Indian Institute Of Technology Research Articles

Direct threshing of paddy (Oryza sativa) ear-head with reduced straw and optimized grain throughput rate

Reduction of the straw intake is a new harvesting technique that reduces energy and input costs. In existing combine harvesters, the cutter bar of the standard header is set at an increased height, or the stripper header combine harvester is used to minimize the straw intake. The thresher was developed and tested in the year 2018 and 2019, at Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal to reduce the straw intake by direct ear head threshing of standing plants. It reduces energy consumption compared to some common existing harvesting methods. The specially designed plant guiding plates were accommodated before the threshing cylinder to achieve this. The set of two guiding plates passes over the plant’s row and converges the panicle portion of plants by bending them gradually. The rice (Oryza sativa L.) panicles were placed over the rotating cylinder and the stem portion remains in a standing posture. Thus, only 4.16% of total straw available on the plants was fed, and about 23 times straw intake was reduced. RSM-based response surface methodology was used to design the experiment. During the experiment, the grain throughput rate (GTR) was varied by changing the speed of plant feeding. To measure the cylinder speed, threshing torque, and plant feed speed the laboratory model thresher was equipped with rotary encoder, torque transducer and proximity sensors, respectively. The collected threshed mixture was analyzed to determine threshing performance. The optimized GTR and cylinder speed were 180 kg/h and 17.55 m/sec at which the threshing efficiency, total grain loss, and specific energy were 98.36%, 4.67%, and 1.1 kWh/t of grain, respectively.

COVID-19 Research Output from South Asia: A Scientometric Analysis of Highly Cited Papers

Background and Aims: Highly cited papers (HCPs) can influence both research and clinical practice. They help to identify core literature and important advances in a field. This study aimed to assess the current status and prospects of South Asia COVID-19 research from the HCPs using bibliometric indicators. Methodology: COVID-19 literature from South Asia published between December 2019 and 29 November 2023 in the Scopus database was analysed. The top HCPs, having more than 200 citations, were evaluated. Information about citation counts, authors and organisations and their affiliations, year of publication, source journal, geographical origin, subject, article type, funding details, etc. were retrieved and analysed. Data and visualisation analysis was undertaken using Microsoft Excel and other bibliometric software. Results: The 298 South Asia HCPs were published from 2020 to 2023 and were cited 200–3,596 times, with a mean average of 413.9 citations per paper (CPP). Around 24.5% and 51.3% of HCPs received external funding support and were involved in international collaboration, respectively. The most productive organisations were the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, and the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, while the most impactful organisations were Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children, Mumbai, and Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital & Medical Research Institute, Mumbai. The most productive journals were Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews. Conclusions: This study has identified core and significant authors, organisations, journals, subject fields and significant keywords, collaborators and funding agencies involved in South Asia’s COVID-19 research.

Smart And Sustainable Indian Village - Urbanizing Achheja Buzurg

The 69% population of India lives in villages and 31% in urban areas. The population from villages is migrating towards urban areas in the view of quality education, infrastructure, employment, sophisticated life and modernized living. Also the villagers move towards the urbanization facing problems in transportation, insufficient water supply, poor drainage system and health related problems due to lack of sanitation. This could be prevented only when the villages are urbanized and the development of rural areas could be attained only when Aadarsh gram (ideal village) and Swaraj (self-reliance) are implemented as stated by Mahatma Gandhiji. The rural – urban  gap was first addressed in India by Dr. Abdul kalam who framed a system of PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) for urbanizing rural areas along with IIT(Indian Institute of Technology) professors in 2004. Based on this initiative, the Uttar Pradesh Government had proposed “Smart Village” in the area of NCR. This article narrates the urbanization of the village Accheja Buzurg in NCR (National Capital Region) located in Yamuna Expressway. The research paper further describes the transformation of the infrastructure and facilities using the schemes “I-SPARSH Yojana”, “Janeshwar Mishra Gram Yojana” and “I-CHAUPAL”. The village stands as an ideal as sustainable and smart in the YEIDA locality where the schemes are being implemented to other villages of Uttar Pradesh.

Development and evaluation of a machine vision-based cotton fertilizer applicator

Aim of study: To develop and assess a cotton fertilizer applicator integrated with a Machine Vision Based Embedded System (MVES) to achieve precise and site-specific fertilization.
 Area of study: The investigation was performed in the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.
 Material and methods: The MVES included a cotton detection system with a web camera, processor (computer), and python-based algorithm, and a fertilizer metering control unit with a stepper motor, motor driver, power supply, and microcontroller. The python-based algorithm in the computer predicts the presence (or absence) of cotton plants, whenever an input image is received from the camera. Upon cotton detection, it transforms into a Boolean signal sent to the microcontroller via PySerial communication, which instructs the motor to rotate the metering unit. Motor adjusts the speed of metering unit based on machine speed measured through a hall sensor, ensuring site-specific delivery of metered fertilizer A developed lab setup tested the MVES, experimentally examining performance indicators.
 Main results: The MVES obtained a MAPE of 5.71% & 8.5%, MAD 0.74 g/plant & 1.12 g/plant for urea and DAP (di-ammonium phosphate), respectively. ANOVA revealed no statistically significant effect of forward speed on the discharge fertilizer amount (p>0.05). For urea, discharge rates ranged from 1.03 g/s (at 10 rpm, 25% exposure length of metering unit) to 40.65 g/s (at 100 rpm, 100% exposure). DAP ranged from 1.43 to 47.66 g/s under similar conditions.
 Research highlights: The delivered application dosage conformed the recommended dosage. The developed MVES was reliable, had a quick response, and worked properly.

Perception of E-learning among Banaras Hindu University Students: A Comprehensive Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a transformation in teaching and learning methods, leading to the widespread adoption of E-learning. The study was conducted in 2021, employing a structured questionnaire and descriptive research design to analyze the perception of Banaras Hindu University Students towards E-learning. The survey included 127 respondents, with representation from the Institute of Agricultural Sciences (I.A.S.), Indian Institute of Technology (I.I.T.), Institute of Medical Sciences (I.M.S.), Institute of Management Studies (I. Mg. St.), Institute of Sciences (I.Sc.), and Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development (I.E.S.D.). This perception of students towards E-learning was measured using a 3-point continuum Likert scale consisting of 17 items. The majority of (66.92%) respondents had a favourable perception towards E-learning. Age and parent education level education had a positive and significant relationship with the perception of respondents towards E-learning. It can be concluded that the perception towards E-learning among students of six institutes of BHU is positive and this will be the most important aspect as this only affects the further acceptance or rejection of E Learning.

Investigating Commuter Satisfaction in OLA: Analyzing the Effect of Real-time Pricing on Ride Expenses and Customer Loyalty

Innovative ride-hailing services have caused a transformation in the transportation industry. Ola, the pioneer of taxi aggregation services in India, has played a significant role in driving this change. In 2010, students from the esteemed Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay founded Ola. From that time on, its global presence has expanded, now operating in more than 250 cities. Ola is recognized for its user-friendly travel choices, distinguishing itself through innovative business strategies that surpass regular taxi services. Ola’s strategy for operations is founded on the dynamic pricing model, a concept that the company created and brought into the transportation industry. This model demonstrates Ola’s ability to promptly modify pricing by market supply and demand fluctuations. Ola has established itself as a major player in the highly competitive ride-hailing industry, boasting more than 125 million users. This study analyzes the complex connection between Ola’s dynamic pricing strategy and commuter satisfaction. It also aims to analyze the impact of real-time pricing on ride costs and customer retention. This study seeks to uncover the various factors impacting commuter decisions within the growing taxi-hailing industry by analyzing customer satisfaction, decision-making processes, communication openness, app usage trends, and brand reputation. This research provides Ola with important information to enhance customer satisfaction and perfect pricing strategies. To accomplish this, it evaluates how clear the communication is perceived to be, examines the factors that greatly affect commuter satisfaction with Ola’s dynamic pricing, evaluates the impact of pricing on consumer decision-making, and understands the relationship between pricing changes and user interaction. It is essential to grasp the impact of real-time pricing on commuter satisfaction and loyalty to maintain market leadership amidst ongoing transportation sector changes, highlighting Ola’s significant role.

Robust shape optimization using artificial neural networks based surrogate modeling for an aircraft wing

Aerodynamic shape optimization is a very active area of research that faces the challenges of highly demanding Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) problems, optimization with Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) as constraints, and the appropriate treatment of uncertainties. This includes the development of robust design methodologies that are computationally efficient while maintaining the desired level of accuracy in the optimization process. This paper addresses aerodynamic shape optimization problems involving uncertain operating conditions. After a review of possible approaches to account for uncertainties, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model is used to approximate the aerodynamic coefficients when the operating conditions vary. Robust optimization problem-solving approaches based on deterministic measurements are used, inspired by the work of Deb [Deb K., Gupta H. Introducing robustness in multi-objective optimization. KanGAL Report 2004–2016, Kanpur Genetic Algorithms Laboratory, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India (2004)]. The first procedure is a direct extension of a technique used for single-objective optimization. The second is a more practical approach allowing a user to define the desired degree of robustness in a problem. These approaches have been tested and validated in the case of the optimization of an aircraft wing profile in the transonic regime considering two uncertain variables: the Mach number and the angle of incidence.

Ritual and rhetoric of gender policies at the Indian Institutes of Technology

ABSTRACT This ethnographic study analyzes the barriers women encounter in achieving their goals at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. Employing a discursive approach, the study seeks to identify symbols promulgated by various policy actions that legitimize or delegitimize specific gender relations. It draws from feminist theories and Lisa Rosen’s symbolic policy framework to examine the chasms between policy actions and their implicit meanings, situated within the larger sociocultural context. The findings of this study suggest that the campus culture empowers female students by providing opportunities for them to shape their beliefs and also to question internalized ‘common knowledge’ mediated by their families and culture. However, women’s occupations remain centered on the domestic reality. As women aspire to occupy greater positions of power, they are constrained by normative gender roles. Rituals of policy create mystifications about these constraints which, in turn, allow men to wield power and attribute their success to individual merit rather than systemic processes that reinforce structural gender inequities. This study advocates a shift away from the instrumentalization of policies and integrating caste, gender, and class diversity into institutional policies. This shift is essential to reenvision policies shaped by sociohistorical masculine attributes, and characterized by themes of rationalization, detachment, and impartiality.

Preface

ICSEEGT 2023 represents the third edition of the international conference series hosted by the Poornima College of Engineering, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. This conference was thoughtfully orchestrated as a hybrid event organised during June 27-28, 2023, encompassing both physical and virtual participation, thereby enhancing our ability to engage a broader and more diverse audience. This strategic blend was particularly advantageous given the international scope of the themes. The main objective of ICSEEGT 2023 is to foster collaboration among a heterogeneous community of scholars, encompassing individuals from academic institutions, governmental entities, research institutions, and the corporate sector. ICSEEGT 2023 is a forum wherein subject matter experts align with the conference theme can disseminate their research findings and convey their ideas within the scientific community. This underscores a concentrated emphasis on the examination and advocacy of sustainable energy sources, encompassing renewable energy technologies, as a means of tackling energy-related issues while mitigating adverse environmental consequences. In today’s contemporary landscape, environmental concerns assume paramount significance. This forum not only offers a collaborative platform but also facilitates the exchange of expertise and serves as a catalyst for the advancement of research and innovation aimed at addressing urgent global challenges related to sustainability and environmental preservation.The commencement of the conference took place on June 27, 2023, in a hybrid mode, with an invocation of blessings from Goddess Saraswati. Initially Dr. Raj Kumar Satankar, Organising Secretary and convener informed the audience about the conference. Then Dr. Mahesh Bundele, the principal and director of the institution, extended a warm welcome to all distinguished guests and participants attending the inaugural ceremony. The session featured addresses from esteemed figures, including Professor S. K. Singh, the Hon’ble Vice Chancellor of Rajasthan Technical University, Kota, India, who served as the chief guest, and Professor Subrata Roy from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida, USA, who graced the occasion as a guest of honor. Subsequently, the inaugural session transitioned into a keynote presentation delivered by Dr. Basuraj Bhowmik, an Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, India. Dr. Bhowmik’s presentation centered on “Online Downtime Detection of Wind Turbines – A Renewable ‘Real-Time’ Approach.” Following the inaugural events, the first day featured the organization of four parallel technical sessions, wherein authors and participants actively engaged in presenting their research papers. The research papers in this conference were invited considering these three tracks: sustainable/renewable energy, environment and transportation, green technologies, and urban development. The presenters and attendees participated with full enthusiasm in all the technical sessions.The first technical session in offline mode was chaired by Dr. Narayan Lal Jain, Poornima College of Engineering, Jaipur, India, and the session moderator was Dr. Raj Kumar Satankar. The second technical session was chaired by Dr. Gaurav Dwivedi, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal, India, and Dr. Mukesh Didwania, Poornima College of Engineering, Jaipur, India was the moderator for this session. In the second session total of 11 presenters were allowed to present their papers. Dr. Salifu Tahiru Azeko, Tamale Technical University, Tamale, Ghana, and Dr. Rashmi Kumari, National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, India chaired the third and fourth technical sessions respectively. The session moderators were Dr. Surendra Saini, and Dr. Gaurav Jain, Poornima College of Engineering respectively. In the last two sessions, a total of 23 papers were presented.The second day started with a keynote session on Advances in Materials for Energy and Environment and Sustainability by Dr. M V Reddy, Senior Professional Researcher, Nouveau Monde Graphite (New Graphite World) (NMG), Quebec, Montreal, Canada. Three technical sessions were organized on the second day of this conference, ICSEEGT 2023. The sessions were chaired by Dr. Pankaj Dhemla, Poornima College of Engineering, India, Dr. Thiyam Tamphasana Devi, National Institute of Technology, Manipur, India, and Dr. Pooja Nigam, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, India. The session moderators of the session were Dr. Mukesh Didwania, Dr. Surendra Kumar Saini, and Dr. Siddharth Choudhary, PCE were the moderators for these sessions. A total of 23 papers were presented on day 2 of the conference. Later a keynote talk, on “Hydrogen - The Future Fuel Source” was delivered by Dr. Wong Wai Yin, Research Fellow/ Senior Lecturer Fuel Cell Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.Concluding the proceedings of the second day, the valedictory ceremony welcomed Prof. B. P. Suneja, Former Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Rajasthan Technical University, Kota, India, as the distinguished Chief Guest. Concurrently, the event also featured Mr. Guruprasad Bangle, Co-founder of Solution Buggy, India, who graced the occasion as esteemed Guests of Honor. The event culminated as a resounding success, characterized by insightful addresses and sessions delivered by esteemed individuals, wholehearted participation from all our authors, co-authors, attendees, and the dedicated contributions of an expert team of reviewers, coordinators, staff members, and organizing team members.List of Organizing Committees are available in this Pdf.

An Effective Approach to Teach Instrumentation and Control Systems for Engineering Students

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Contribution:</i> This article presents an Instrumentation and Control (I&C) prototype for engineering postgraduate laboratory program designed to fulfill the quality objectives of the institution. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Background:</i> The syllabus and teaching methodology for engineering students have been periodically updated by universities and higher education institutes to meet the demand of industries and accreditation. I&amp;C systems are widely used in several industries. This article seeks to further understand ways that a multidisciplinary approach for teaching in an undergraduate and postgraduate course related to I&amp;C Systems can earn a systematic knowledge to meet industrial demands and accreditation. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Intended Outcomes:</i> A lab environment that motivates postgraduate students to create their fundamental concepts of I&amp;C systems engineering, so that they can apply them in real applications. The intended outcomes are: teach multidisciplinary aspects of the subject, to enrich the students’ learning process and understanding, in designing robust I&amp;C systems, and meet the criteria laid by ABET. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Application Design:</i> Many practical exercises were formulated to teach different aspects of I&amp;C systems engineering. It incorporates multidisciplinary knowledge as required. An I&amp;C systems engineering course taught at the department of Systems and Control at Indian Institute of Technology, is presented as a case study in which the evaluation process was based on institute criteria and the corresponding student outcomes. A student survey was also conducted to know the effectiveness of the teaching approach. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Findings:</i> The impact analysis of the proposed method was carried out with respect to the understanding of the students on the designing of I&amp;C systems. An analysis of student’s <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$T$</tex-math> </inline-formula>-test before and after introducing prototype in the course shows the effectiveness of the approach.

First person – Sonal Jaiswal

ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal of Cell Science, helping researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Sonal Jaiswal is first author on ‘ Separation-of-function MCPH-associated mutations in CPAP affect centriole number and length’, published in JCS. Sonal conducted the research described in this article while a PhD candidate in Dr. Priyanka Singh's lab at the Indian Institute of Technology, Rajasthan, India. She is now an Academic Coordinator in the Management Division at Techno India University, Kolkata, where her role involves contributing insights and expertise to the academic community.

Preface of the proceeding of 11th International Symposium on Current Research in Hydropower Technologies

The international symposium on Current Research in Hydropower Technologies (CRHT) aims to bring the researchers and students from the field of hydropower around the world in a common platform to share their research experiences. Since 2018, we have also been publishing papers from this conference in IOP Journal of Physics.This year in the symposium, we received 41 papers from Kathmandu University (KU), Tribhuwan University (TU), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Roorkee), IIT-Delhi and Gujarat Technological University, Uka Tarsadia University and CK Pithawala, Gujarat.In the symposium, the overall event was divided into three sessions. The first group of sessions contained hydraulic turbines as well as hydropower and other technologies. We had presentations related to computational and experimental techniques related to the turbines, as well as civil and environmental aspects of the power plants, including sediment traps, tunnels and finding solutions for fish friendly and sustainable power plants. In the second group, there were sessions related to other forms of renewable energies as well, such as fuel cells, hydrokinetic turbines as well as seismic assessment of structures in hydropower. In the third group, we witnessed presentations related to condition monitoring of turbines, erosion and cavitation problems and some interdisciplinary aspects of the sustainable development.After receiving comments from the presentations and a peer review process, 36 papers have been selected for publication in this proceeding. We hope that the papers will be beneficial for the researchers and students involved in the sector of hydropower.

Editor Profile: Arun Shukla.

In this special interview series, we profile members of The FEBS Journal editorial board to highlight their research focus, perspectives on the journal, and future directions in their field. Professor Arun Shukla is a Senior Fellow of DBT Wellcome Trust India Alliance, and Professor and Sonu Agrawal Memorial Chair at the Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India. He has served as an Editorial Board Member of The FEBS Journal since 2021.

Distribution of Enthalpy in Rotating Detonation Engine

In Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE), the detonation wave rotates inside the annulus of thecombustor. After initiation by a pre-detonator, this detonation wave can be sustained by thecontinuous supply of fuel and oxidiser. The frequency of rotation is reported to be of the orderof 5-10 KHz indicating a near continuous operation which can be used in rocket andairbreathing propulsion systems. An experimental study on the RDE is being carried out atNational Centre for Combustion Research and Development (NCCRD), Indian Institute ofTechnology (IIT), Madras using hydrogen and air system. In addition,N2H4 - N2O4 hypergolicsystemreported in literature is considered for comparative study. In order to understand thevarious processes undergone by the flow through the RDE, a detailed thermodynamic analysisis performed. The procedure is explained in greater detail for the better understanding of thevarious state properties in the entire flow field. The flow field comprises of detonation wave,trailing oblique shock wave and Prandtl- Mayer expansion waves. There are two slip lines,one separating the fresh reactants and inert combustion products of the previous cycle ofdetonation wave propagation and another separating the products of detonation combustionand the shocked inert products. Though all the state properties will be evaluated, the enthalpydistribution is considered in the entire flow field of RDE and discussed. This provides theknowledge of the energy availability in various flow regimes and the extent of energyconversion due to detonative combustion, flow expansion, shock compression, and axial flowexciting through the combustor outlet. Propulsion parameters such as axial specific thrust andspecific impulse are computed to show the capability of this modelling approach.

Representation of Aged Female Fans in Select Malayalam Films: An Intersectional Feminist Perspective

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsParvathy NParvathy N is an Institute Fellow at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Patna, India.Priyanka TripathiPriyanka Tripathi is an Associate Professor at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Patna, India.Notes1 The 1913 release of Dadasaheb Phalke’s Raja Harishchandra heralded the commencement of the Indian film industry, which includes a vast range of regional industries producing films in languages including Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, etc. Often, these industries are known by their sobriquets, such as Bollywood (Hindi), Mollywood (Malayalam), Kollywood (Tamil), Sandalwood (Kannada), and Tollywood (Bengali), etc.2 Racial categorization of women from the “African continent” or the “growing African diaspora” (Macaulay 1996 Macaulay, Delia Jarrett, ed. 1996. Reconstructing Womanhood, Reconstructing Feminism: Writings on Black Women. New York and London: Routledge. [Google Scholar], ix). From the Euro-centric narrative, Black women are marginalized as an ethnic minority/“other.” Crenshaw’s work identified that the discrimination of Black women in the US is an overlap of race as well as gender.3 Beginning in 1928 with J.C. Daniel’s silent film Vigathakumaran (The Lost Child), the Malayalam film industry popularly known by the sobriquet Mollywood is established regional film industry under the umbrella of Indian cinema. The significance and distinction of this regional cinematic industry is in its fervent engagement in themes of “social realism in its representational systems than Hindi and other regional language films” (Nair 2015 Nair, P. K. 2015. “Gender Equations in Malayalam Cinema.” In Women in Malayalam Cinema: Naturalising Gender Hierarchies, edited by Meena Pillai, 40–57. New Delhi: Orient Blackswan Private Limited. [Google Scholar],40; Nair, Ramanathaiyer, and Shoesmith 2000 Nair, Lalitha, Sundar Ramanathaiyer, and Brian Shoesmith. 2000. “Frail Bodies, Fighting Spirit: Images of the Elderly in Malayalam Cinema.” South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies 23 (sup1): 31–42. doi:10.1080/00856400008723397[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 32).4 Popularly known as the “celluloid queen of Malayalam cinema,” Sheela began her cinematic career in the Tamil film Paasam (Affection, 1962) opposite M.G. Ramachandran. From 1962 to 1985, Sheela acted in more than 400 films before taking a break until 2003, when she returned to the silver screen in Sathyan Anthikad’s Manasinakkare. Besides the four Kerala State Awards and the J.C. Daniel Award, Sheela also holds the Guinness record for being paired opposite the same actor (Prem Nazir) (Johnson and Niveditha 2016 Johnson, Seena, and D. Niveditha. 2016. “Female Stardom: An Analysis of the Star Image Construction of Malayalam Actress Sheela.” International Research Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies 2 (9): 1–8. [Google Scholar], 3–4).5 Affectionately referred to as Lalettan (Brother Lal) by Kerala’s (India) cinephile community, Mohanlal has established himself as a “household” name and “trope” via his dynamic depictions, instilling in the “heterogeneous” culture of Kerala’s (India) a culturally “homogenous” identity of Ettan or brother (Pillai 2015 Pillai, Meena, ed. 2015. Women in Malayalam Cinema: Naturalising Gender Hierarchies. New Delhi: Orient Blackswan Private Limited. [Google Scholar], 102).6 Recognized as Malayalam cinema’s Nithyaharitha Nayakan (Evergreen Hero) (V.N 2017), Abdul Khader, who adopted the stage name Prem Nazir, is one of the most influential contributions from Kerala to the oeuvre of Indian cinema. Beginning his career in the 1952 film Marumakal (Daughter-in-Law), Prem Nazir holds the Guinness record for acting opposite the same costar (Sheela, 107 films) (Johnson and Niveditha 2016 Johnson, Seena, and D. Niveditha. 2016. “Female Stardom: An Analysis of the Star Image Construction of Malayalam Actress Sheela.” International Research Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies 2 (9): 1–8. [Google Scholar], 4).

The Discrete Exponentiated-Chen Model and Its Applications

A novel discrete exponentiated Chen (DEC) distribution, which is a subset of the continuous exponentiated Chen distribution, is proposed. The offered model is more adaptable to analyzing a wide range of data than traditional and recently published models. Several important statistical and reliability characteristics of the DEC model are introduced. In the presence of Type-II censored data, the maximum likelihood and asymptotic confidence interval estimators of the model parameters are acquired. Two various bootstrapping estimators of the DEC parameters are also obtained. To examine the efficacy of the adopted methods, several simulations are implemented. To further clarify the offered model in the life scenario, the two applications, based on the number of vehicle fatalities in South Carolina in 2012 and the final exam marks in 2004 at the Indian Institute of Technology at Kanpur, are analyzed. The analysis findings showed that the DEC model is the most effective model for fitting the supplied data sets compared to eleven well-known models in literature, including: Poisson, geometric, negative binomial, discrete-Weibull, discrete Burr Type XII, discrete generalized exponential, discrete-gamma, discrete Burr Hatke, discrete Nadarajah-Haghighi, discrete modified-Weibull, and exponentiated discrete-Weibull models. Ultimately, the new model is recommended to be applied in many fields of real practice.

Optimizing nutrients through drip fertigation and plastic mulch on the growth and yield in banana (Musa acuminata L.)

Among various crops, fruits play an important role to offer dietary requirements. Banana is one of the vital fruits in India and ranks second in terms of area under cultivation. As banana needs enough of nutrients and water to ensure high productivity, proper agronomic management on the aspects are essential. Recently, the adoption of drip irrigation, plastic mulch and fertigation of water-soluble nutrients through drip irrigation have become popular in banana farming. Fruits play an important role in the dietary requirements. Among various fruits, banana is vital crop in India that ranks second in terms of area under cultivation. Banana needs sufficient nutrients and water to ensure high productivity as evidenced in the earlier research; hence, proper nutrient and management are essential. To investigate the effects of different levels of primary nutrients through drip fertigation and plastic mulch on the response of the Grand Naine cultivar of banana, a field experiment was conducted in the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India during Oct. 2019 to Apr. 2021. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with four fertigation levels, namely, 1.2 recommended dose of fertilizer (1.2 RDF), 1.0 RDF, 0.8 RDF and 0.6 RDF as the first factor and the second factor was with and without mulch (M1 and M0). Application of higher rate of nutrients (1.2 RDF) ensured better growth parameters and yield attributes. The highest banana yield was obtained under 120% RDF (i.e., 1.2 RDF) fertigation for both the main and ratoon crops, with a yield of 58.9 and 46.6 t/ha, respectively, however, it remained on par with 1.0 RDF and 0.8 RDF. Further, plastic mulch showed its significant superiority over non-mulched crop in terms of major growth parameters and yield of banana main crop; however, mulching did not significantly influence ratoon crop productivity. The study suggested 0.8 RDF and plastic mulching can be adopted in banana to obtain a higher yield and efficient nutrient utilization of applied nutrients in subtropical conditions of West Bengal.

Quantifying the influence of Indian optics research: An index based on three citation indicators

Objective: This study aimed to identify and analyse the characteristics of highly cited papers (HCPs) in optics publications from India indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection database over the past 30 years. The analysis focused on document types, annual production and citations per publication, journals, countries, institutes, authors, and the top cited papers. The study also evaluated the publication performance of institutions and compared citation indicators of the most frequently cited articles. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study used a bibliometric analysis approach and identified HCPs as documents cited 100 or more times by the Web of Science Core Collection from 1992 to 2021. Data were visualised using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix R packages. Citation indicators, including total citations and citations in 2021, were used to compare the most frequently cited articles. Results/Discussion: The results showed that most highly cited papers were published in journals with high impact factors. The USA was the dominant country in collaboration with India in optics publications. The papers by Agostinelli et al. (2003) were the most frequently cited, and the paper by Aghanim et al. (2020) was the most impactful in 2021. The study also found that the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, was the leading institution in the number of highly cited papers produced. Conclusions: This study provides insight into the characteristics and trends of highly cited papers in optics publications from India. The results highlight the importance of collaboration with the USA and the significance of publishing in high-impact factor journals. The study also indicates the need for institutions to focus on producing quality research to increase their publication performance and impact. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature on bibliometric analysis by comprehensively analysing highly cited papers in optics publications from India. The study also provides insights into the collaboration patterns and publication performance of institutions in India. The findings can be used to inform policies and strategies aimed at improving research productivity and impact in India.

PM innovation delivers automotive progress

Prof P Ramakrishnan, from the Indian Institute of Technology, reviews PM materials and processes and sets out how they benefit automotive makers.

Preface

International Conference on Geospatial Science for Digital Earth Observation (GSDEO 2021) The international conference on “Geospatial Science for Digital Earth Observation” (GSDEO) 2021 was successfully held on a virtual platform of Zoom on March 26th and 27th, 2021. The conference was jointly organized by the Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS), Kolkata chapter, and the Department of Geography, School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Adamas University. Due to the non-predictable behaviour of the COVID-19 second wave, which imposed restrictions on organizing offline events, the GSDEO (2021) organizing committee decided to organize the conference online, instead of postponing the event.Remotely sensed data and geographic information systems have been increasingly used together for a vast range of applications, which include land use/land cover mapping, water resource management, weather forecasting, environmental monitoring, agriculture, disaster management, etc. Currently, intensive research is being carried out using remotely sensed data on the geoinformatics platform. New developments have led to dynamic advances in recent years. The objective of the international conference on Geospatial Science for Digital Earth Observation (GSDEO 2021) was to bring the scientists, academicians, and researchers, in the field of geo-environmental sciences on a common platform to exchange ideas and their recent findings related to the latest advances and applications of geospatial science. The call for papers received an enthusiastic response from the academic community, and over 100+ participants from 50+ colleges, universities, and institutions participated in the conference. In total 50+ research papers had been presented through the virtual Zoom conference platform in GSDEO 2021.The conference witnessed the presentation of research papers from diverse applied fields of geospatial sciences, which include the application of geoinformatics in geomorphology, hydrology, urban science, land use planning, climate, and environmental studies. There were four sessions namely, TS 1: Geomorphology and Hydrology, TS 2: Urban Science, TS 3: Social Sustainability and Land Use Planning, and TS 4: Climate and Environment. Each session was further subdivided, into two parts, namely Technical Session 1-A and 1-B. Each sub-session had been designed with one keynote speech and 5 oral presentations. Oral sessions were organized in two parts and offered through live and pre-recorded components based on the preference of the presenters. The presentation session was followed by a live Q&A session. The session chairs moderated the discussions. Similarly, poster sessions were organized in three parts and offered e-poster, live, and pre-recorded components. The best presenter of each sub-session received the best paper award.Dr. Prithvish Nag, Ex-Director of NATMO & Ex Surveyor General of India delivered the inaugural speech, and Dr. P. Chakrabarti, Former Chief Scientist of the DST&B, Govt. of West Bengal delivered a special lecture after the inaugural session. Eight eminent keynote speakers, Prof. S.P. Agarwal from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Prof. Ashis Kumar Paul from Vidyasagar University, Prof. Soumya Kanti Ghosh from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, Prof. L. N. Satpati from the University of Calcutta, Prof. R.B. Singh from the University of Delhi, Dr. A.K. Raha, IFS (Retd), Prof. Gerald Mills from the University College Dublin and Prof. Sugata Hazra from Jadavpur University enriched the knowledge of participants in the field of geoinformatics by their informative lectures. The presentations and discussions widely covered the various spectrums of geoinformatics and its application in monitoring natural resources like vegetation mapping, agricultural resource monitoring, forest health assessment, water, and ocean resource management, disaster management, land resource management, water and climate studies, drought vulnerability assessment, groundwater quality monitoring, accretion mapping and the use of geospatial science in studying morphological, hydrological, and other biophysical characteristics of a region etc. Application of geoinformatics in predicting urban expansion, urban climate, disaster management, healthcare accessibility, anthropogenic resource monitoring, spatial-interaction mapping, and, sustainable regional planning were well-discussed topics of the conference.List of Committees, photos are available in the pdf.