Category: FORUM

Importance of Information and Data

Information and Data is important is executing Scientific Research. The proper knowledge and implementation is required to build a successful Career…

Everything starts with information, for example there is a college in Mumbai which has 3500 students. It is an Arts & Science College. There are 1300 girls and rest are boys. So this can be called information in technical terms. Now in other words, same college is a prestigious Institute in Maharashtra as well as in India. It has produced not less than 27 scientist belonging to the science stream. Five international Economist & 3 IAS officers are alumnus of this college. There is a tough entrance to enter into this college, which allows only one student out of 13 students appearing for that examination. This then becomes an important data of national interest, as well as for those who want to study in the Science and Arts streams after 10th or 12th standard.

Data

Another example of big data is about Corona epidemic which troubled the whole world. How many people got infected? How many died & in which country? What was the death rate? This can be called as simple information. But when you start digging into that information with segregating numbers that is how many above 80 yrs died, how many above 60 yrs died, how many were having other collateral diseases along with covid-19 virus? This becomes important medico social data.

Analytics

Still further, if one examines whether a country was successful in lock down and control covid-19 or lock down was unnecessary in that country?  Using mask was very effective or not? Using mask really prevented each and every person from getting infected? This is analysing the data for some sort of experiment or research purpose.

Results

In research no one knows the result of the experiment.  In other words you cannot conclude the outcome of the research. You have to accept the outcome as it comes which is the pre requisite for research. Most of the classic inventions in the human history are totally accidental. They are serendipitous outcome of unscheduled research work or even accidental one. First antibiotic Penicillin, was an accidental outcome.

Physics & Chemistry have some lineage of sequential outcome with interaction of elements. But Bioscience is a very vast subject for collecting data and analysing is equally complex. In life sciences everyday some species get extinct, some species change their habitat, migrate and modify accordingly. Most of the bacteria as well as viruses mutate for some reason to survive.

Fallacies & Blind faith

Keeping blind faith on some of the hypothesis or the concepts while learning or in research work is not unknown in the scientific community. Such dogmatic interpretations hamper research. Getting over it is and sticking to the rational thinking is required. This is the important point to be a scientist or researcher. It is the responsibility or in technical language logic.

Variables in Research

In principle, things work in normal habitat or in normal situation in laboratory in accordance with the physical or chemical theories. but sometimes what is proven in the labs shows deviations in real life. For example the laws about temperature, pressure, volume are very well defined in Physics and taught in for last 100 years. But when it comes to Climate theories sometimes  it is not  possible to predict with the same accuracy as in laboratory. The reason is unanswerable because of huge data variations are involved in it.

Another example is still obscure even to understand, the surface temperature of sun is around 6000 Degree Celsius, but the same temperature rises to more than 10 lakh Degrees Celsius as you go away from the surface of the Sun. which is still an unexplained phenomenon.

Moon is very close to earth as compared to other planets but still we don’t know or know very little about the other side moon which we don’t see from Earth.

Superconductivity is the dream of human beings. It is achieved in laboratory 25 years back, but in practice it has eluded us constantly.

Genome of all viruses is known or analysed in the Laboratories. But treating the viruses is totally unknown to us and no medicines are available.

Big Data

Understanding of the system or structure does not mean that you can control it. Such grey areas are always very challenging for the researcher. The information and data plays key role in the advancement of Science…Big Data and Information plays a bigger role…

 

Dr Shreeram Geet

Senior Career Counsellor

Of all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) universally acknowledged and designed to deliver human security, the prime mover is SDG-1, No Poverty. Poverty has been the curse of humans  and humanity has now geared  to banish  extreme poverty in another 8 years with bell book and candle. No, Big No to Poverty.

Poverty

What is poverty? Those who have experienced it, know it far above poignant words.. Poverty is about just having enough money to meet basic needs including food, clothing and shelter. The World Bank Organization describes poverty in this way: “Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. It is the ultimate degradation of human condition. Humans, one hundred watt thermal machines, are unable to feed energy for their very survival. This existential condition is poverty. It signifies Maslow’s package of physiological needs,  Roti, Kapda and Makkan.

Poverty strikes society brutally. Jawaharlal Nehru referred to poverty in the Discovery of India thus: “There was lack of food, of clothing, of housing and of every other essential requirement of human existence… the development policy objective should be to get rid of the appalling poverty of the people. Poverty stunts society at all levels. Studies show that children from poor families have smaller brains and lower cognitive abilities.

Poverty Line

Economics, a ‘dismal science’ deals with wealth and lack of it in equal measure. There are haves and have nots. Yet a simple redistribution is no panacea for sustained economic growth. Bernard Shaw humorously referred to his luxuriant beard and bald head probably signifying that averaging would not work out.

Figuratively we have a line, connection between two points. It is known as the poverty line. The international poverty line, which is currently $1.90 a day, is the threshold that determines whether someone is living in poverty. The line is based on the value of goods needed to sustain one adult. This does not take into account access to sanitation, water, and electricity and what effect that has on their quality of life. Yet it is a reasonably good measure of the pathos of poverty.

In our country, poverty has two gruesome faces, one in our villages and the other in our towns and cities. In urban areas, it is 1,286 Rupees, and in rural areas, it is 1059 Rupees per month. It is painful to note that the number of the poor in our country has more than doubled from 60 million to 134 million in just a year because of the pandemic-induced recession. This means we have  returned to a sad situation where ours is called a “country of mass poverty” after 45 years. This is in striking contrast to our spectacular success stories of Green and White Revolutions. We now need a revolution within revolution to liquidate poverty in all its ugly forms.

Poverty: Effects

Poverty is linked with negative conditions such as substandard housing, utter homelessness, inadequate nutrition and food insecurity, inadequate child care, lack of access to health care, unsafe neighbourhoods, and under-resourced schools which adversely impact our children. It is a baggage of ugly and dirty facts staring at us straight in our face. The tentacles of poverty suck verdour out of our body social and leave it emasculated

Poverty: Causes

We are victims of the population explosion and have multiplied maddeningly. We have the staggering number of 1.3 billions and are still breeding. During the past 45 years, our population  has shot up at a rate of 2.2% per year, which means, on average, about 17 million people are added each year, so many mouths to feed. This increases the demand for consumption of goods tremendously.

Our agricultural productivity is abysmally low owing to multiple factors. Fragmented and subdivided landholdings, lack of capital, illiteracy about new farming technologies, traditional methods of cultivation and  wastage during storage are prominent among them. Unemployment and underemployment are tragically  ingrained in the farm sector as also in other sectors. The shortage of capital and entrepreneurship is making it harder to increase production. There are also political and social factors relentlessly operating adding to our vulnerability.

Nuclear Option

Solutions to the problem of poverty  have to be sought in several domains concurrently and coherently. Technology is patently a single critical variable. Nuclear science and engineering have a lot to offer to alleviate poverty. Electricity generation helps reduce poverty and stimulates economic growth. Nuclear generation provides affordable and reliable electricity supplies without greenhouse gas emissions or air pollution. Investment in nuclear energy boosts economies and provides employment. A brave new world with SDG-1 fully realized is within our reach if we have a clear nuclear vision.

Globally, over 700 million people do not have access to electricity. Billions more have unreliable supplies. A reliable, clean and affordable electricity supply is essential to enable people to rise out of poverty and improve their quality of life. Nuclear generation costs are much less susceptible to fuel price volatility than fossil fuel generation costs. This can help mitigate the impacts of fossil fuel price spikes on energy prices, which disproportionately affect poorer households. Strategies to decarbonize electricity supplies should also take account of the potential impacts of higher generation costs on those least able to pay. Extending the operation of existing nuclear reactors is one of the lowest-cost ways of producing low-carbon electricity as we have done at our Tarapur Power Station.

Realizing the critical role of electricity in developmental economics, Dr. Homi Jahangir Bhabha famously said, “ No power is costlier than no power”

Nuclear Agriculture. 

Nuclear applications in agriculture rely on the use of isotopes and radiation techniques to combat pests and diseases, increase crop production, protect land and water resources, ensure food safety and authenticity, and increase livestock production.

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has  developed high yielding seed varieties by inducing mutations using Gamma radiation. Gamma radiation only accelerates the mutations which otherwise occurs naturally over a much longer periods of time. About 50 seed varieties are in the field as part of commercial exploitation. Mutations can be in such a way that the crops mature early, to withstand biotic and abiotic stresses and to obtain better nutritional quality. Biotechnology offers infinite solution potential.

Food Security

Food security, a sure antidote for poverty, for the expanding population  can be had by the application of nuclear techniques which help maintain healthy soil and water.

Another interesting story is that of the nuclear-derived sterile insect technique which involves mass-rearing and sterilizing male insects before releasing them over pest-infested areas. The technique suppresses and gradually eliminates already established pests or prevents the introduction of invasive species – and is safer for the environment and human health than conventional toxic pesticides.

Food safety and quality control systems need to be robust at national level to facilitate the trade of safe food and to combat food fraud, which costs the food industry up to USD 15 billion annually. Nuclear techniques help improve food safety by addressing the problem of harmful residues and contaminants in food products and to improve their traceability systems. The agricultural sector uses nuclear technologies to adapt to climate change by increasing resource-use efficiency and productivity in a sustainable way. Sustainability science is built into nuclear applications.

–Dr.A.P.Jayaraman

Chairman, NCSC, Mumbai

21^st Century is the knowledge driven society. The Scientific Knowledge has many avenues for conducting and implementing Research. This article explores the different avenues for Research…

Knowledge is the product of processed information analysed, digested and enriched with experiences. Mere knowledge is of no value as it needs to be utilized for a useful purpose for the benefit of the society at large

Integration

As Physics teaches universal principles. Engineering methods are used to convert these principles into technology resulting into products which are created and utilised by the society.
Similarly, you know elements and their properties by learning Chemistry. The conversion of this knowledge into chemical products gives us  almost everything what you see around us which are very much needed for our daily routine.
By learning Botany we know about the plants, know the classification, identification and properties applying this knowledge, using agriculture techniques, we know how to plant them, utilize as a crop and convert them into food for all . Same thing applies in Zoology or Microbiology as well in every other basic science subjects.

Comprehensive Approach

When a scientist or researcher starts his work he doesn’t segregate the above subjects as separate entities. He utilises integration of the Knowledge from various branches which leads to developing technologies for the benefit of Society

Let us take an example of solar energy.
Solar panels are needed to absorb sunlight. Here all types of expertise is needed. Physics, Chemistry with the help of Mechanical, Metallurgical, Electrical as well as Electronics principles are integrated. For the installation of these heavy panels at a place where maximum sunlight will be available is to be selected and erected by a Civil engineer but design is provided by an architect.

Integration

Scientists integrates all these ideas on paper keeping in mind their merits and demerits. When such a model is conceptualised on paper and tested, or replicated the cost effectivity is also calculated to make the technology viable.

When you are dealing with environmental or ecological science, interdisciplinary information and its analysis is a must. More in-depth analysis is needed in astronomy, astrophysics, oceanography and meteorological science. Fields like atomic energy, rocket science and advance computer technology need very complicated research. Here teamwork, collaboration is needed to establish or to achieve any reasonable success .

Agricultural needs

In past many need based agricultural products have been developed by the farming community. The major resources needed for agriculture, along with soil is the manpower.. the availability of the agricultural labour is in shortage in the country. To overcome this, The mechanization is the answer… The development of the advanced technologies used in agriculture such as tractors, tillers need the integration of various technologies other than pure agriculture.
In the agricultural sector various small instruments are operated using electricity or diesel. Availability of power is becoming crucial; however, the Problem arises from load shedding or non availability of the diesel. The solution to overcome the problem could be to make the power available or by creating small novel devices to help farmers .

Waste Disposal

All over the world the major problem is disposal of various type of waste products. Composting or utilising that waste for power generation is practiced. Though in small scale in different areas of the city it is now a model used in various countries. Discarded electronic material waste is incising beyond proportion. Recycling them and procuring the rare metals poses a challenge …

Recycling the polluted water in the rivers is a very big issue in India. At the same time how to stop evaporation of water from the dams is also an age old issue.

Thus to discover the various research avenues in modern times the integration of the different subjects is needed…The approach should be interdisciplinary… While solving the different problems and to help the society, you must focus on any such area of your interest with interdisciplinary approach then you can discover or even invent something.

-Dr Shreeram Geet

Career Counsellor

Sustainability has been the buzzword in science and scientists have been ceaselessly creating a prolific literature on the subject. It all has the milestone mark and seal of Garret James Hardin’s essay in Science Journal in 1968 titled the Tragedy of Commons. He went on with his majestic march of 27 books and no fewer than 350 articles with his much-quoted maxim “Freedom to breed is intolerable.” This academic blockbuster lingers like an unloved guest….

The articulation of a universally acknowledged definition of Sustainable Development by physician-politician Gro Harlem Brundtland in 1987 as “development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” was the second milestone. This stuck strikingly.

The formulation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly  is the third milestone. These goals are a collection of 17 interlinked and crosscutting objectives designed to serve as a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet now and into the future.” Most targets are to be achieved by 2030 and are being monitored by the UN High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development. Actionable plans started unfolding.

With sustainability waves impacting every facet of human activity, the Corporate responsible leadership started responding to them in a spectrum ranging from the reactive to the proactive. The landscape of Environmental Social and Governance and the three letters ESG became common terms of the CEO conversational vocabulary. It is the widely used New Equation entering into company reports painstakingly prepared providing the health status of the company.

E

The E in ESG signifies Environment. Concern for compliance with environmental laws and regulations became high priority. Beyond that, other environmental criteria, such as the energy the  company takes in,  the effluents it discharges and  the resources it consumes came into laser focus. Expanding the  E dimension, carbon emissions and climate change issues engaged engineering attention. Every company uses energy and resources; every company affects, and is affected by, the environment. E is now deeply entrenched in all company affairs.

S

The S signifies Society. It is the people and neighbourhood factor. Social criteria, addresses the relationships the company has with the social space in which it operates. The community around a company and the totality of stakeholders are admitted into company affairs in a way different from the corporate mindset of business as usual. S includes labour relations, diversity and inclusion including the LGBTQ+ community. S is now a critical variable.

G

G signifies governance. A company being a legal creation is a legal entity and all its activities need to be necessarily lawful and ethical. Governance  is the internal system of management practices, administrative controls, and operational procedures the company follows in order to govern itself. It covers decision making processes. Compliance with laws and meeting the needs of  external stakeholders are integral to The make-up of the  Board of directors and the take-away executive compensations, lobbying and political contributions come in the ambit of G.

Leadership

Responsible and responsive corporate leadership involves assuming and asserting  proactive initiatives to addressing ESG issues and envisioning the long-term health of the company ensuring value to stakeholders.  Leadership demands a holistic perspective to company operations weighing in grudging scales the merits and the demerits of them on environment, communities, customers and employees. Leaders will keep eternal vigil on environment reducing the use of natural resources, eliminating waste generation and downsizing greenhouse gases. The source of electric power will be reviewed and renewable energy will be selected. Supply chain management will look at the green colour of  all suppliers and two and three tier suppliers till the very primary supplier.

Transformational leaders will  be operating in the sensitive elevations of absolute transparency and unfiltered communication ringing in a new corporate ethical culture. An analysis of the leadership and stewardship styles of CEOs against the evolutionary background of ESG shows that in the formative phase of ESG the leaders could be characterized as Guardians, Pioneers, integrators and Pilots. Guardians zealously guarded their monogamous straight jacket of profitability. Pioneers  were ahead of their times and had implemented most of the ESG demands. Integrators scurried into action and brought together their ESG sensitive functions under a common umbrella. Pilots went into driver mode giving power and direction to ESG destinations.

With mounting pressures of ESG demands and heightened public understanding of ESG benefits, sustainability is at the core of the company purpose. There is a marked change in the transformation characteristics in the second phase. An X-ray analysis coupled with an MRI scan of the contemporary CEO mindsets reveals the fine structure of ESG compliance by the Corporate sector. This can be stylized as the  Scale of Sustainability Ambition of CEOs. We find Sceptics, Pragmatists, Strategists and Idealists based on their approach to and perspectives of ESG. CEOs of Private Equity Firms and  Portfolio Companies are seeing  the opportunities and challenges in value creation in the business environment guided by ESG.

Owing to the interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary character of ESG universities have entered the horizon to prepare future ESG leaders.

-Dr.A.P.Jayaraman

Chairman, NCSC, Mumbai

India is celebrating 75^th anniversary of Independence. Our progress is underlined by the efforts taken by our nation builders. Whose names are in the forefront? In Science, Homi Bhabha for Atomic Energy, Vikram Sarabhai for Space Research, Abdul Kalam as Rocket Man, Vasant Gowarikar, Jayant Naralikar, Mashelkar, Anil Kakodkar, Udgaonkar, Chitre and Shekhar Mande and so many to follow. They have changed the world.

In this list you will find one engineer, Sir Mokshgundam Vishwesharayya, no Doctors or other Professionals. Outside India, when you interact with academia they know Indian scientists mainly with work contributed by them. That is the beauty of working as a Scientist that you are recognized by your contribution

Think the other way round, Are you invited in Europe, USA or Japan for presentation of your research paper? At the prime age, this can happen with you for your contribution in science. Innovation is becoming the buzzword of modern times, especially in the in last decades. Institutions are graded with number of Patents they have for their Innovations and are equally recognized by the scientist associated with them.

This makes the difference… Choice is yours.

Last 30 years IT industry has attracted Indian youth. Salaries in IT industry are very lucrative and going abroad is much easy via this route. Teachers & Parents are focussing on getting the required scores. Ideally they should encourage kids to inculcate the inquisitive mind with focus on gaining knowledge than mere marks scored. Post-Covid the scenario is different, the teachers and the parents are happy by the ease of handling the electronic devises by kids. Mobile savvy Digitally smart kids are found in almost every homes. But the fact is that they are lacking in the necessary skills, they don’t understand the simple scientific principles.

If asked about the latest model of cars they are aware, speed, gadgets used in it, but they cannot answer a bit about BHP or Engine capacity or Disc brake advantages. Refrigerators are used in most middle class homes, but a student studying in 12^th class science is not able to tell which gas is used in the cooling tubes. After the Covid period I asked almost each science student about the composition of Sanitiser he used for almost 18 months. Sorry to share but not a single one could answer it properly. Such is the sad state of the curiosity level of  students. Unless enthusiastic parents & genuine teachers change their attitudes drastically producing good scientist is a distant dream.

Roadmap to become a Researcher

Passion
To start as a science student is a norm who gets good marks. Because you are attracted towards the subjects. To become a researcher is again a dreamy norm in the eyes of a bright students. But only those who have Curiosity, Dedication, Passion & Multidisciplinary interest in all the basic science subjects can become a scientist. Marks based decisions are taken by students and their parents leading to career choices like IT or Professional careers like Medicine, Engineering , Pharma or Architecture.

Consistency

Believe me, getting just 70% in all science subjects including maths is not a hurdle to become a scientist. But all through your career years you have to maintain that level of 70% marks.

Interdisciplinary Apporach

Interdisciplinary understanding of all subjects is must. The individual liking like this is Physics, that is Chemistry, I don’t like Biology or I am not good at Maths are the obstacles to be a good science student. Studying everything all as well understanding all is the starting phase. In all top institutes across the India or Abroad you have to learn all the basic subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology & Mathematics.

A Chemist is researching on Biomedical or Cancer related arena, similarly when a Physicist is involved in Genetic Repair or Medical Research or Mathematicians help solving complex Computing problems or AI related Algorithms, all involves the interdisciplinary approach. Each area needs dedication with intense curiosity. After the Secondary education minimum 10 to12 yrs are needed for to get the Ph.D. Later you are allowed to work under supervision of an expert senior scientists.

Teamwork

Research is a team work. Give & take of ideas and concepts with sharing success and admitting failures is very prime to become a scientist. Your research can be challenged by anybody and you are answerable to prove your claim. Reproducibility of your work is the test of your success.

Opportunities to work or find area of your interest comes later. Now you will understand that becoming a Scientist is not a job or 9 to 5 service. To be in the laboratory on your own will till you satisfy yourself is the key to be a Scientist.

Innovation, Patents, the scientific contribution helping humanity with better and newer discoveries and devises are the rewards. Society/ Industry/ Govt institutes/ Universities fund your work. You are reasonably well placed with basic needs of your family are taken care off. The most important reward as a Scientist is that your research helps in changing the world around and believe me that you defiantly get applaud from the society for your success!

–Dr Shreeram Geet,
Career Counsellor

As I accompanied Dr Anil Kakodkar to the Rama and Sundri Watumull auditorium, of the HSNC University for the International Symposium on Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development, my thoughts were on a time travel backward. Dr. Hemlata Bagla, the buoyant Vice Chancellor had firmed up her mind that the historic IYBSSD-2022 richly deserved a closer and sharper focus with engineering wavelength added. As the Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainability is concluding. A conference was organised at HSNC University. I had prepared a concept note with historical perspectives….

Relativistic Concern

2022 will go down in recorded history as the existential year when humankind looked inward critically for its very survival as a species. It is an year when the Einsteinian admonition  reverberated the world of thought. “Concern for man and his fate must always form the chief interest of all technical endeavors. Never forget this in the midst of your diagrams and equations.” Sandwiched between the two sentences of the famous 1931 quote is the one – “Concern for the great unsolved problems of the organization of labour and the distribution of goods in order that the creations of our mind shall be a blessing and not a curse to mankind.”  The creations of our mind from which technology emerged with its intensive use of energy and materials do threaten to decimate us.

Woman’s Voice

The best minds and great thought leaders converged to ponder the fate and destiny of humankind. They weighed in grudging scales the probable and natural consequences of our actions on a planetary level and gravitated to  a doomsday metaphor. The word sustainability gained currency. Defining that abstract noun to kickstart actionable programs was formidable and Sustainable Development was coined to condense all relevant paradigms. Ambassador Brundtland, an outstanding physician-politician, forged the concept of Sustainable development. “Development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations  to meet their own needs”

Tragedy

It all began with Garrett Hardin half a century ago. The University of California professor penned an influential essay in the journal Science titled the “Tragedy of the commons.” He saw all humans as unabashedly selfish herders worrying that the neighbours’ cattle will graze the best grass. All of them feverishly send out their cattle first to consume that grass first. This paper remains an academic blockbuster, with  40,000 citations and influencing present thinking on ecology, economics, political science and environmentalism.

Population Bomb

In 1966, Harry Harrison wrote a science fiction novel titled “Make Room! Make Room!” He painted a dystopian world in which too many people scrambled for too few resources.” An influential Stanford University biologist, Paul Ehrlich, in his  1968 book, “The Population Bomb,” asserted that humankind stood on the brink of apocalypse because there were simply too many of us. His introductory statement is dismally dark. “The battle to feed all of humanity is over.” He predicted that aggregate world demand for resources, driven by population growth, would lead to future starvation.

Limited Growth

Riveting attention on the finite planetary resources, an ominous  paradigm, ‘Limits to Growth’ was brought into public discussion by a team of MIT System Dynamics professionals in 1972. “If the present growth trends in world population, industrialization, pollution, food production, and resource depletion continue unchanged, the limits to growth on this planet will be reached sometime within the next one hundred years. The most probable result will be a rather sudden and uncontrollable decline in both population and industrial capacity.”

Clearly Nuclear

The keynote address was delivered by Dr.Kakodkar, a distinguished nuclear engineer.  He asserted in his clear and sober voice of reason that the cacophony of antinuclear noise needs to be filtered out for our survival package and focused on atomic energy and research for sustainable development. He said, “People should be out of catastrophic syndrome and understand the use of nuclear energy and nuclear waste for sustainable development.”.

Young Mindset

With a view to capturing the mindset of the new generation, Sanjith Nambiar(23) an engineering graduate of Imperial College London and working at the London office of a leading consulting firm was invited to speak on sustainability initiatives. He explained the concept of ESG and described the challenges faced by the Private Equity Firms and  Portfolio Companies. He highlighted the opportunities and challenges in value creation in the business environment. Expanding the concept of Scale of Sustainability Ambition from the Corporate perspective he categorized CEOs as Sceptics, Pragmatists, strategists and Idealists based on their approach to ESG.

Sound Mind

Summing up the daylong sober deliberations, I put my thoughts together: “If we plunge the planet into an  unsustainability holocaust,  we will go down in history not as  scientific citizens but as lunatics. The verdict of history on technological civilization would be suicide in a state unsound and unscientific mind. Sustainability is the only key to survival of the planet earth and humankind.”

 

-Dr A P Jayaraman

Chairman, NCSC

Kalpavruksha Pots

Heavily dependent on the use of thin plastic bags for planting sapling, the Forest Department of Chhota Udepur (Gujarat) were struggling for options to make its district Plastic-Free. An off-the-cuff suggestion of its District Collector has not only helped rid the forest of plastic, but has set a new precedent for many to follow, and in the process saving the country crores in unwarranted expenses….

The Department elaborates, “During our routine cleanliness drive we collect many empty Coconut shells and are required to dispose them in an eco-friendly manner. It was proposed to use the empty shells to rear the plants as it will help manage waste and also reduce the dependence on plastic bags.”

The Social Forestry division decided on testing the idea, planting 1500 saplings of Basil, Sevan and Nilgiri, and the rest is history.

How Coconut shells were used for Plantation?

As the re-use of empty Coconut shells as a ‘planting’ material at the Department’s nursery became a

norm, the team went about fine-tuning the entire plantation process of the sapling. The shells were

carefully chopped at the bottom prior to planting them into the soil pit so as to allow the root to grow beyond the shell into the soil.

What are the advantages of using this method?

Coconut shells being bio-degradable, it did not adversely affect the plant. On the contrary, as the

Coconut shells slowly degenerated into the soil, the coco coir and peat derived from it could be a critical source of nutrients for the plant’s healthy growth. The husk of the shell acts as a sponge holding water ten times of its weight in the root zone. So, the plant is able to use it when it needs it the most. At the same time, as the husk has the ability to soak in so much water, it also helps get rid of excess water so that the plant doesn’t become waterlogged.

Why Coconut husk and peat are better mediums for plantation?

Recent studies have found the Coconut husk and peat to be a better medium for plantation than soil, on several accounts.

• The husk contains high lignin content that makes it naturally resistant to bacterial and fungal

growth.

• The husk being highly porous in nature, the plants happen to be free from soil borne pest and the roots are comparatively healthy on account of higher supply of oxygen.
• Farming on Coconut husk does not require tilling, fumigation and pulling of weeds as required in the case of soil based farming.
• Coconut husk based plantation may be best bet for rooftop gardening as its weight is less and owing to high water retention properties of the fibre the excess water does not flow out of the pots.
• Coconut husk can be continuously used for more than 10 years and low on maintenance cost, making it economically feasible.
• The fact that a single Coconut tree produces an upward of 150 coconuts per year, Coconut

shells/husk and peat would always be readily available for plantation.

At a time, when the entire world is moving towards eco-friendly and sustainable means of plantation to limit the damage to the environment, Coconut shells could be one renewable source of growing

material.

Moreover, it may probably be the only tree which is virtually free from the use of pesticides and

insecticides for maintaining good health; thus making these input materials organic in nature.

Importantly, the by-products of the Coconut plant are rich in natural hormones that act as bio-stimulants and have several vital nutrients like Iotassium, iron, Manganese, Copper and Zinc, which are very beneficial for plant growth. Also, the fact that Coconut husk and peat releases these nutrients very slowly, the plants grown in this medium can feed on these nutrients on an ongoing basis over a longer duration…

Undoubtedly, Coconut is truly a Kalpavruksha as each part of the tree is of some use.

-Manoj Mahanta

 

In the modern-day societal ecosystem, according to Bourdieu, three dominant types of resources function as capital – economic, cultural and social. To further simplify and make things self-explanatory…

ECONOMIC CAPITAL refers to the amount of money and material resources one possesses; CULTURAL CAPITAL is indicative of the cultural resources one has – it could be interpreted in terms of educational qualifications, which also includes informal cultural dispositions;

SOCIAL CAPITAL is best understood as the network of people one has access to, and is able to mobilise so to achieve instrumental ends

For Bourdieu, these forms of capitals were central to structuring of any society, and thereafter identifying them into different social classes and class fractions. In Bourdieuan scheme of things, ‘Capital’ signified the Social, Cultural and Economic resources that one should be able to use to manage the affairs of life. Social Capital referred to the Networks, Connectivity and Connectedness that an individual has in the Society. Similarly, Cultural Capital referred to cultural dispositions and academic qualifications

SCIENCE CAPITAL IN TODAY’S CONTEXT

The modern form of ‘Science Capital’ as developed by Professor Louise Archer is a way to understand why these Science Related Resources, Attitudes and Aspirations led some children to pursue Science, while others did not. It has been constructed entirely on the 5-year research study involving children aged 10–14 and their families. Prof. Archer found those children from families having greater exposure to Science related-resources and those having parents engaged in scientific pursuits/ hobbies or careers were more likely to pursue ‘Science’ at their school, and later as a career. Ashtamanam – The Eight Dimensions of Science The ‘Science Capital’ acquired by a learner can be broadly categorized into Eight Dimensions:

1. Scientific Literacy: It is the knowledge and understanding package that a student has about Science. It includes his renewed confidence over the acquired knowledge, which is based on his ‘competence’ and his just feeling that they know ‘Science’.
2. Attitudes and Perception: This dimension involves science-related Attitudes, Values and Dispositions. Here the perception possessed by the student is that ‘Science is relevant to everyday life’ and he is aware of its importance.
3. Applicability of Science: The individual is in complete know about the ‘transferability of Science’. There is an implicit belief in the value of the various scientific methods.
4. Hunger for Science: It describes the engagement of the student with ‘Science Stuff’ in all forms of the media – television, books, journals, Internet, etc. and there is a strong desire for more science based information and knowledge.
5. World is my classroom: Looking far beyond the four walls of the formal classroom, the frequency and intensity with which the individual will try to seek informal learning of Science.
6. A Science Family: In all likelihood, the urge for exploring science and beyond would be seen as spreading within the family of the learners. If there are Science and Technology related Skills, Jobs, Qualifications or Interests in one of the members of the family, the reflection of the same will be visible in all.
7. Reverence and Respect: Familiarity would breed respect for people possessing higher knowledge of the science, especially, the people whom the learner knows in their circle. This would include family, friends, peers and society community who are contributing to the build-up of the ‘Science Capital’.
8. Scientific Lingua: The final dimension will be visible in the form of ‘Science Conversation’ with important people in the daily encounters, which would in turn amount to Science talk in everyday life.

Science Capital – Bag & Candle Metaphor

Illustratively, the ‘Science Capital’ could be visualised as a bag that every learner carries throughout his life. The Eight Dimensions mentioned above are but the four critical differentiating factors, namely: What you know about Science? How you think about it? What you do? Who you know? The first three could be loosely categorized ‘Cultural Capital’, whereas the fourth could be looked at as ‘Social Capital’.

Now the ‘Burning Candle’ is a good metaphor to illustrate the learner’s engagement with Science, and the role of the social milieu. The ‘flame’ represents the learner’s Science Engagement. How elegantly it burns depends on context and time, whereas the ‘candle’ corresponds to the learner’s attitudes, dispositions and capital. The igniting spark to set the flame on could be the ‘Science Teacher’ or a ‘Science Encounter’. Just as the amount of Oxygen and the state of the air decide the brightness and the stability of the flame; Expectations, Opportunities and Recognition of the learner determine the quality of the learner’s Science Career.

Teaching and Learning Science It is now a universally acknowledged maxim that the higher the Science Capital, the greater the engagement with Science. Teachers can make a significant difference to learner engagement with Science by recognizing and appreciating leaner’s Science Capital. Enlightened and eclectic Science Teachers can use this methodology to broaden what matters. The three firm foundations for enhancing Science Capital of learners are: ‘Personalizing and Localizing’, ‘Eliciting, Valuing and Connecting’ and ‘Augmenting the Science Capital Dimensions’.

Science Capital is a paradigmatic shift in Science Education to make learners future ready. Many learners in India fail to see Science as relevant to their life. They view it as something not for them, thus making their engagement with Science difficult. Social justice demands improved Science engagement with increased Science Capital for the maximum benefit of maximum learners…Let us be Science Capitalists!

Dr. A. P. Jayaraman,

Chairman.

National Centre for Science Communicators

Living without a mobile phone is unthinkable. Science and technology of communication have phenomenally developed and transformed our daily lives. Paradoxically, communication of science and technology has not proportionately developed or transformed our daily lives….

Science and society are abominably out of joint. A brave new communication revolution within knowledge revolution is indispensable. The future of society and the society of the future we are aspiring to create will be critically dependent on the present inspired generation of science communicators. Scientific discoveries, inventions, innovations and information explosion have made science communication a critical variable of knowledge economy.

Science communication is the fine art and practice of informing, informating, educating and raising awareness of science and technology related topics among all its stakeholders.  52 years ago when I was serving as the country head of science and technology communication at the Indian pavilion at Expo-70 Osaka, Japan, I had interacted with my Japanese counterparts who used an expression Johoko Shakai. My translator friend, Keiko Tashiro, introduced me to with the less familiar word informate which carried meaning and significance contextually. A lovely semantic vector dear to scicomers!

Science is a too serious a matter and science communication is more  grave a matter to be left to scientists or even failed scientists. Innovation and technology originating from science are the sinews of societal strength. The harm that scientists do by communicating and not communicating can be disastrous. India has three robustly drafted policies on Science, Science and Technology and Science, Technology and Innovation. Of course the country also has the overarching paradigm of scientific temper built into the very fabric of its constitution. That is the Scientific India.

Two models, at once historical and historic, spring to my mind. The Russell Model. Sir Bertrand Arthur William Russell was a distinguished mathematician-philosopher-pacifist, who also won the 1957 UNESCO-Kalinga award for science communication. His conceptual clarity of complex phenomena and his charming linguistic mastery make him a peerless scicomer model. His classic description that science enables us to know and do things is scicomer’s master class room delight.

The second one is the MP model. This was designed, developed, demonstrated and deployed by Dr. M.P. Parameswaran. He is an electric engineer of the first batch of AEET Training School who later did his doctoral work in Russia. He was fascinated by the sputnik spirit and the massive science popularization efforts in Russian language. He promised his Russian peers that he would nucleate science communication endeavors in regional languages Marathi and Malayalam.

With the slogan ‘Let a hundred flowers bloom’ he got one hundred scientists and engineers who speak Malayalam and alphabetized scicom language and transmitted it to the home state. Today, with the slogan Science for Social Revolution, a massive People’s Science Movement   is a historical reality in Kerala with 62,000 science activists including 25,000 women. Across the globe, waves of scicom renaissance are visible.

With a view to augmenting a multiplier strategy for rapid expansion, NCSC is holding hands with institutions of higher learning, back to colleges tactically operationalizing scicom as subspecialty of mass and Media communication. Of course we have many a kilometer to go….

–Dr.A.P.Jayaraman

Nuclear Scientist

Principal Scientific Advisor, HSNC University

Chairperson, NCSC

President, STEAM Academy