Research

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed novel materials that can efficiently harvest water from humid air.

A new species of Indian Muraingrasses known for their ecological and economic importance, such as fodder, have been spotted by scientists in Goa in the Western Ghats, one of the four global biodiversity hotspots of India. The species has adapted to survive harsh conditions, low nutrient availability, and blossoms every monsoon.

Indian Institute of Technology Mandi(IIT-Mandi) researchers haveproposed a technique to enhance the power output of piezoelectric materials. Piezoelectric materials can be used in floor tiles to generate electricity from human walking, or on roads, where the weight from the vehicles can power road lights and signals.

In a major boost to efforts to promote research to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), Bengaluru-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with International Health Management Associates (IHMA), a global organisation that has been involved in supporting anti-infective and diagnostic development studies for over 25 years.

A hybrid seed is created by crossing two different varieties of the same plant. Hybrid seed is produced when the egg of female parent is fertilised with the pollen from another plant. In this process, it is particularly essential to ensure the genetic purity of the female parent.

A proprietary microbial solution developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) – usually referred to as the Pusa institute — that turns biomass, such as rice stubble, into natural manure, has proved to be successful in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, according to scientists behind the project. The Delhi government, which utilised the technology and is strongly promoting it, has also found the experiments to be a success.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said on Friday that NewSpace India Limited, the commercial arm of the Department of Space, has entered into a launch agreement with the country’s private satellite company Pixxel.

A Niti Aayog report states that 21 major cities in India (including New Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad) are all set to run out of groundwater. India’s per capita water availability is expected to further decline to 1465 cubic metre by 2025. By 2030, the country’s water demand is projected to be twice the available supply, implying severe water scarcity for hundreds of millions of people.

Researchers at the Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), have developed a decentralised wastewater treatment and recycling system at a primary school, situated in the remote village of Berambadi in Karnataka, which has helped save 180,000 litres of water in a year. The system has, over the past year, enabled the reuse of wastewater and reduced dependence on freshwater resources. The study has been carried out in collaboration with researchers in the UK.

Pune-based Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) has become the third Indian scientific facility to be awarded the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) milestone for its novel engineering, advanced technology and scientific contributions made in the field of radio astronomy.