Category: Business & Economy

NATIONAL: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: JNCASR Scientists Develop Brain-like Computing with Industry Compatible Nitride Semiconductors

They used scandium nitride (ScN) to develop a device mimicking a synapse that controls the signal transmission as well as remembers the signal.

A team of scientists from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have used scandium nitride (ScN) and Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility to develop brain-like computing.

This invention can provide a new material for stable, CMOS-compatible optoelectronic synaptic functionalities at a relatively lower energy cost and also potential to be translated into an industrial product.

According to the Department of Science and Technology, the JNCASR team led by Dheemahi Rao who were working on nitride-based materials used their background for developing hardware for neuromorphic computing. They used ScN to develop a device mimicking a synapse that controls the signal transmission as well as remembers the signal.

“The JNCASR team demonstrates an artificial optoelectronic synapse with ScN thin films that can mimic synaptic functionalities like short-term memory, long-term memory, the transition from short-term to long-term memory, learning–forgetting, frequency selective optical filtering, frequency-dependent potentiation and depression, Hebbian learning, and logic-gate operations,” states the department.

Compared to the existing materials used to demonstrate optoelectronic synapse, ScN is more stable, CMOS compatible, and can be seamlessly integrated with existing Si technology. It can act as a platform for both excitatory and inhibitory functions. The industrial processing techniques of ScN are similar to the existing semiconductor fabrication infrastructure. Response to the optical stimuli also has the advantage of possible integration with photonic circuits known for higher speed and broader bandwidth than electronic circuits.

“Our work enables neuromorphic computing research with a stable, scalable, and CMOS-compatible III-nitride semiconductor that exhibits both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic functionalities. Unlike the previous works on all-electronic synapse, our work shows an optoelectronic synapse with a large bandwidth, reduced RC delays, and low power consumption,”said Dr. Bivas Saha, Assistant Professor, JNCASR.

Apart from JNCASR, researchers from the University of Sydney (Dr. Magnus Garbrecht and Dr. Asha I. K. Pillai) also participated in this study published recently in the scientific journal Advanced Electronic Materials.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / MANUFACTURING : Pratt & Whitney opens new India Engineering Center in Bengaluru

The IEC is co-located with Pratt & Whitney’s India Capabilities Center, which was opened in 2022 to provide integrated global supply chain support, and the recently inaugurated Collins Aerospace Engineering and Global Operations Center.

U.S. aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney opened its new India Engineering Center (IEC) in Bengaluru on January 19. At present, the IEC has more than 50 employees while an additional 450 jobs will be filled in the next four years.

According to the aerospace manufacturer, work performed at the IEC will encompass elements such as aero, mechanical and control systems for various products in Pratt & Whitney’s broad portfolio of large and small commercial engines. It will extend across the entire product life cycle from development to field support and sustainment.

The IEC is co-located with Pratt & Whitney’s India Capabilities Center, which was opened in 2022 to provide integrated global supply chain support, and the recently inaugurated Collins Aerospace Engineering and Global Operations Center.

Geoff Hunt, senior vice-president, Engineering, Pratt & Whitney said that the work conducted by the IEC will support cutting edge technology. “The Indian aviation market is growing at a rapid pace, and Bengaluru is a hub for that growth. The work conducted at the IEC by some of India’s best and brightest minds will support cutting edge technology that will drive the future of flight,” he said.

Paul Weedon, vice-president, Engine Development, Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp., said that the IEC will fully integrate with the company’s existing global engineering footprint across Canada, Puerto Rico and Poland to advance technology such as turbofan and other sustainable propulsion solutions.

Pratt & Whitney has one of the largest footprints for any engine manufacturer in India with more than 1,500 engines and auxiliary power units in service.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: AIRPORTS & AVIATION / TRAVEL & TOURISM: Kempegowda International Airport Terminal 2 Starts Operations

Star Air was the first airline to begin flights from T2. Other domestic and international airlines are expected to start their services to and from the new terminal in a phased manner.

The Terminal 2 (T2) of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) started domestic operations on Sunday, with Star Air being the first airline to begin flights from the new terminal.

The inaugural Star Air flight to Kalburgi took off from T2 at 8.40 a.m., and the turnaround flight from Kalburgi landed at 11.25 a.m.

Other domestic airlines are expected to start their services to and from T2, followed by international airlines, in a phased manner over the next few months, BIAL said.

“We welcomed customers of Star Air at KIA’s new terminal T2, today. The terminal will soon welcome passengers of other airlines as well. This will be done in a phased manner when the facilities and processes for the smooth transition of airlines from T1 to T2 are completed. The opening of T2 has been much awaited not just for us at the airport, but also for Bengalureans and passengers travelling from different cities. We want to make passenger journeys truly memorable by offering the best experience to them,” said Hari Marar, MD & CEO of Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) which operates the airport.

Access to T2

Air passengers at the Terminal 2 (T2) of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) which began domestic operations in Bengaluru on January 15, 2023. | Photo

The KIA expansion plan included the construction of T2 and the associated infrastructure such as access roads and utilities. To provide easy accessibility to T2, a 4.4 km-long additional access road called the Terminal Boulevard was inaugurated earlier this week.

It connects to T2 departures and also leads to T2 arrivals, allowing for a comfortable drive without any traffic signals. Passengers arriving at T2 can be picked up by their cars at the parking area. Complimentary shuttle services are also available between T1 and T2 at regular intervals.

Referred to as the Terminal in a Garden, T2 is a tribute to the Garden City of Bengaluru. BIAL said that the terminal is meant to be a “walk in the garden”, with passengers travelling through 10,000+ square metres of green walls, hanging gardens, and outdoor gardens built through indigenous technology. Located on the north-eastern side of Terminal-1, T2 spans 255,661 square meters of area and is equipped to handle 25 million passengers annually.

Staff at Terminal 2 (T2) of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), which began domestic operations, welcome air passengers in Bengaluru on January 15, 2023. |

“T2 promises to provide travellers with a unique terminal experience, offering them the highest level of comfort and enjoyment. These facets make the newly inaugurated terminal a valuable addition to the airport, not only as a transit hub but also as a memorable destination in itself,” BIAL said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: EXHIBITIONS & TRADE FAIRS: Army Stalls, Adventure Sports attract huge crowds at the ’26th National Youth Festival’, Hubballi

The army has set up two stalls, one to provide information on various employment opportunities for the youths in the armed forces and the other one is where a few of the arms and ammunitions used by the armed forces are on display.

Army stalls, adventure sports, water sports and various food stalls at the 26th National Youth Festival have drawn the attention of visitors.

The army has set up two stalls, one to provide information on various employment opportunities for the youths in the armed forces and the other one is where a few of the arms and ammunitions used by the armed forces are on display.

At the ‘Know your Army’ stall set up on the campus of Karnatak College in Dharwad, a team of army personnel are providing information on all the recruitment opportunities including the newly launched ‘Agniveer’ scheme.

In the second stall, various arms and ammunitions including few used during the ‘Kargil War’ are on display. On Saturday, January 14, Havaldar Ravindra Pal Singh of Rajputana Rifles and others were seen enthusiastically explaining about various arms, their range, firing capacity and damage that they could cause to the enemy camp. They were assisted by Havaldar Sanjiv Kumar from Madras Regiment (a native of Bidar), who explained the visitors the same in Kannada.

Those on display include A.K. 47 rifle, Single Assault Rifle 7.62 mm, M.M.G. Rocket Launcher, Sniper DSR and others. Equipments and gadgets used for surveillance during night are also on display.

Adventure Sports

Adventure sports have also drawn attention of the crowd. Keerti Pais, Advisor to the Commissioner of Sports and Youth Empowerment said that for the first time at the National Youth Festival, crash courses were being conducted in association with General. Thimayya National Academy of Adventure. He said these crash courses were for registered NYF participants and had seen good response.

Mr. Keerti said that the adventure sports like rock climbing and water sports were open to the public during afternoon and evening hours, while it was restricted to NYF participants in the morning.

Desi games

Manjunath M.R., Advisor to Thimmaiah Academy said that the ‘desi games’ at RN Shetty stadium had evoked great interest among the visitors to NYF. So far around 1,200 participants had taken part in the desi games and they were assisted by 60 volunteers of ‘Kreeda Bharati’ organisation. Along with these, eight teams among the NYF participants would be displaying their native games at the youth festival, he said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: LEADERS / FAMOUS PERSONALITIES : 4 Eminent Personalities of Udupi to be Honoured at ‘New Year Awards 2023’

Academy of General Education (AGE), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG), Manipal Media Network Ltd & Dr. TMA Pai Foundation Manipal, will honour eminent personalities from different fields for their distinguished services during the ‘New Year Award 2023’ function. 

Mahabaleshwara M S, managing director & CEO Karnataka Bank, Mangaluru, Dr Pushpa G Kini, professor. department of Paediatrics, KMC, Manipal & former director-Student Affaires MAHE, Manipal, Dr Pangal Sripathi Rao, former dean & professor of Orthopaedics Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, and Amai Mahalinga Naik, a well-known farmer, Kepu Adyanadka are the four eminent personalities. 

All the renowned personalities will be conferred during the award ceremony scheduled on Saturday, January 14 at Manipal. The award is being given every year to eminent personalities from different fields for their distinguished services and immense contributions to society.

Dr Ranjan R Pai – chairman-MEMG, president – MAHE, registrar- AGE & Dr H S Ballal, pro chancellor – MAHE & president – AGE; T Sathish U Pai – executive chairman – Manipal Media Network Ltd. & vice president-AGE, T Ashok Pai, president, Dr TMA Pai Foundation, Manipal will grace the occasion. 

The award ceremony will be broadcast live on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJUzepGvfpo

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / ENGINEERING : INVENTIONS: Yashwanth, a student of Kadheshwalya Govt High School’s Multipurpose Agricultural Invention Model Selected for South India Science Exhibition

Yashwanth, a student of Kadeshwalya government high school has developed a multi-purpose agricultural machine that has been selected for a south-India science exhibition besides winning all-round praise for developing the model.

Recently, Yashwanth’s invention of the multi-purpose agricultural machine had won a prize at the state-level exhibition held at Dharwad.

He will now be participating in the South Indian-level science exhibition to be held at Thrissur in Kerala from January 27 to 31.

A total of 20 models have been selected from Karnataka for the Thrissur science exhibition and Yashwanth’s machine is one of the models selected from Dakshina Kannada district in the personal segment of the exhibition.

Yashwanth is the son of Lokesh and Pavithra who hail from Kemmannu.

Yashwanth was guided in developing the model by his maths teacher Geetha Kumari. Yashwanth’s model has already bagged first place at the taluk and district-level science exhibitions.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL / NATIONAL: Infosys Prize for 6 Researchers

IISc Prof Mahesh Kakde received the award in the mathematical sciences category for his contributions to algebraic number theory which is predicted to help in computing and cryptography.

Six researchers were awarded the Infosys Prize 2022 on Saturday in recognition of their work in their respective fields.The Infosys Science Foundation, a not-for-profit trust, annually honours researchers in the fields of engineering and computer science, humanities, life sciences, mathematical sciences, physical sciences and social sciences.

“The Infosys Science Foundation has instituted the Infosys Prize to highlight the importance of scientific research for the development of India and the world. From exploring the frontiers of brain research and astronomy to developing solutions for the urgent healthcare needs of underserved populations to examining the notions of justice in a fast-changing world inundated by the climate emergency and pandemics, our laureates are working on the cutting edge of science, technology, and scholarship….,” said Kris Gopalakrishnan, president, Infosys Science Foundation.

Prof Suman Chakraborty of IIT-Kharagpur has won the award in the engineering and science category for developing diagnostic devices for easy access and use in rural areas. In the humanities category, Vice-Chancellor of National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, Sudhir Krishnaswamy, was honoured for his work on “the importance of the basic structure doctrine of the  Constitution that was adopted by the Supreme Court in 1973”.

IISc Prof Mahesh Kakde received the award in the mathematical sciences category for his contributions to algebraic number theory which is predicted to help in computing and cryptography.

Chairperson, Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Vidita Vaidya was honoured under the life sciences category for her work on understanding the brain in the context of mood disorders like anxiety and depression.

Prof Nissim Kanekar of National Centre for Radio Astronomy, Pune, and Prof Rohini Pande, director, Economic Growth Center, Yale University, were respectively awarded for their work in the field of physical sciences and social sciences. Prof Kanekar was awarded for his studies on galaxies during the ‘cosmic noon’ era, while Prof Pande was awarded for her research on governance and potential policy change for the benefit of social justice.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: TRAVEL & TOURISM / ASTRONOMY / SKY GAZING: Talacauvery (Kodagu District) is India’s ‘2nd Dark Sky Reserve’ Qualifying as ‘Bortle 2 Sky’ & Bengaluru as ‘Bortle 9 Sky’. Also South India’s ‘Hanle’ top ‘Star Party’ Destination next scheduled for Jan 20 -24

The source of Cauvery is also among the most ideal locations to gaze at the sky.

Talacauvery in Kodagu district, which is the source of Cauvery river, has emerged as South India’s Hanle, as astronomers have been hosting “star parties” there for some time now. Hanle, located in Ladakh, and known for its pristine skies and minimal light pollution, is also India’s first Dark Sky Reserve.

A Dark Sky Reserve is a designation given to a place that has policies in place to ensure that a tract of land or region has minimal artificial light interference.

In south India, most dark sky locations are in the Western Ghats or some hill ranges nearby, and according to astronomers, Talacauvery is the most ideal location to gaze at the sky and have a star party.

Voluntary work

The Bangalore Astronomical Society (BAS), a group of volunteers working for the promotion of astronomy as a hobby as well as a science, is now hosting star parties at Talacauvery. IT professionals Sudhash Natarajan, Vishwanath S.K. and Keerthi Kiran have been volunteering to conduct the star parties for BAS.

“We at BAS usually arrange star parties on New Moon weekends (Friday-Saturday-Sunday) format as it is the ideal time to observe the celestial objects which we are looking for. We inform people who are interested in joining us for the star party eight to days in advance. Members of the sky party after arriving at the dark sky location set up their equipment like telescopes, binacolours etc and the observation goes on until 4.45 am,” said Sudhash Natarajan.

Mr. Natarajan said that the group which attends the star parties are of all walks of life and that they are a mix of experienced astronomers as well as students and newbies to astronomy. He added that star parties have also been conducted in Koratagere, Hoshalli, Kavalur, and Yercaud in the past.

Less light pollution

“However, Talacauvery is possibly the best dark night location in south India due to less light pollution. In astronomy, there is something called the Bortle scale which measures the night sky’s brightness of a location on a nine level numerical scale. The lesser the numerical scale it qualifies for a better dark sky location. For example, Hanle skies would qualify as Bortle one skies, Talacauvery as Bortle two, and Bengaluru as Bortle nine,” he added.

The star parties are usually conducted in the winter months between December to March as the skies are clearer during these months which is very important for stargazing.

Mr. Natarajan said a star party was conducted between December 23 and 27, 2022, and the next one would be between January 20 and 24.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & SOFTWARE: Int’l Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB) Develops Platform to provide Aadhaar-like Digital Identities for 9 Countries

Citizens of Philippines, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Ethiopia, Republic of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso and Togolese Republic will enrol on the platform.

Around 70 million citizens in Philippines (80% of the population) have enrolled themselves on their national digital identity programme rolled out by Modular Open-Source Identity Platform (MOSIP), a digital identity platform developed by a team at the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB).

Upon the request of World Bank to initiate research and development, the project provides digital identities similar to Aadhaar to underdeveloped and developing countries. So far, 16 lakh lines of codes have been developed and used by countries, free of cost.

People of 9 nations to enroll

Although the project was first aimed at providing MOSIP to five countries, it has now been extended to nine countries. Philippines, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Ethiopia, Republic of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, and Togolese Republic are the countries whose citizens will enroll on the platform. A team of 30 people, comprising top designers and others from software, database design, security and privacy departments, are working on the project at IIITB.

“Along with technical know-how, we will also help the countries with technological training. Data, privacy, and security will all be within their own country and their policy, we will not interfere with it. We are providing digital identity for the world in a modular nature so that it can be customised to their needs. For instance, in Philippines, English, and Filipino are the languages which used, while in Morocco, it is French and Arabic. Different countries have separate biometric needs and accordingly, the modular biometrics will be used,” explained Debabrata Das, Director, IIITB, who is also the Chairman of Executive Committee for the project.

Scalable. secure

Prof. Rajagopalan, President of MOSIP project, added that the project is highly scalable and secure. The developers have also figured out a way to operate in 5,000+ habitable islands of Philippines where there is no good internet connection.

“We have developed a new technology to identify people where there is no internet or low bandwidth connection. A lot of research went into it and we developed a secure QR code which can be stored in local servers and mobiles and can be used to authenticate each other. Later, when they get internet connection, the information can be exchanged and authenticated,” he further said.

The project is also being funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Norad, Sir Ratan Tata Trust, Pratiksha Trust and Omidyar Network.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / RESEARCH: Indian Institute for Science (IISc.) Researchers have ‘Nano Solution for Wastewater Treatment’

They have developed a metal organic framework (MoF) nanocomposite by intercalating the properties of graphene oxide and UiO-66-NDC.

Researchers in the Indian Institute of Science’s (IISc.) have developed a novel nanocomposite material for improved wastewater treatment.

A team of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Water Research (ICWaR) in the IISc., led by Praveen C. Ramamurthy, has developed a metal organic framework (MoF) nanocomposite by intercalating the properties of graphene oxide and UiO-66-NDC.

Heavy metals

According to IISc., industrial effluents containing heavy metals have polluted our water sources for decades. Lead, a heavy metal commonly found in discharge from paint and battery manufacturing plants, is a major water pollutant whose presence severely affects human and animal health.

In recent years, scientists have turned to nanotechnology to develop absorbent materials that can remove heavy metals for improved wastewater treatment.

However, existing adsorption materials and technologies are expensive, and their applications are limited by where they can be implemented and how efficiently they can adsorb lead. This demands the development of novel, low-cost and structurally stable composite materials for wastewater treatment. To this end, ICWaR researchers have developed a novel nanocomposite material.

The researchers have demonstrated that the new nanocomposite can adsorb lead (Pb) from simulated wastewater systems.

Four-fold capacity to absorb lead ions from wastewater

The team demonstrated that the newly developed MOF nanocomposite adsorbent has approximately four-fold enhanced capability in removing lead ions from wastewater compared to previously reported studies of graphene oxide. The material exhibits a stable crystalline structure. Modelling and simulation results also support enhanced efficiency in lead adsorption due to the adsorbent molecular architecture.

The new nanocomposite has improved adsorption and high regeneration and reusability capacities, making it an effective tool in the wastewater treatment of lead ions.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)