborates with faculty, researchers, and students and also has a dedicated legal cell.

Elaborating on the institute’s support provided to researchers, Manu Santhanam, dean (ICSR) at IIT Madras, said, “The institute has made it easy for inventors to access existing patent information through an online AI-based patent search tool. This facility has helped the inventors not only to quickly evaluate the invention by themselves but also to improve their ideas and claims. The emphasis is also equally on the quality of the work being translated as IP. This is only possible because of the collaborative effort of our inventors and the IP team.”

source/content: business-standard.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL RECORDS: AMAZING CHILD: Andhra’s four-month-old baby Kaivalya is now ‘World First 4-month Baby to Identify 100+ Flash Cards ‘

The baby’s family recorded a video showcasing Kaivalya’s abilities and sent it to Noble World Records.

A four-month-old child in Andhra Pradesh’s Nadigama has got her name registered in Noble Book of World Records. The baby named Kaivalya is able to identify 120 different things, from birds and vegetables to animals and also photographs, highlighting her early cognitive abilities, reported India Today.

Kaivalya has been recognised as the ” World’s first four months baby to identify 100+ flashcards”. In a viral video, she was able to recognise and identify 120 flashcards which consisted of 12 flowers, 27 fruits, 27 vegetables, 27 animals and 27 birds. The world record was set on February 3, 2024.

Kaivalya’s ability was noticed by her mother, Hema. The baby’s family recorded a video showcasing her abilities and sent it to Noble World Records.

The team at Noble World Records, reviewed the video and tested Kaivalya’s special talent. They have given her a special certificate, making her a world record holder at the tender age of just four months.

A video of Kaivalya with her family, posing with a recognition medal around her neck, has been shared on social media.

The baby’s parents have expressed tremendous joy for her achievement. They thanked everyone for the support and expressed hope that Kaivalya’s story would inspire other parents to discover and cherish the surreal talent their children may possess.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headlines edited)

GLOBAL: Indian-American 9-year old Preesha Chakraborty listed in world’s brightest students list

Preesha Chakraborty, a nine-year-old Indian-American schoolgirl, was named in the “world’s brightest” students list by the prestigious Johns Hopkins Centre for Talented Youth.

Preesha Chakraborty, a nine-year-old Indian-American schoolgirl, was named in the “world’s brightest” students list by the prestigious Johns Hopkins Centre for Talented Youth, based on the results of above-grade-level tests of over 16,000 students across 90 countries.

Preesha is a Warm Spring Elementary school student in Fremont, California, and took the US-based Johns Hopkins Centre for Talented Youth (JH-CTY) test in Summer 2023 as a Grade 3 student, a media release said on Monday.

Preesha figured in the list after the results of above-grade-level tests of over 16,000 students from more than 90 countries around the world were assessed, it said.

She was honoured for her exceptional performance on the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test), ACT (American College Testing), School and College Ability Test, or similar assessments as part of the CTY Talent Search.

Less than 30 per cent of students qualify each year for either High Honors or Grand Honors/SET based on their test scores.

She aced in the test’s verbal and quantitative sections – on par with the 99th percentile of advanced Grade 5 performances – and bagged the Grand Honors, according to the press release.

The achievement qualifies Preesha for more than 250 Johns Hopkins CTY’s Online and On-Campus Programmes for advanced students in grades 2-12 in mathematics, computer programming, chemistry, physics, reading, and writing.

Preesha is a lifetime member of the universally renowned Mensa Foundation, the oldest high-IQ society in the world, where membership is open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test.

She achieved this accomplishment at age six by securing 99 percentiles in the national level NNAT (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test), which assesses K-12 students for gifted and talented programmes. Preesha loves travelling, hiking, and mixed martial arts outside of studies.

According to her parents, Preesha has always been passionate about learning and has consistently displayed exceptional academic abilities.

“This is not just recognition of students’ performance on one test, but a testament to their curiosity and capacity for learning,” Amy Shelton, Executive Director of the CTY, said.

“These students have demonstrated enormous potential, and now we encourage them to seek out experiences and communities that help them challenge and stretch their knowledge, connect with other young scholars, understand diverse perspectives, think critically, and pursue their goals confidently,” Shelton said.

Founded in 1979, CTY is a centre for innovation dedicated to advancing the field of gifted education through research on testing, programmes, and other support for advanced learners. 

source/content: indiatodayne.in (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL / NATIONAL: EDUCTION / MATHEMATICS WORLD RECORDS: Two Mumbai Students Aadhya Shetty & Pratham Mehta Bag ‘Top in the World’ For Mathematics Award

Two students from Mumbai’s Kanakia International School were awarded the “Top In The World” title for Mathematics at the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards.

Aadhya Shetty and Pratham Mehta received the “Highest Mark In The World” for the Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics (without coursework) category.

Cambridge Assessment International Education recognizes the achievements of exceptional Cambridge Learners worldwide through the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards. The title ‘Top in the World’ is given to students who have attained the highest global standard in a specific subject. Aadhya Shetty and Pratham Mehta have been acknowledged for achieving a perfect PUM score of 100 in mathematics in the June 2023 Cambridge Examination.

Ms. Shuchi Shukla, the principal of Kanakia International School, Chembur, emphasising the school’s dedication to holistic education said,”Aadhya and Pratham have etched their names in the institution’s history with this remarkable feat. Additionally, I would like to thank Ms. Priya Pathak and Mr. Prashant Kamble, our math teachers, for their contribution in guiding our students towards this exemplary achievement.”

source/content: freepressjournal.in (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: HEALTH & MEDICINE: RESEARCH: British Indian Doctor Tony Dhillon to undertake ‘ground-breaking’ Cancer Vaccine trial

Dr Tony Dhillon, a Consultant Medical Oncologist at the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, proposed the idea for the trial and has worked with Professor Tim Price in Australia for the last four years to develop the vaccine.

A British Indian doctor is the chief investigator of a “ground-breaking” trial of a vaccine to treat early bowel cancer for patients worldwide, following a UK-Australia collaboration between scientists and doctors.

Dr Tony Dhillon, a Consultant Medical Oncologist at the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, proposed the idea for the trial and has worked with Professor Tim Price in Australia for the last four years to develop the vaccine.

The trial, announced recently, will be run by the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Southampton in collaboration with Royal Surrey and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Adelaide, Australia.

“This is the first treatment vaccine in any gastrointestinal cancer and we have high hopes that it will be very successful. We think that for a lot of patients, the cancer will have gone completely after this treatment,” said Dr Dhillon.

“This is ground-breaking. I feel as if we are on the edge of something really big here. The vaccine makes the immune system go after the cancer. It will be life-changing because it means that potentially, patients may not need to have surgery – they may just have the vaccine,” he said.

There will be 10 sites for patients to be enrolled – six in Australia and four in the UK, with 44 patients to be enrolled in the study over an 18-month period.

The vaccine will be used to treat patients before surgery, in the hope that it will cause the body to attack the cancer. It would mean any surgery would be less invasive. It is also hoped that the strength of the vaccine could support the immune system to respond if there is a relapse and the cancer returns later on.

“We are hugely proud to have been involved in the launch of this ground-breaking new vaccine. As the fourth-largest cancer centre in the UK, helping to fight cancer is a huge part of what we do and this will really provide an opportunity for bowel cancer patients and give them real hope of beating the disease,” said Louise Stead, Royal Surrey Foundation Trust Chief Executive.

Patients will have an endoscopy, and then a tissue sample will be tested to see if they are eligible for the trial. If they are, they will have three doses of the vaccine before having surgery to remove the cancer.

The trial will be available for just 44 patients around the world. After the trial finishes, the vaccine will either be licensed for use or if it’s successful, a bigger study will be carried out.

Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is the third most common cancer, with a worldwide annual incidence of over 1.2 million cases and a mortality rate of approximately 50 per cent. 

source/content: tribuneindia.com (headline edited)

IIT-Guwahati’s PhD scholar clinches best product design at Vishwakarma Awards 2023 for groundbreaking water quality monitoring system

Satyam, a PhD Scholar in the department of biosciences and bioengineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-Guwahati), recently achieved a significant feat by securing the “Best Product Design” award in the Water and Sanitation category at the prestigious Vishwakarma Awards 2023.

The competition, organized by the IIT-Delhi in collaboration with Maker Bhavan Foundation and the WIN Foundation, aimed to recognize and support innovative minds in technology from science and engineering colleges across India. The theme for 2023 focused on water and sanitation, clean technology and smart mobility. Satyam’s winning device, R-SAM-PRO, is an IoT-enabled water quality monitoring system that outshines existing devices in terms of cost-effectiveness and integration with the Internet of Things (IoT).

Prof. Sanjukta Patra, from the department of biosciences and bioengineering at IIT-Guwahati, congratulated Satyam, acknowledging his dedication and innovation in developing the IoT-enabled water monitoring system. She praised the project for its technological advancement, reflecting a profound understanding of the challenges faced in water resource management, particularly in developing nations. The system’s affordability, accessibility, and real-time data transmission capabilities were highlighted as not only showcasing technical prowess but also a commitment to societal betterment.

The R-SAM-PRO device distinguishes itself by comprehensively addressing critical water and sanitation needs through technological innovation, integrating IoT, multiple sensors, and AI readiness for advanced water quality monitoring. Its real-time data provision is deemed crucial for environmental conservation and resource management. The device’s affordability and user-friendly design make it highly accessible, with the potential for widespread adoption, especially in resource-limited settings, significantly enhancing water quality monitoring practices.

Satyam shared his inspiration behind the innovation, emphasizing the critical issue of water pollution in developing countries. He expressed the aim of empowering communities and authorities for effective water resource management through the provision of a cost-effective, multi-parametric, IoT-enabled solution.

Key features of the award-winning IoT-enabled real-time water monitoring system include integrated GPS for precise location tracking, diverse sensors for comprehensive water quality analysis, an ESP32 Microprocessor for efficient processing and communication, a hybrid power system for adaptability, AI integration for enhanced data analysis, and advanced data retrieval for user-friendly interactions.

Looking ahead, the innovators plan to enhance the device over the next 1 to 7 months by integrating more sensors, ensuring market readiness with necessary certifications and approvals. They aspire to expand their impact, reaching a broader audience, and contributing significantly to sustainable water resource management on a global scale.

source/content: timesofindia.indiatimes.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: RESEARCH: National Institute of Technology-Warangal (NIT-W) Faculty Members Develop Innovative Wastewater Treatment System for Textile Industry Effluents

The brains behind this sustainable innovation — Prof Shirish Sonawane, Dr Murali Mohan Seepana, Dr Ajey Kumar Patel and Malkapuram Surya Teja — started working on the project in 2019.

While the textile industry helps many across the state earn their livelihoods, the chemical effluents from the units affect the lives of people living in the vicinity. To address this, a team of faculty members at the National Institute of Technology, Warangal (NIT-W), has developed an environment-friendly hybrid wastewater treatment system for textile industry effluents.

The brains behind this sustainable innovation — Prof Shirish Sonawane, Dr Murali Mohan Seepana, Dr Ajey Kumar Patel and Malkapuram Surya Teja — started working on the project in 2019.

According to Prof Sonawane, conventional methods involve the extensive use of chemicals. However, in order to reduce pollution levels to permissible limits of discharge, the team put forward a combination of coagulation, hydrodynamic cavitation (HC)-based oxidation system and a ceramic membrane (CM)-based filtration process. In the course of the coagulation process, the turbidity of the effluents is removed. Meanwhile, HC, a process involving the generation and collapse of microbubbles in a liquid, is employed afterwards to initiate the breakdown/mineralisation of complex organic compounds.

In place of polymeric membranes, the novel methodology uses ceramic membranes. “After two years, polymeric membranes need to be discarded. It becomes solid waste,” he adds.

As per the innovators, the integrated system achieved an 80% reduction in organic pollutants. The use of ceramic membranes makes the methodology more sustainable, he mentions. The surface-modified CM further improves filtration efficiency, ensuring the removal of even finer particles and impurities.

The team has filed three patents — two for the processes and one for design — for the cost-effective technology.

Elaborating on the hurdles they faced, Surya Teja says the textile pollutants are very stubborn in nature. “To degrade the pollutants, we have to remove the turbidity in the initial phase. That was the challenging task,” he says.

The second hurdle in front of the team was the soluble nature of dyes. “Even after the advanced oxidation process, there will be remnants of dyes in the water,” he adds.

Speaking to TNIE, NIT-W director Prof Bidyadhar Subudhi underlines the need for HEIs to come up with sustainable innovations. “A lot of the research coming from IITs and NITs are primarily on sustainable generation of energy. The expected outcome from different institutes towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals is a big challenge,” he adds.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)