Category Archives: Science & Technology

Vizag lad presents paper on Mars project at ISDC

Education, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Ramesh Reddy Nidrabangi, son of an auto driver from the city, presented a research paper on Martian Atlantis Rover and Space Exploration (MARSE) project at the recently concluded International Space Development Conference (ISDC-13) at San Diego, California.

The conference was organised as part of space development contest by National Space Society (NSS) in association with NASA. The MARSE project was conceived in the context of the under-design Atlantis Mars Rover. Although he attended similar conferences in US twice, this was the first time his research paper was accepted. Elaborating on the MARSE project, Ramesh told The Hindu “Almost 40 per cent of the project is completed and it took me 18 months to achieve this. The project report was submitted to NSS-ISDC 2013, San Diego, and it was one of the selected 120 research papers.”In appreciation of his presentation he was offered a challenge to design a nano-satellite by a Los Angeles-based company.

The Nano-Sat designing programme is being carried out worldwide where the assigned teams are required to design a satellite of 10 cm triangular dimensions. A private firm is planning to launch 27 Nano-Sats to Mars to develop a complete GPS system of Mars, and provide information for the future Mars missions. He started the project in December 2011 while studying bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Designing at National Aerospace University in Russia (Khai-Kharkov Aviation Institute).

In the second year of bachelor’s degree he moved to the Rocket and Space Technology department. Ramesh Reddy said he was launching a space organisation called DCube Space for the benefit of students worldwide and to give them exposure to space science. The organisation involves 300 scientists, 600 professors, 1,200 teachers and 1,000 contributors who will enrich the 12,000 strong student DCube Space club. Also 160-200 Indian schools spread in 25 Indian cities and 7 international cities, including Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Hyderabad will get access to a galaxy of space scientists.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Ravi. P. Benjamin / July 26th, 2013

Thermal Powertech inks 20 year FSA with Mahanadi Coal

Business & Economy, Science & Technology
 RTT News reported that Gayatri Projects Ltd announced that its subsidiary Thermal Powertech Corporation India Ltd had signed Fuel Supply Agreement with Mahanadi Coal Fields Ltd, a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd. for a period of 20 years.

TPCIL is in the process of setting up a 1,320 MW coal-fired generation plant with 2 units of 660MW each, in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, located near the cost of Krishnapatnam. The plant has been designed to run on 70% domestic coal and 30% imported coal. The imported coal requirement will be met through TPCIL’s coal supply agreement with PT Bayan Resources, which was secured in February 2012.

Under the FSA signed for Annual Contracted Capacity of 2.13 million tonne per annum, MCL would be supplying coal to TPCIL’s plant for a period of 20 years starting from the operationalization of the plant which is expected in FY15.

The company said that with the assured quantity of coal supply for TPCIL for the next 20 years, TPCIL will be able to supply power to the lakhs of consumers in AP and other parts of the country.

source: http://www.coalguru.com / Coal Guru / Home> www.rttnews.com / June 27th, 2013

Scientists bag award

Records, All, Science & Technology

Hyderabad :

B. Venkateswarlu, Director of the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture here has won the Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Award of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for the year 2012.

The award is in recognition of the research done by the scientist along with three of his associates — Mohd. Osman, Sreenath Dixit and K.V. Rao for developing and popularising water harvesting technology in tribal areas of the country.

The award will be presented in New Delhi on the occasion of the foundation day of ICAR on July 16, a press release said.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> News> Science / by The Hindu Bureau  /  Hyderabad  – July 02nd, 2013

Hyderabad techies smell scent of money in sandalwood farming

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Science & Technology

Hyderabad :

It’s a new crop of farmers that’s seen making an entry into AP’s agro industry now.

Far removed from the traditional sickle-carrying uneducated bunch, these laptop-totting modern  agriculturalists are mostly suave techies with a plush job in the hi-tech hub of Hyderabad. And what they seem to be putting their money on to further `cultivate’ their wealth is not just another seasonal vegetable or fruit, but the much profitable sandalwood.

Rough estimates suggest that well over 1,000 acres of land spread  across areas such as Alair, Vikarabad and Zaheerabad, all located within 100 km from the city, have been brought under this new-age plantation activity that until a few years ago was restricted to dedicated zones within Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The low cost of land in these pockets __ industry experts claim that the prices are as low as Rs 20 lakh per acre __ coupled with a recession-hit real estate market  and the surge in interest among young professionals to go back to the `fields’, has given the lucrative business that extra boost.

Far removed from the traditional sickle-carrying uneducated bunch, these laptop-totting modern agriculturalists are mostly suave techies.
Far removed from the traditional sickle-carrying uneducated bunch, these laptop-totting modern agriculturalists are mostly suave techies.

So much so that M M Rao, after spending a good 14 years in the BPO sector , is now mulling giving up his present career and don the role of a full-time farmer. “I have bought half acre in Alair for this purpose with an initial investment of Rs 4 lakh. The value of this property has already shot up to Rs 6 lakh and post cultivation, it is only expected to rise further,” Rao said.

“Also, considering I am growing vegetables and mangoes here (sandalwood needs `host’ plants) in the intervening period, I expect to earn anywhere between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000 annually from the sale of the fruit till the sandalwood plants are ready for yield,” he added.

On an average, it takes around 15-20 years for a sandalwood tree to be rich in its oil content.

Apart from himself, the techie has also managed to persuade some of his friends  to take to this ‘new profession’ as he is highly optimistic of impressive returns in the future.

To cash in on this swelling enthusiasm for sandalwood among novice farmers, corporate groups from the city have come up with special profit-sharing ‘packages’ to encourage more and more people to take to agriculture, especially organic farming .

“We work on a 50-50 revenue sharing model wherein the land owner gives us the property and we take care of everything – right from setting up infrastructure to cultivation to harvest. This spares the owner the trouble of not just the initial plantation but also securing the plot till the trees grow,” said K Srinivas Rao, director, Village Organics Pvt Ltd, the company that presently has over 500 acres of land (for sandalwood farming) under its belt. It also has on board specialized wood and horticulture scientists to assist with the project.

“Contrary to popular conception, the Rayalaseema-Telangana region is well suited for this cultivation as they are not waterlogged areas,” Rao, who is also the president of the Sandalwood Growers Association of India, said.

Among the many hi-tech Hyderabadis who have signed up with his firm is Sheik Rasheed Basha, an IT professional , working with the railways at present. “I was looking at an investment option and this sounded interesting. The real estate market is anyway down so I thought of putting my money here,” Basha said. Only two months ago, he bought 1,200 sq yards (approx) in Vikarabad. “I have invested about Rs 3.5 lakh, which I am sure, will grow by at least three times soon,” he added.

But while this fresh group of farmers is sure of good returns, city environmentalists do sound a word of caution. They fear that such long-term business models might fizzle out before the buyers make any money.

source: http://www.economictimes.indiatimes.com / The Economic Times / Home> News> Economy> Agriculture / by TNN / June 20th, 2013

Nellore to house Ocean institute

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

OceanInstituteHF27jun2013

Hyderabad:

Due to lack of space for expansion in Chennai, the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) has decided to set up a larger campus at Nellore in Andhra Pradesh. Dr M.A. Atmanand, director, NIOT, said the institute had been on the lookout for a large piece of land for expansion near Chennai, but the institute has now decided to set its new campus outside Tamil Nadu.

“We are trying to get 250 acres in Nellore and our negotiation with the AP government is on,” he said. The district administration has identified 211.75 acres of land at Vakadu and Kota mandals of Nellore for NIOT.  NIOT deposited Rs 8.5 crore towards the cost of land which includes some private land as well.

source:  http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / June 15th, 2013

Power from biomass begins

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Science & Technology

Visakhapatnam:

Power generation from alternative sources in the district gained momentum with the start of environment friendly, biomass-based  power production in the district. It achieves greater significance as traditional thermal power generation has proved to be expensive and a major contributor to global warming.

Circars Power Industries Limited, was given permission  to start  biomass-based power with  a capacity of 6MW at Narsingapally way  back in 1999,  but did not start generating power until 2010.
Sources say that such projects were cleared in all districts by the state government as part of an initiative to encouraging  green power projects across the state.

Vishnu Vidyut India Limited  took over the project in 2010 and  started production in Jan 2013. It  is  the first unit to be upgraded to 7.5MW and  produces  power with locally available agricultural waste. The electricity generated through the combustion of renewable  biomass is being sent to the  AP Transmission Corporation’s grid at Narasingapally.

“We are selling power at Rs 5.45 per unit, which is  synchronised to the  grid. The advantage is that the technology for power generation using  biomass is similar to that of a thermal plant based on coal  but  at a cheaper  cost with low emissions,” said Grandhi Suresh Babu, Managing Director of the  unit.

Currently, biomass contributes 14 per cent of the total energy supply, predominantly in the rural and traditional  sectors. A study conducted by a researcher of Bharathiar University also showed  that the unit cost of electricity from electricity board is Rs 4.017  while that from biomass works to  only Rs 1.395, which is affordable.

“We are encouraging such green projects in the district in order to  enhance power production to bail out from the crisis. Many  organizations are coming forward to set up solar units in urban  areas,” said Nedcap district manager P. V. Ramaraju.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / by P.V. Prasad / DC / June 14th, 2013

Trauma care to get facelift soon

Science & Technology

hospitalHF15jun2013

Nellore:

The trauma care centre located in the headquarters hospital is being equipped with latest and advanced lifesaving equipment as part of facelift to the centre. Acute medical care, trauma care, trauma ICU and post-operative ICU wards are being reorganised as part improving the centre on par with corporate hospitals.

Although the trauma care centre was established about seven years ago to offer effective treatment for accident victims, it was hit by lack of doctors, paramedical staff and technicians for a long time.
Then MP of Nellore Panabaka Lakshmi was instrumental in setting up the centre when she was the Union minister of state for health and family welfare during 2004-09.

In the wake of staff shortage, medical officers and staff of district headquarters hospital used to perform the duties at the trauma care centre till now. However, the situation is changed now, following recruitment of doctors, staff nurses, biomedical technicians, plumbers and others to man the centre without depending on the headquarters hospital.

According to the superintendent of headquarters hospital, Dr K. Subba Rao, facelift is being given to the centre to make effective use of existing as well as new equipment received in the recent past.

The new equipment includes operation theatre lights, Boyel’s apparatus, monitors, defibrillators and cardiac infusion pum-ps among others. The centre will provide most effective treatment to the accident victims once the new recruits join the centre.

“We are particular about improving the post-operative care and acute medical care and we are in receipt of the advanced equipment for these departments. The existing trauma care centre is being renovated and more rooms are being added to accommodate the equipment and the wards if necessary,” Dr Subba Rao said.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / June 06th, 2013

IT exports to touch Rs 40cr

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

IThf08jun2013

Rajahmundry:

The IT activity which started more than a decade ago in Godavari districts picked up momentum in the last few years. The Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) unit which functions from East Godavari collectorate since the year 2007 made its presence felt in the spread of both software and hardware in the two districts of East and West under its purview.

This development has made steady progress and by 2012-13 financial year the IT units in both the districts made exports of IT and ITEs to various destinations including Canada, Switzerland and other European Union countries besides US. With tier II status given, Rajahmundry registered considerable growth in the activity with 10 companies to its credit out of the existing 40 units in both the districts.

Of the remaining units Kakinada and surrounding areas share 28 IT units. In West Godavari there are two units at Tanuku and the activity is expected to spread to places like educational centres Bhimavaram, Tadepalligudem and the district headquarters city Eluru. With IT boom back on the rails it is expected to make progress in West Godavari in the coming years.

STPI directed general Omkar Rai during his recent visit to Godavari districts stressed the need for development in West Godavari too. The IT SEZ started in Kakinada suburbs in 15 acres of land and the IT park at  Surampalem in the premises of Aditya Educational Institutions to the tune of 70,000 sft added fillip to the activity. The construction of IT tower which is under progress in IT SEZ premises is expected to give further boost to the IT activity in these parts.

Further, the IT incubation centre at the East Godavari collectorate also provides amenities like dedicated internet services, plug-n-play facility besides uninterrupted power supplies. STPI joint director and incharge of Kakinada unit B. Suresh said that the units registered with them are being provided with sops like excise duty concessions on imports. Further to this we have space to the tune of 7,000 sft at our premises in East Godavari collectorate to cater to the needs of new IT units as companies move out to their own premises after some years of establishment the JD added.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / June 03rd, 2013

Hyderabad firm makes reactors for pharma, fertiliser units

Business & Economy, Science & Technology
A technician at Standard checks the glass-lined vessel for gaps / The Hindu
A technician at Standard checks the glass-lined vessel for gaps / The Hindu

Its glass-lined vessels cost a third of those from foreign suppliers

Hyderabad :

A small, Rs 25-crore unit, tucked away in a remote corner of Jeedimetla industrial area in Hyderabad, will now be able to help bulk drug and fertiliser makers save crores of rupees by supplying a key input.

Started by a first-generation entrepreneur, the company, Standard Glass Lining Technology Ltd, is now the third firm in India to make glass-lined reactors, required by every maker of bulk drugs, fertilisers and chemical products.

GROWING DEMAND

The other two players — Indian subsidiaries of US-based GMM Pfaudler and France-based De Deitrich — can together supply hardly 60 per cent of the requirement of about 3,500 such reactors.

While the US firm’s subsidiary produces 800 units annually at its Gujarat unit, the other entity makes 1,200 units in Hyderabad.

The demand for this product is growing in India, as these sectors are switching over from plain stainless steel reactors to glass-lined ones.

The Hyderabad company has come out with glass-lined reactors using the latest patented technology of the Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata which enhances the life of the reactors as compared with those in the market.

Its cost is just 30 per cent of the imported one, as it is indigenous.

“Pharma and fertiliser companies today have to wait for at least 25-30 weeks to get these reactors from overseas. We are now equipped to supply these in 4-5 weeks,” K. Nageswar Rao, Managing Director, said.

Rao was a senior official of De Deitrich, before he decided to start his own venture using CGCRI technology about a year ago.

Standard Glass has a capacity of 600 units a year, with reactors ranging in size from 63 litres to 1,600 litres, and priced between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 35 lakh.

“In the next two years, we plan to scale up capacity to produce 30,000-lt reactors, currently priced at about Rs 60 lakh each. Only Pfaudler makes such large reactors in India today,” Rao said.

CAPACITY

Even with this new capacity, there will be a shortfall of about 900 to 1000 units a year in the estimated Rs 300-crore market for such reactors.

“The demand is growing at 30 per cent. We have already received orders for Rs 1 crore from pharma majors, including Dr Reddy’s and Natco. We expect to get orders for 250-300 units in our first year of production,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Companies / by Amit Mitra , amitmitra@thehindu.co.in / Hyderabad – May 31st, 2013

IIT Hyderabad Receives $174.8 million financial aid from Japan

Education, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Japan is all set to aid financial support to IIT Hyderabad (Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad). It will provide $174.8 million i.e. around 870 crore as a loan for development purpose. The IIT Hyderabad is receiving a biggest-ever amount aided to IIT’s by foreign countries.

 

Experts of higher education and development say that it need a lot more effort on the standards of higher education in the state in order to boost infrastructure. With the strongest support received the Institute is all set to raise nine state-of-art buildings, including special technology centre, new academic blocks and a research centre. According to the sources, Authorities will also use some portion of money to acquire lab equipment, and officials said they would expand its current capacity and student strength from existing 1000 plus to more than 7,500 by 2018. According to the experts, the biggest hurdle in the higher education sector across India is the shortage of well-trained faculties.

 

Senior official of IIT Hyderabad said, they will increase the number of faculties over 100 by 2018 which will be more than 750. A senior academic at the University of Hyderabad told “The talent pool is highly exciting in Hyderabad, and for Japan it is a truly exciting market as they are looking at more and more investments in education,” said professor G Haragopal.” IIT officials said they were overjoyed that the deal has been formally announced.

IIThyderabadHF05jun2013

The institute has been functioning at a temporary campus in Medak, and further development will happen in the new campus spread across 200 acres. CP Chandrasekhar, professor at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University, said “The Japan agreement is boost for higher education in India and will definitely give a big boost to technology and development of institutions.”

source: http://www.education.oneindia.in / Home> News / by Ashwathi / Friday – May 31st, 2013