Editorial

Nitin Bhatia

हमारे आस पास की दुनिया अकल्पनीय तरीकों से बदल रही है । आज के युग में जो व्यक्ति आर्टिफिशियल इंटेलिजेंस, संचार और क्वांटम टेक्नोलॉजीज के क्षेत्र में किये जा रहे विभिन्न उत्साहजनक अनुप्रयोगों से अपरिचित है, उसके लिए एक घिसा-पिटा कथन प्रतीत हो सकता है । हालाँकि, वैज्ञानिक समुदाय में इन तकनीकों की भूमिका, उपयोग, दुष्प्रभावों और सर्वोच्चता के बारे में बहस स्पष्ट रूप से निकट भविष्य में दुनिया पर इन प्रौद्योगिकियों के प्रभाव का संकेत दे रही है। भा.प्रौ.सं. जोधपुर इन क्षेत्रों में तकनीकी चुनौतियों के सामाधान करने हेतु लगातार काम कर रहा है जिससे देशवासियो और मानवता की आकांक्षाओं को पूरा किया जा सके । 

टेकस्केप के इस अंक में भा.प्रौ.सं. जोधपुर के कुछ सबसे रोमांचक विषयों विशेष उल्लेख किया गया है । जिसमें एक ओर मेडिकल टेक्नोलॉजीज इनोवेशन पर संस्थान में आयोजित पहले भारतीय सम्मेलन में शिक्षाविदों, उद्योग और मेडिकल प्रैक्टिशनर्स को एकजुट करने का मार्ग प्रशस्त करने का विवरण एक अनूठे तरीके से डॉ. सुष्मिता झा द्वारा प्रदान किया गया है । वहीं दूसरी ओर, डॉ. सुखेंदु घोष द्वारा गणित विभाग में आयोजित उन्नत गणितीय मॉडलिंग और कम्प्यूटिंग पर संगोष्ठी का विस्तृत विवरण प्रस्तुत किया गया हैं । साथ ही, डॉ. गौरव भटनागर ने उद्योग दिवस के विभिन्न क्रियाकलापों विवरण प्रदान किया है, जो एआर-वीआर और मेटवर्स, सेंसर और आईओटी, उद्योग 4.0, भरोसेमंद और जिम्मेदार एआई और कई अन्य जैसे विभिन्न क्षेत्रों में परिसर में गहरी शिक्षा-उद्योग साझेदारी को बढ़ावा देने के लिए मनाया जाता है । इन आयोजनों को भा.प्रौ.सं. जोधपुर के साथ विभिन्न क्षेत्रों के विशेषज्ञ पेशेवरों की उत्साहपूर्ण भागीदारी मिली, जो भविष्य की समस्याओं को हल करने के लिए एक सामंजस्यपूर्ण पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र के निर्माण की दिशा में आपसी समझ को प्रोत्साहित करते हैं। 

डॉ. रेचल फिलिप ने शिक्षा में प्रौद्योगिकी की भूमिका, डिजिटल विभाजन को पाटने और ग्रामीण संदर्भ में स्मार्ट शिक्षाशास्त्र के बारे में राय भी इस अंक में प्रकाशित की गई है । इसके अलावा इस अंक में भा.प्रौ.सं.जो. समुदाय के कई लेख हैं जो वर्तमान शोध दिशा में नवीनतम तकनीकी समावेश को दर्शाते हैं । जिसमें एक स्थायी भविष्य की जरूरतों के लिए लक्षित हल्के स्टील के गुणों को प्राप्त करने और चिह्नित करने के दिलचस्प तरीकों का लेख - नवरतन पंवार एवं अन्य; फोटोनिक लैब-ऑन-चिप तकनीक के विकास के लिए क्वांटम नैनोलेजर, और मल्टीफंक्शनल ऑप्टोइलेक्ट्रोनिक उपकरणों पर काम - रवीना बेनीवाल एवं अन्य; खाद्य उत्पादों में ट्रेस स्तर के दूषित पदार्थों का पता लगाने के लिए एसईआरएस नैनोचिप्स का विकास – सरवर सिंह एवं अन्य; ब्लेज़र द्वारा उत्सर्जित विकिरण की व्याख्या करने के लिए एक प्रशंसनीय मॉडल जो सक्रिय गैलेक्टिक नाभिक का एक वर्ग है, और एक खगोल भौतिकी स्रोत है- सुनंदा एवं अन्य; सेंटीपीड्स की गति जिसका उपयोग नरम-रोबोट के डिजाइन और विकास के लिए किया जा सकता है – सुनीता कुमारी एवं अन्य; भविष्य की यात्रा जहां जलवायु परिवर्तन हमें बहुत गंभीर रूप से प्रभावित कर सकता है – शुभम कुमार एवं अन्य; विभिन्न अनुप्रयोगों को साकार करने के लिए 2-डी ऑप्टिकल वेवगाइड – कृतार्थ श्रीवास्तव एवं अन्य इत्यादि प्रमुख लेख हैं । 

एस.आर. रंगनाथन लर्निंग हब में कोविड महामारी के दौरान भा.प्रौ.सं. जोधपुर के पुस्तकालय द्वारा संपर्क रहित तकनीक के समावेश ने यह सुनिश्चित किया कि संस्थान में शैक्षणिक प्रक्रियाएं निर्बाध बनी रहें । कमलेशकुमार एवं पुस्तकालय टीम ने इस तरह के विकास का विस्तृत विवरण प्रस्तुत किया जो अत्यंत सराहनीय है। 

मुझे उम्मीद है कि आप टेकस्केप के इस संस्करण को पढ़ने का उतना ही आनंद लेंगे जितना आपने पहले वाले संस्करणों को पसंद किया है । हम हमेशा अपने पाठकों के लिए नवीनतम और दिलचस्प लेख लाने की दिशा में प्रयासरत हैं । योगदानकर्ताओं और पाठकों से समान रूप से निरंतर समर्थन की उम्मीद करते हैं । 

The world around us is changing in the most unimaginable ways. It may appear to be a cliche statement for someone unfamiliar with the excitement that Artificial Intelligence, Communications and Quantum Technologies are bringing to us. However, the debate in the Scientific community about the role, usage, side-effects and supremacy of these techniques is  clearly indicating the impact that these technologies would have on the world in the near future. IIT Jodhpur has been constantly working to take-up the technological challenges in these areas, and prove herself as an asset to the nation by fulfilling the aspirations of our people, and humanity in general. 

This issue brings some of the most exciting featured articles from the IIT Jodhpur community. Dr. Sushmita Jha writes about how the First Indian Conference on Medical Technologies Innovations has paved the way for uniting the Academicians, Industry and Medical practitioners in a unique way. Dr. Sukhendu Ghosh gives the details of the Symposium on Advanced Mathematical Modelling and Computing organized in the department of Mathematics. Dr. Gaurav Bhatnagar provides the details of the Industry Day, celebrated to foster deeper academia-industry partnerships on the campus in a variety of areas such as AR-VR and Metaverse, Sensors and IOT, Industry 4.0, Dependable and Responsible AI and many more. These events received enthusiastic participation from professionals from IIT Jodhpur and outside, encouraging mutual understanding towards building a cohesive ecosystem for designing our future, and solving the problems of the hour. 

On the education front, Dr. Rachel Philip opines about the role of technology in education, bridging the digital divide, and smart pedagogy in the rural context. In addition to that, there are several contributed articles exploring some of the current research directions of the IITJ community. Navratan Panwar et al. describes the interesting ways to obtain and characterize the properties of lightweight steel targeted towards the needs of a sustainable future. Ravina Beniwal et al. gives details of their work on quantum nanolasers, and multifunctional optoelectronic devices for the development of photonic Lab-on-Chip technology. Sarvar Singh et al. provides an interesting overview of the development of SERS nanochips for detecting trace level contaminants in food products. This work is a part of research activities carried out by the Research and Innovation in Multidisciplinary Sensors (RIMS) group. Sunanda et al. provides a plausible model for explaining the radiation emitted by a Blazar which is a class of active galactic nuclei, and a violent astrophysical source. Another interesting study by Sunita Kumari et al. delves into the motion of centipedes which could be used for the design and development of soft-robots. Shubham Kumar et al. takes us onto a future trip where Climate change can hit us very severely. They bring out the unseen world of microorganisms, their activities, contributions to the ecosystem of Thar, and what can we learn from nature! Another research article by Kritarth Srivastava et al. explains the work being carried out in the direction of 2D optical waveguides for realizing various applications. 

The infusion of contactless technology in the S. R. Ranganathan Learning Hub, the library at IIT Jodhpur, during Covid pandemic ensured that the academic processes at IIT Jodhpur remain unhindered. Kamleshkumar et al. gives a detailed view of such development at the Library, IIT Jodhpur. 

I hope you will enjoy reading this edition of Techscape as much as you have liked the earlier ones. We always strive towards bringing the latest and interesting articles for our readers, and hope to receive continued support from the contributors and readers alike.

Science of Science

Prof. S. Chaudhury

Simply put, Science of Science (SciSci) is the Science of Scientific Investigations. A Polish international review journal Organon published in 1936 by the Mianowski Institute had, for the first time, contributions on Science of Science. This was cited by Nature in the same year [1]. 

Problems of science can be grouped according to different principles. Science of Science is concerned with investigations into similarity between these widely separated subjects and bringing them into internal harmony. The problems are explored by many different means, so links can be identified and forged to create a harmonious view of the whole of science. With the availability of digital data regarding publications, citations, funding, collaborations and mobility of scientists, the science of science (SciSci) can provide a quantitative understanding of the links, direct or indirect, between scientists across diverse geographies and time scales. These can provide insights into the conditions underlying creativity and the genesis of scientific discovery, and technology breakthroughs. 

Today’s science can be considered as a complex, self-organizing, and evolving network of scholars, projects, papers, and ideas. Analysis of this dynamic system is the key to capture patterns characterizing development of new technologies, scientific discoveries and even emergence of new scientific fields. Parameters of significance are in many cases  collaborative and citation networks. Emergence of new scientific fields are predicted through the study of collaboration networks – typically through microscopic analysis and modelling of the dynamics of the citation data and citation networks. SciSci builds quantitative understanding of the relations between scientists, institutions, and ideas because it seeks to identify the fundamental mechanisms responsible for technology breakthroughs and scientific discoveries. 

The emergence of SciSci has been driven by two key factors [2]. The first is data availability. In addition to the Web of Science (WoS), multiple data sources are available today (Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic, the global Patent and Trademark Offices, and others). Some of these sources are freely accessible, covering millions of data points pertaining to scientists and their output and capturing research from all over the world and all branches of science. Second, SciSci has benefited from collaborations among natural, computational, and social scientists who have developed capabilities to analyse and interpret big data and enabled critical tests of generative models that aim to capture the unfolding of science, its institutions, and its workforce. 

SciSci seeks to discover long-standing universal laws and mechanisms which drive trajectory of  various fields of science. However, each field of science and technology has distinct challenges leading to differences in culture and preferences across fields. Further, social, economic and political contexts influences geographical and temporal differences in growth of different fields in different countries. Understanding these variations and planning for targeted interventions should be the key for defining the science policies. With a deeper understanding of the factors leading to impactful science, it will be possible to develop systems and policies that can reliably improve the probability of success for each scientist and science investment, thus enhancing the prospects of science as a whole. The differences among the questions, data, and skills which are specific to disciplines also implies that insights can also be gained from domain-specific SciSci studies. 

SciSci can provide insights into various aspects of doing science. For example, SciSci can help us to understand career of a scientist, Shockley [3] proposed a simple model to study productivity of a scientist. He suggested that in order to publish a paper, a scientist deals with a number of hurdles, like:

H1. Identify a good problem

H2. Make progress with it

H3. Recognize a worthwhile result

H4. Make a decision as to when to stop the research and start writing up the results

H5. Write adequately

H6. Profit constructively from criticism

H7. Show determination to submit the paper for publication

H8. Make changes if required by the journal or the referees

If he/she fails to overcome any of these hurdles, there will be no publication. Let us assume that the probability of a person clearing hurdle Hi from the list above is pi. Then, the publication rate of a scientist is proportional to the probability of clearing each of the subsequent hurdles, that is N ~ p1 p2 p3 p4 p5 p6 p7 p8. If each of these odds are independent random variables, then the multiplicative nature of the process predicts that P(N) follows a lognormal distribution of the form:

Lognormal distributions are fat-tailed, capturing great variations in productivity. In other words, most researchers publish very few papers, whereas a non-negligible fraction of scientists are orders of magnitude more productive than the average. To understand where the outliers come from, imagine, that Scientist A has the same capabilities as Scientist B in all factors, except that A is twice as good at solving a problem (H2), knowing when to stop (H4), and determination (H7). As a result, A’s productivity will be 8 times higher than B’s. In other words, for each paper published by Scientist B, Scientist A will publish eight. Hence small differences in scientists’ ability to clear individual hurdles can lead to large variations in the productivity. Shockley’s model not only explains why productivity follows lognormal distribution, but it also offers a framework to improve our own productivity. Indeed, the model reminds us that publishing a paper does not hinge on a single factor, like having a great idea. Rather, it requires scientists to excel at multiple fronts. The model suggests, however, that the outliers cannot be explained by a single factor; rather, a researcher is most productive when she excels across many factors and fails in none. The hurdle-model indicates that a single weak point can impact an individual’s productivity, even if he or she is gifted in many ways [4]. 

In today’s world of disruptive changes in Science and Technology, it is very important for institutions of higher learning, including IITs, to create interdisciplinary research groups involving researchers from different scientific disciplines, data science, library and social sciences to work different aspects of SciSci and provide actionable insights to the institutions for pursuing impactful science and ensuring growth of individual researchers.

References

Indian Conference on Medical Technologies Innovations (ICMI 2023)

Sushmita Jha

The first Indian conference on medical technologies innovations (ICMI 2023) was jointly hosted by Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, and AIIMS Jodhpur from 24th to 26th February 2023. This one-of-a-kind conference was initiated by the students of the medical technologies programs jointly offered by IIT Jodhpur and AIIMS Jodhpur.  The programs in medical technologies are a first-of-its-kind program in the country offering Masters, PhD and Masters-PhD dual degrees. Initiated in 2020, this is a multi-disciplinary program to produce deep-tech innovators in the field of Medical Technologies fuelled by the need for disruptive healthcare technologies, interdisciplinary breakthroughs, the global and national need for healthcare innovation, in the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat, Digital Health Mission and Make in India. The conference brought together leading experts in the area of Med-Tech from across the globe.

ICMI 2023 brought together leading experts in engineering, medicine, industry and innovators from India and across the world to explore critical topics, share visions for the future, and build together. The conference started with a pre-conference seminar by Dr Vikram Sudarsan (President and CEO, Engrail Therapeutics, Inc. USA) on 19th February 2023. From 23rd to 25th February, ICMI was attended by more than 300 attendees from across the country, including IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, AIIMS Delhi, Datta Meghe University of Health Sciences Wardha and many more from academia, MedTech industry, research organizations and incubation centres. ICMI 2023 was inaugurated at Jodhpur club, IIT Jodhpur. 

The Inaugural session included opening remarks by Prof. Santanu Chaudhury, Director of IIT Jodhpur, emphasizing that the joint MedTech Programs are Innovative programs that lead to a pathway of innovation to start up with Needs from real-life problems with deep-tech solutions. Dr Madhabanand Kar (Executive Director, AIIMS Jodhpur) applauded the coming together of Engineers and Physicians to develop technologies for the benefit of humankind as a unique collaborative effort and congratulated the programs for creating many opportunities for make in India. 

Dr Sanjeev Misra, former director of AIIMS Jodhpur, who was involved with Prof Chaudhury from the program's inception, also joined online. He remarked on the First of its kind program in the country, allowing Doctors and engineers to work together, providing a platform for innovation to translation.   The Plenary talk by Prof Anurag Agrawal (Dean, BioSciences and Health Research, Ashoka University, India) titled Chatbots to robots started with Dr Agarwal sharing poetry created by chatGPT for the MedTech programs at jodhpur. Dr Agarwal reiterated the collaborative problem-solving for future global health and MedTech solutions and added “In Biomedicine, there may be no or many right answers to the same questions”. Dr Geetha Manjunath (Founder and CEO, of Niramai, Health Analytix) shared her entrepreneurial journey in creating a novel software-based medical device for the early detection of breast cancer. The inaugural session ended with the coordinators of the joint programs, Dr Sushmita Jha, from IIT Jodhpur and Dr Shilpi Gupta Dixit from AIIMS Jodhpur, inviting the attendees to the poster and scientific sessions as well as Avinya, the MedTech Hackathon (more than 80 individuals participated in Avinya). 

Day 2 of ICMI-2023 started with Innovator talks by Arun Agarwal, (founder of Janitri and participant getting the biggest investment on   Shark Tank India), Dr Raj Doshi (Director, India Program, Stanford University Byers, Center of Biodesign), Dr Amit Jotwani (Oncologist, Co-Founder Director, CMS at Onco.com & Onco Cancer Centers), Dr Gautam Das (Co-Founder and MD Mibiome therapeutics), Dr Bala Pesala (Founder and CEO Ayur.AI), and Ramkrishna Rao (Director R&D GE Healthcare). Talks were followed by an interactive discussion session with all the speakers including Dr Pankaj Chhatrala (CEO, Orthoheal) and Geethanjali Radhakrishnan (CEO and MD Adivuo Diagnostics) discussing the trials and tribulations of the start-up journey.  The poster sessions and Scientific talks by selected participants were judged by an eminent jury while the MedTech exhibition and networking area allowed for unstructured interaction among participants. The Avinya Hackathon was a Student Centric Event, Exploring Unmet Clinical Needs with Clinical Immersion. It allowed teams of doctors and engineers to work together and explore Deep Tech solutions for medtech challenges as Start-up ideas and pitch their ideas to a panel of judges on the valedictory ceremony was conducted at Auditorium of AIIMS, Jodhpur. Awards for different categories were given; 1. Best team for problem Identification: Iron Tablets; 2. Best team for Pitch deck: visual panacea; 3. Best team for business aspect and market research: pulmoheal; 4. Best team for technology application: Neurokit; 5. Best team for social impact: DocTob; 6. Best team efforts: Sabas.

Dr. Santanu Chaudhary, Director IIT Jodhpur and Dr. Kuldeep Singh AIIMS Jodhpur gave the prizes to the Avinya winners. Avinya winners also received cash prizes & will receive mentoring support from both institutes. The event's grand success concluded with an announcement of the next ICMI from 1-3rd February 2024 at Jodhpur and a vote of thanks by the local chairs of ICMI 2023, Dr Pradeep Dwivedi (AIIMS Jodhpur) and Dr Siddharth Srivastava (IIT Jodhpur).

Symposium on Advanced Mathematical Modelling and Computing (SAMMC-2023)

Sukhendu Ghosh

Department of Mathematics, IIT Jodhpur, organized a two-day Symposium on Advanced Mathematical Modelling and Computing (SAMMC-2023) during March 04-05, 2023, at IIT Jodhpur. The symposium was held in both physical and online mode. Total number of physical participants were around 110 and online participants were around 35. The symposium aimed to provide a platform for students, researcher scholars, academicians, and researchers from industries to interact and share knowledge on various advances in Mathematical Modelling and Computing. The symposium focused on several new and novel techniques and methodologies and their applications to provide broad exposure of those to researchers of applicable mathematics and allied fields. Further, this symposium also offered an opportunity for emerging researchers to interact with some of the eminent experts both from academics and industries. The symposium had 11 expert talks on the different aspects of Mathematical Modelling and Computing to enlighten and motivate researchers and students working in these areas. Several renowned speakers addressed the gathering, like, Prof. S. Sundar, Director, NIT Mizoram spoke on Pedestrian Crowd Dynamics interaction with Obstacles: Mathematical Models, Numerics and Simulation, Prof. Suman Chakraborty, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Kharagpur, spoke on Modeling of Microvascular Flows, Prof. Jiten C. Kalita,     Professor, Department of Mathematics, IIT Guwahati, addressed the participants on Flow past bluff bodies: From a body fitted to immersed, Dr. Himadri Sekhar Paul, Senior Scientist at TCS Research & Innovation, spoke about Performance estimations of Robotic Motion under uncertainties, Prof. G P Raja Sekhar, Professor, Dept. of Mathematics, IIT Kharagpur, talked about Mathematical modelling of tumor growth and mechanical behaviour. While the talk of Dr. Swagatam Das, Associate Professor, Electronics and Communication Sciences Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata was on Generative Models in Deep Machine Learning through the Lens of Mathematics, Dr. Lipika Dey, Principal Scientist, TCS Innovation Labs, New Delhi, shared her views on the topic Can Large Language Models help school children with their Mathematics homework? Prof. A. K. Pani, Visiting Professor, Department of Mathematics, BITS Pilani at Goa, delivered a talk on  Scientific Computing: A New Way of Looking at Mathematics, Prof. Kirti Chandra Sahu, Professor, Department of  Chemical Engineering, IIT Hyderabad, expressed his views on Understanding the microphysics of raindrops by theoretical modeling and experiments. The talk of Prof. S. Chandra Sekhara Rao, Professor, Dept. of Mathematics, IIT Delhi, was on Parallel computation of block tridiagonal toeplitz-block- toeplitz linear systems, and Prof. Yi-Ju Chou, Professor, Institute of Applied Mechanics, National Taiwan University, Taiwan, spoke about A computational platform for multi-scale modeling of complex suspension flow via active learning.

Group photo of the participants and organizers of Symposium on Advanced Mathematical Modelling and Computing (SAMMC-2023)

Overall, the outcomes of the symposium were interesting. It promoted active discussion on advanced mathematical models and promotion of interdisciplinary research, encouraged interaction between the students and young researchers with the renowned experts from different fields of research, and sparked off ideas and possibilities for research collaboration and academic exchange. 

Industry Day 2023

Gaurav Bhatnagar

IIT Jodhpur, having created a vibrant ecosystem to enable sponsored and industrial research opportunities for faculties and students to contribute to multi-disciplinary projects and R&D for solving problems of industrial interest, has organized Industry Day 2023 on February 3-4, 2023 with an objective to establish links between industries and our academic and research programs. The two-day event was planned to engage policymakers, scientists, industry experts, and entrepreneurs in meaningful discussions and formulated its way forward for stronger industry-academia linkages in the areas of AR-VR and Metaverse, Sensors and IOT, Resilient and smart Infrastructure, Robotics and Mobility, Industry 4.0, Intelligent- and Neuro-marketing, Dependable and Responsible AI, Hydrogen Economy, Technology for Sustainability, and MedTech and Healthcare.

Alongside of the broader objective of establishing, strengthening and enduring IIT Jodhpur’s connect with the industries including joint research projects, engagement of students, and faculty members with industries, the Industry Day 2023 meant to provide an avenue for potential collaboration opportunities between Industry and IIT Jodhpur, to create awareness about different research projects and resources of industry interest being undertaken by IIT Jodhpur, to provide a platform to discuss the technological challenges industries are facing, to initiate long-term relationships with industries.

The main themes of the events during the Industry Day 2023 were - Dependable and Responsible AI, Sensors and IOT, Intelligent- and Neuro-marketing, Technologies for Sustainability, Resilient and Smart Infrastructure, AR-VR and Metaverse, MedTech and Healthcare, Robotics and Mobility, Industry 4.0, Hydrogen economy. The event had participation from over 40 industries. The two-day event had a keynote session, invited talks, and panel discussions by luminaries from different industries. Prof. Santanu Chaudhury delivered the opening remarks and set the context to the event, and shared information about different initiatives of IIT Jodhpur, with the attendees. The keynote address was delivered by Mr. Virendra Gupta, CEO, VerSe Innovation on Building Industries. He appreciated IIT Jodhpur’s initiatives of inculcating entrepreneurship as an integral component of the curriculum. Tracing his entrepreneurial journey, he discussed with the gathering, the exciting opportunities and possibilities in the lifespan of entrepreneurship.

The first thematic session was on Dependable and Responsible AI. The theme had Ms. Anna Roy, Senior Advisor, NITI Aayog, as the keynote speaker. She discussed various initiatives on Responsible AI being taken by NITI Aayog and the Government of India. The session also had a panel discussion with Dr. Lipika Dey from TCS Research Labs, Dr. Gaurav Aggarwal from Google Research India, Dr. Vidit Jain from LinkedIn, Dr. Shourya Roy from Flipkart, and Prof. Santanu Chaudhury from IIT Jodhpur, as panelists. They iterated the importance of including dependability during the development of the AI algorithm itself, rather than incorporating it as an after-thought.

The thematic session on Sensors and the Internet of Things (IoT) witnessed several keynote talks. Dr. Ashwini Aggarwal, Director, Applied Materials India, discussed how sensor technologies are rapidly evolving and will play a significant role in shaping the future of various industries, from healthcare to transportation. Dr. Arpan Pal, the Distinguished Chief Scientist and Research Area Head, Embedded Devices and Intelligent Systems, TCS Research, introduced the concept of using edge computing to implement AI-driven intelligent sensing systems. There was a panel discussion on strengthening Industry-Academia cooperation toward futuristic innovation in addressing practical challenges. The panelists, Dr. Abhilasha Gaur, COO, Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI), and Shri Amrit Manwani, the Chairman & Managing Director of Sahasra Group of Companies, stressed upon the existing void and subsequent scope of innovation in the manufacturing sector that rightly justifies the vision of ‘Make in India’. The discussion also highlighted the urgent need of early exposure to technology-driven education across the country to promote skill based capacity building.

In the thematic session on Intelligent and Neuromarketing, the keynote address was delivered by Dr. Jane Leighton, Vice President, BASES AdPractice at NielsenIQ.com, where she touched upon the relevance of consumer neuroscience across various walks of life. It was followed by a Panel discussion with eminent personalities from the Industry. Mr. Bhupesh Dinger, Director – Enrich, Ms. Diya Singh, Founder and CEO, Neurohook, and Mr. Bhavya Madan, Co- founder and CTO, Neuophony, had an engaging session and brought myriad perspectives on how consumer neuro-science, especially neuromarketing is shaping consumer choices and decision making. The discussion attracted views from the ethical issues pertaining to neuromarketing to what the consumer really wants.

IIT Jodhpur envisions being one of the leading academic institutions nationally and globally in infrastructure engineering. In line with that, Industry Day 2023 had the theme Resilient and Smart Infrastructure. This theme had featured an exciting series of expert/keynote talks and panel discussions. The distinguished guests in this theme included Mr. Rajendra Inani, Head, Smart cities business unit, Tata Projects, Mr. Ashish Deshpande, Head, Cities, Buro Happold, Dr. Chitro Majumdar, Chief Founder, RsRL, Prof. Chandan Gosh, Professor and Head, Resilient Infrastructure Division, NIDM, and Mr. Manish Parihar, Director, Dams, WRD, Rajasthan.

The thematic session on AR-VR and Metaverse had two keynote talks followed by a panel discussion to introduce the audience to the current software and hardware progress in this theme. Prof. Simon See (NVIDIA) delivered the first talk and discussed the various technology development and hardware infrastructure created in NVIDIA for Metaverse creation. Mr. Pradeep Khanna visited IIT Jodhpur from Sydney to discuss the Evolution of VR-AR to XR to Metaverse and its impact on Education & Training. Dr. Amit Bhardwaj and Dr. Rajendra Nagar from IIT Jodhpur presented the institute’s progress on the research and technologies developed in the area of AR-VR and Metaverse. For the panel discussion, Dr. Lokesh Boregowda (Samsung), Mr. Rajat Ojha (Gametronics), Mr. Bharatkumar Sharma (NVIDIA), Prof. Neeraj Jain and Prof. Santanu Chaudhury from IIT Jodhpur were the panelists. Dr. Manish Narwaria (IIT Jodhpur) moderated the discussion. They discussed the importance of AI in the development of AR-VR and Metaverse technologies and the regulations required for the responsible and robust Metaverse.

In the MedTech and Healthcare theme, the invited speakers and panelists interacted with faculty and students working in the areas of medical technologies. Prof. Vijay Chandru, Co-Founder, and Director, Strand Life Sciences, Bangalore, delivered the keynote address. He outlined cutting-edge technologies employed by genomic laboratories across the world while detailing Strand Life Sciences’ latest product PathCrisp. Following the keynote lecture, IIT Jodhpur showcased its achievements in MedTech innovations, research, and the launch of academic programs. The flagship IITJ & AIIMS-J joint programs in medical technologies is supported by the Jodhpur City Knowledge Innovation Foundation (JCKIF), BioNEST funded by BIRAC, Biodesign deep-tech center funded by DBT, and Siemens, supporting the prototyping process. In the panel discussion, panelists discussed and deliberated on how they can participate and collaborate with the flourishing MedTech ecosystem at IIT Jodhpur. Satyendra Johari (Founder & Chairman, of Johari Digital) emphasized the physical proximity of his company with the IIT  Jodhpur campus and about previous collaborations of IITJ with Johari Digital. Esha Ray and Nimesh Ray (Entrepreneur/ Investor, AnayaFoods, Enray Inc., SOHA Wellness) brought with them their rich experience of building companies in the USA. As investors in medical technology companies within India and the US, they pitched for changing mindsets towards startups within IIT Jodhpur.

In the theme, Robotics and Mobility Systems (RMS) the emphasis was on solving open research problems requiring an integrated approach through the fusion of knowledge from multiple fields including: mechanical, electrical, civil, computer science, chemistry, and materials. The event consisted of various technical talks and discussions ranging from futuristic technology development to industry- academia collaborations in the areas of Robotics and Mobility systems. The dignitaries who visited include: Dr. Abhay A. Pashilkar (Director, CSIR NAL), Dr. Satyanarayana Murthy (Head, UAV Division, CSIR, NAL), and Mr. Nishant Kejriwal (Head, Computer Vision Group at HiTech Roboticz).

In the theme on Technologies for Sustainability, the discussion revolved around enabling the process and requirements to ensure sustainability. The event consisted of keynote talks by Prof. V. M. Chariar (Maganese Ore India and Ekam Eco Solutions) and discussions ranging from futuristic technology development to industry-academia collaborations in the areas of Robotics and Mobility systems. The dignitaries who visited include: Shri Uttame Banerjee (Ekam Eco Solutions), Dr Ronak Sutaria (Respirer Living Sciences Pvt Ltd), and Shri Sudipta Das (Glen).

In   the   theme   of   Industry   4.0,   the    keynote was delivered by Suresh Perinjery, PTC Solutions. He explained how the combined use of Digital Twin and Augmented Reality technologies can help in product design, manufacturing, and factories design and continuously analyzing them. The keynote was followed by a panel discussion where Mukul Gupta (Dynapt Solutions) and Naveen Kansara (Kansara Modler Ltd.) participated and discussed the benefits of using Industry 4.0 in various industries through several case studies and explained the role of IIT Jodhpur in developing Industry 4.0 based solutions for rapid detection of defects during manufacturing.

In the last and final theme on hydrogen Economy, the deliberations were on the National Green Hydrogen Mission (Government of India), which is causing a wave of excitement in the business, industry, and scientific community. The overarching objective of the mission is to make India a global hub for hydrogen production, usage and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives. After the solar PV revolution, this decade is perhaps the decade of energy transition and hydrogen economy and it overlaps with India catapulting to a 5 trillion- dollar economy by end of this decade. The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Sandeep, K. C. (BARC). The panel for the panel discussion consisted of Shri. Pranav Baxi (L&T Energy – Hydrocarbon) and Dr. Suruchi Rao (Ossus Biorenewables, IKP Eden) and provided insights on national hydrogen mission and on how IIT Jodhpur can contribute in the same.

The event also included a poster symposium. The motive was to exhibit ongoing state-of-the-art research projects and innovations in the areas in discussion. The best poster awards were selected by a panel of judges who assessed the posters based on their scientific content, visual presentation, and overall impact. Total 134 posters were presented at the event.

Navigating the Digital Divide in Conceptualizing Technology Enhanced Learning for Schools

Rachel Philip

Technology-enhanced learning (TEL) is now a familiar term. As suggested by the name, it refers to the use of technologies to facilitate learning, regardless of the location of the learning environment, which may be local (such as a campus of a school or a college) or remote (such as at home or at the workplace). While the term has gained popularity in the context of computer-based technologies, such as smartphones and other devices, experiments with how to use non-traditional technologies in the classroom predate these conversations. For example, the period of the Interregnum and aftermath of the Second World War saw many examples (eg. the Articulated Instructional Media Initiative conceptualized by Charles Widemeyer and the University of Wisconsin, etc.) of how to use novel media such as instructional films, radio, television and emerging satellite technologies to expand the scale of access, introduce flexibility, and create engaging learning content. 

However, there is a new focus on ‘learning’ with the evolution of ‘intelligent’ technologies which can collect local/pertinent data, analyse it, draw conclusions and adapt/change behaviour to suit the environment and improve performance. Learning and the pertinent application of knowledge autonomously by machines has come to define ‘Smartness’ in various aspects of present day society as well as our aspirations for the future. Additionally, the majority of ‘learners’ or contemporary students were born in the age of digital media, an aspect which has had a tremendous impact on their cognitive, social and even biological functioning. Such students are often referred to as ‘Net generation’, ‘generation of digital natives’ or ‘generation Z. Some of their characteristics include their ability to obtain multiple resources from the Internet, living in ‘social media in addition to living in reality and having permanent contact with other members of their community (Borawska-Kalbarczyk et al, 2019). They are ‘SMART’ in the sense of being ‘Social, Motivated, Anywhere and anytime, Resource enriched and Technology embedded’ (Chun, Kim, Kye, Jung, & Jung, 2013). 

However, the main caveat here is that digital inequalities are very real and shaped by various socioeconomic parameters. One cannot use a blanket term like ‘digital natives’ to describe all young learners without taking into account their social location.Oxfam’s India Inequality Report 2022 notes that among the poorest 20 percent households in India, only 2.7 percent have access to a computer and 8.9 percent to internet facilities. Among the poorest 20 percent households, only 2.7 percent have access to a computer and 8.9 percent to internet facilities. The research also focuses on the environmental, social, and political aspects that affect who uses the internet and for how long. For instance, just 38% of households in the nation are computer literate. In addition, just 31% of people in rural areas utilize the internet, compared to 67% of people in metropolitan areas. The absence of such technologies and opportunities has a long term impact on school children (especially girls) from rural and marginalized communities. Additionally, even for privileged learners, the rate of change of technologies increases the risk that students are constantly shifting their attention to interesting technologies, without synthesizing the fragments of information as whole picture information. If new information is not synthesized in this manner and new knowledge is not constructed, then technological enhancements of educational environments will not lead to metacognitive development. 

In the cycle of innovative disruption that characterizes Industry 4.0 and the rapid responses it requires from Information 4.0, there is quite a bit of uncertainty about which pedagogical principles should be taken into account from providing learning in a technologically-enhanced environment. In contemporary educational discourses, there is an increasing attempt to describe a paradigm shift in pedagogical processes by prefixing the term ‘smart’ to teaching and learning. The conversation has moved beyond understanding ‘smartness’ through the presence of smart devices (like phones, tablets, boards etc.) that are part of the learning to how these technologies and infrastructures enable learning to be personalized to individual learners. They have changed from being surroundings or tools to being personified agents that can aid teachers in assessing the potential and development of each learner and may ultimately make decisions for them. An acronym for SMART which captures this aspect is  ‘Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timed’ (Tofade, Khandoobhai, & Leadon, 2012). But this is not a seamless shift. Therefore, many studies highlight that the attitude of educators towards technologies is the main influence on the decision to use or not to use specific technologies in the teaching process (Kreijns, Vermeulen, Van Acker, & Van Buuren, 2014; Raghunath, Anker, &  Northcliffe, 2018). Therefore the teacher is central in-so-far as his or her pedagogical competence to organize and manage technologically enhanced learning. However, in the Indian context, the enabling conditions for technology-supported education such as the availability of appropriate resources, teacher capabilities and curricular adaptations at present do not uniformly exist across various states in the Indian public education system (Quest Alliance, 2021).

Keeping these aspects in mind, what does it mean to design technology-enhanced learning environments for rural government schools which are so infrastructurally poor that there are shortages of classrooms, basic teaching learning materials, functional toilets, functioning libraries etc.? This was the question that came to mind following a field visit to some government schools in the district of Nagaur, Rajasthan. What kind of e-learning tool in the context of language learning can be designed for such a context, when so many other needs seem to be more paramount? How will this be integrated with the regular teaching and learning that happens in the school? It was evident that one cannot automatically use or borrow paradigms about technologically-enhanced learning contexts that have been developed in resource-rich contexts. In conceptualizing a multifaceted intervention that takes into account the whole school environment and its culture of learning with other stakeholders, some important aspects had to be kept in mind. Teachers play an enabling role in TEL systems but it is not possible to replace a teacher, especially for younger students in the primary classes. The teacher has to be at the heart of the intervention. The aim is not just to develop isolated educational experiences using technology that are ‘interesting’ and ‘exciting’. The user experience of learners in navigating custom-built language games etc. will vary according to the socio-economic background of students and the support provided by teachers. Teachers require supplementary and customized professional development in understanding the possibilities of ICTs and specifically, how they can use it in the context of their classes. In the design of a technological intervention like a game for language learning needs, an aspect that can be explored is specialized computer education for teachers, with a focus on basic programming skills, so that they may use customized authoring tools to adapt content according to their classroom needs. A one-size-fits-all approach may not be the best solution. At the same, decision makers like principals in schools and community leaders are also key stakeholders. Their support is essential in the deployment and sustained operation of TEL systems, so that teachers have confidence as well as autonomy in using these technologies in a way that complements their pedagogy. 

The reality of digital inequalities in the context of school education in developing countries like India necessitates a rethink of the current discourse on technology-enhanced learning. Focusing on the centrality of the role of teachers in finding answers on how to incorporate new technologies in educational processes in resource-poor and disadvantaged schools in rural contexts opens up further dimensions in the global discourse on ‘smart pedagogy’. 

References

About the Authors

Strong and Ductile Lightweight steels for Sustainable future in structural applications

Navratan Panwar, Kishan Bharti, Vijander Kumar and Nitin Kumar Sharma

Ever increasing global use of materials in different sectors, including but not limited to energy, construction, and transportation etc., has led to a significant increase in the environmental burden especially related to emission of greenhouse gases. A large focus of scientific research has thus moved towards figuring out newer ways to overcome these issues and hence contribute towards sustainability goals. Reduction in the weight of existing high strength materials in different sectors, especially for structural (or load bearing) applications, would lead to a better fuel efficiency in transportation sector as well as lower emission of harmful greenhouse gasses in general for all sectors. Weight reduction of such materials is hence seen as a positive step towards sustainability [1].

Steels are the most used materials for structural applications, mainly because of their versatility in terms of manipulation of microstructure and hence achieving a very good control over mechanical properties. In addition to their metallurgical designation, steels are usually classified according to the combination of their mechanical properties, represented as a product of ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and total elongation (TE), as shown in Figure 1. Conventional steels such as mild steels, interstitial free (IF) steels have a lower value of UTS×TE. Different Advanced high strength steels (AHSS), having a higher value of UTS×TE, are also grouped into First generation AHSS such as dual phase (DP) steels, transformation induced plasticity (TRIP), Second generation AHSS such as twinning induced plasticity (TWIP), and Future generation AHSS such as medium Manganese steels, quenched and partitioning (Q&P) steels etc. Future generation AHSS with a base alloy system of Fe-Mn-C are among the structural materials having a very good strength-ductility combination and weight reduction of AHSS would be extremely beneficial for sustainable use in structural applications [2]. 

The concept of so-called “Lightweight steels” or “Low density steels” has acquired a great deal of attention in recent times owing to the above reasons. Research efforts are continuously being made to develop such steels with lowered density along with high formability and strength at relatively low cost. In addition to the development, gathering the understanding behind optimization of metallurgical properties and processing methods is also being carried out [3]. Depending on the overall alloy composition, matrix phase (or the primary phase in highest fraction) can either be ferrite, austenite or a mixture of both (Figure 2). Austenitic matrix is usually preferred over ferrite and duplex mixture for obtaining a good combination of strength and ductility. Lower density of lightweight steels is usually achieved by the addition of light elements such as Al (and Si) to the Fe-Mn-C system. With each 1% (wt. % unless indicated otherwise) addition of Al, there is a 1.3% reduction in density of steel. The Fe-Mn-Al-C system is propitious class of low-density steels having a good combination of strength and ductility and have been studied for different reasons such as (a) resistance to oxidation at high temperature, (b) resistance to corrosion and (c) cryogenic application and considered to be the potential substitute for the Fe-Cr-Ni-C base stainless steels. Al-added lightweight steels get the strengthening due to the formation of nano-sized κ-carbide; (Fe, Mn)3(Al, C) (known as kappa-carbide: Figure 2) precipitates [4]. These κ-carbides exist in high performance steels as precipitates either at the boundaries of austenitic and ferritic domains or within the grains. In addition to providing precipitation strengthening effect, such carbides can also have an additional strengthening effect on steels as they act as hydrogen scavengers to counteract hydrogen embrittlement. However, an increased addition of Al beyond 12% not only leads to change of matrix phase from austenite to ferrite, but also results in coarse intergranular κ-carbides which reduces ductility as well as resistance to corrosion [5].

Another common alloying addition in lightweight steels is Si. Similar to Al, the addition of Si to the Fe-Mn-C or Fe-Mn-Al-C system also leads to predominantly ferrite based microstructure. Moreover when Si and Al are present together, there is a formation of DO3 ordered phase; (Fe, Mn)3(Al, Si) which also results in deterioration of ductility [6]. Although the addition of Si helps in lowering the density, there is also a maximum limit to which Si can be added in lightweight steels due to its deleterious effect on the mechanical properties. Apart from Al and Si, addition of other alloying elements like Ni, Ti, Nb, and V have also been explored. While the addition of Al and Si was aimed towards reducing the density of steel, the addition of these other elements is largely to reduce the negative effects of Al and Si addition and hence improve the combination of strength and ductility of lightweight steels. Unlike Al and Si which favour the formation of ferrite matrix, Ni strongly favours the formation of austenite matrix. Addition of Ni lowers the martensitic start temperature to achieve a high fraction of retained austenite at room temperature which gives rise to transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) and twinning induces plasticity (TWIP) effects to improve the ductility of lightweight steels. On the other hand, there is also a formation of NiAl-type B2 ordered phase in place of κ-carbide with the addition of Ni which substantially improve the strength of these steels [7]. Other alloying elements like Ti, Nb, and V are well-known carbide forming elements when added in small quantities. In addition to the formation of favourable carbides, these elements also help in grain refinement and hence improving the tensile strength [8]. Our group has also been working in this area with a focus on alloy design and phase transformation aspects. Recently, we have also started utilizing machine learning algorithms such as Random forest, Gradient boosting etc. to establish correlation between different metallurgical factors such as fraction of various phases (ferrite, austenite, and precipitates etc.) and their impact on the mechanical properties of lightweight steels. Corresponding preliminary results from our work are summarized in Figure 3.

As discussed above, the lightweight Fe-Mn-Al-C system, with or without the addition of other alloying elements, can produce a variety of microstructures and can achieve a wide range of properties. Hence the understanding of different metallurgical principles, microstructural evolutions during the processing routes and the related mechanical properties forms a major part of ongoing research in the domain of lightweight steels.

References

About the Authors

Development of Quantum nanolaser and optoelectronic devices for photonic Lab-on-a-Chip Technology

Ravina Beniwal, Debasish Biswasray, S. Appalakondaiah and B. M. Krishna Mariserla

The advent of semiconductor technology is also marked as the commencement of the electronic revolution that has provided new devices to mankind for comfortable modern life. The crystalline bulk semiconductor materials were used to form the heterostructures at the Bell laboratories by John Bardeen, W. H. Brattain, and W. B. Shockley led to the invention of transistors1 which are active elements of integrating circuits (ICs) or semiconductor chips and processors. The electronic and optoelectronic devices used in our daily lives, such as mobile phones, laptops, watches, display screens, televisions, solar cells, automobile electronics and many more applications have driven by this invention. Though it had great success in the past, future technological advancements with bulk semiconductor heterostructures are nearly impossible because they are fragile, optically opaque and have a constraint of lattice matching that restricts their usage for next-generation flexible ultra-compact devices. Moreover, they are approaching performance limits due to low carrier mobilities. 

At this juncture, two-dimensional materials offer a great viable platform for the development of ultra-compact, flexible, and multifunctional devices for wearable and Lab-on-a-chip technologies. These two-dimensional (2D) materials are atomically thin (~few Angstroms), free from dangling bonds and weak out-of-plane interactions facilitate radiative excitons & high carrier mobilities to harvest the strong optoelectronic responses. Another vibrant feature of 2D materials is that one-on-one stacking to design the artificial structures, known as van der Waals (vdW) homo/heterostructures2, allows tuning the optoelectronic properties of the devices. Due to their angstrom scale thicknesses & flexibility, we can envision transparent electronic or photonic circuits. They can empower future technologies with wearable transparent- wristwatches, cardiac monitors & stimulators, stress monitors & controllers, and household windows for generating electricity through solar radiation. The Lab-on-a-chip technology integrates multiple devices onto a single miniaturized chip and synchronizes different functional operations finding applications in agricultural, biomedical, chemical, automobile, communications, spectroscopy, and photonics applications3,4. The key component of the Lab-on-a-chip device is a light source (laser) which should be compatible with chip dimensions, and this is a quest of research for the development of such sources.

Our group (UPG) is working on the development of advanced photonic devices and quantum nanolasers towards Lab-on-a-chip technology. In this direction, we are modelling the 2D-based homo/heterostructures and identifying their stable stacking configurations through theoretical/computational methodologies. These 2D materials & heterostructures are fabricated through mechanical exfoliation and their stacking order is controlled via viscoelastic stamp transfer techniques for tuning the electronic bands. The suitable band alignment of vdW heterostructures enables the high density of intra/inter-layer excitons (electron-hole pair) owing to charge transfer mechanisms that help to achieve radiative recombination. Conversion of this radiative process into a lasing is a challenging problem due to the dominance of spontaneous emission over stimulated emission. To overcome this, light-matter interactions should be enhanced within the gain medium (2D-homo/heterostructures) for strengthening the stimulated emission. Photonic crystal cavity is an excellent host for enriching the light-matter interactions because of their lattice arrangement and ease of integration with 2D materials. A photonic crystal with a cavity is created by introducing defects in a periodic dielectric medium to confine the coherent light through Bragg reflections resulting in quantum lasing. We are designing appropriate photonic crystal cavities to integrate with 2D-based materials for construction of quantum nanolasers. Also, we explore the linear and nonlinear optical properties of 2D materials and their homo/heterostructures for multifunctional optoelectronic devices as shown in the figure

References 

About the Authors

Trace-level Analytes Detection in Food Products using Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS)

Sarvar Singh and Ajay Agarwal

Raman spectroscopy is a useful technique to obtain molecular ‘fingerprint’ which can be used to reliably identify molecules. When monochromatic light is incident upon a specimen, most of it gets either absorbed, reflected or refracted and a small portion gets scattered. The scattering event can be of two types: elastic or inelastic scattering. When the energy of scattered light is equivalent to the incident light’s energy, it is called elastic scattering. However, a very small portion of scattered light (one photon in ~108 photons) has different energy than the incident light and it is called inelastic scattering. The inelastically scattered light contains information about vibrational modes of molecules present in the specimen. This phenomenon is exploited in Raman spectroscopy to obtain the molecular information of the specimen. Since, the inelastic scattering is a rare event, the signal intensity in conventional Raman spectroscopy is very low. This creates a challenge in analysing trace level molecules in a specimen. To overcome this problem, Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) is used. SERS relies on the plasmonic properties of metal nanoparticles such as gold, silver, copper etc. When the conditions for Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) are met, a strong electromagnetic field is generated in the close vicinity (up to ~5nm) of the metal nanoparticles. If a Raman-active molecule is present in this LSPR region, the Raman signal of such molecule enhances up to 7-8 orders of magnitude [1]. This resolves the low signal problem of conventional Raman spectroscopy and trace level molecular detection is enabled. In controlled conditions, even single molecule detection can be performed using SERS.

SERS-based nanosensors find applications in various fields ranging from food industry, medical technology, defense, transport, energy, forensics etc[1], [2]. Research and Innovation in Multidisciplinary Sensors (RIMS) group at IIT Jodhpur has developed SERS nanochips for detecting trace level molecules/contaminants in food products such as honey and chilli powder, etc. We have developed a low-cost solution to realize high performance Ag@Si SERS substrates [3]. The planar SERS substrates exhibit higher uniformity when compared with colloidal solution based SERS, due to inherent lack of analyte stabilization at hotspots, owing to the movement of silver nanoparticles in the colloidal suspension[1]. The FESEM image of the SERS nanosensor surface is shown in Fig.1 (a). The closely placed silver nanoparticles are suitable for realizing high density of stable ‘hotspot’ regions. The rough surface is used to trap the analyte on to the active area of the sensor. The performance of developed sensor was evaluated using a model molecule Rhodamine B as shown in Fig.1(b). Enhanced spectra of the model molecule were observed at three random locations of the substrate. The enhancement factor of our SERS chips was calculated to be 7.1x108 for Rhodamine B. Further, the chips were used to detect carcinogenic colorant in chilli powder. Chilli powder was spiked with Rhodamine B (RhB) at different concentration and Raman spectra was obtained for pure and spiked chilli samples. We used a facile heating-assisted PTFE filtration technique to pre-treat the chilli samples. 532nm laser was used with 2.5 mW laser power along with a 20x objective and 5 sec integration time. Fig.1 (c) and Fig.1 (d) show the SERS spectra of chilli powder without and with adulteration respectively. The Raman peaks at 621 cm-1 and 1613 cm-1 are corresponding to xanthene ring puckering and aromatic c-c bending or c=c stretching in the colorant respectively. The characteristic peaks of the colorant (RhB) were absent in the pure chilli powder spectra. The limit of detection was 1 ng/g of RhB dye in chilli. The sensor can be used to perform sensitive and quick detection of RhB in chilli samples.

In another work, we utilized the SERS nanosensors to distinguish Organic honey from ordinary honey. Two honey samples were taken for analysis. One sample was certified organic honey while the other was ordinary honey obtained from local market. The honey samples were diluted in deionized water to 10ng/ml conc.; 5 µL diluted honey sample was drop-casted on to the SERS chips and taken for measurement. For acquiring the Raman spectra, 10mW power of 532 nm laser was used along with an integration time of 10 sec. The sample surface was focused using a 20x objective lens to concentrate light at the nanosensor’s hotspot regions. Fig.2 (a) and (b) show the SERS spectra of organic and ordinary honey samples respectively. Both samples had distinct Raman peaks implying that the molecular composition of both honey samples was different. The Raman peaks 827 cm-1, 1027 cm-1 and 1152 cm-1 were present in the organic honey sample (H1) which belong to the flavonoid group molecules[4]. These peaks were absent in the ordinary honey sample (H2) which suggests that the organic honey has higher nutritional value owing to the flavonoids. On the other hand, Raman peaks specific to sucrose molecules at 608 cm-1, 771 cm-1 (skeletal vibrations of sucrose molecule) [5] were observed in the H2 sample. This suggests the presence of artificial sweeteners in the H2 sample.  

Both samples were also tested for the presence of chloramphenicol, a commonly used antibiotic for treating honey bees. Raman spectra was obtained from pure chloramphenicol powder in order to determine the Raman peaks associated with the antibiotic. The Raman peaks at 847 cm-1, 1103 cm-1 and 1340 cm-1 were corresponding to NO2 scissoring, benzenic vibrations and NO2 symmetric vibrations respectively in the chloramphenicol molecule[6]. The honey spectra were plotted with chloramphenicol Raman spectra to check for overlapping peaks as shown in Fig.2 (d). Since the characteristic Raman peaks of the antibiotic were not present in the honey spectra, it can be concluded that none of the honey samples contained trace chloramphenicol. The results show that the organic honey can be distinguished from ordinary honey using this technique and molecular profiling of organic honey indicates its higher nutritional value as compared to normal honey.

The SERS technique can be utilized to detect trace level analytes in food products. The group is also exploring the capability of SERS-based trace level molecular detection, for other applications such as biomarker detection for invasive fungal diseases (IFD) and neonatal sepsis, molecular profiling of human body liquids such as saliva, sweat etc. for non-invasive diagnosis.

References 

Significance of Proton synchrotron in multimessenger observation of extragalactic sources

Sunanda, Reetanjali Moharana and Pratik Majumdar

“The universe just talks to us in so many ways, and every time you find a new way of listening, you find something else.”

Ellen Zweibel
Professor of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Globally synchronised observations of very high-energy cosmic rays, neutrinos, gravitational waves, and electromagnetic radiation at a variety of wavelengths are the goal of multi messenger astronomy. The combo is anticipated to produce significant data on the processes igniting the most potent astrophysical sources.  The processes and circumstances governing the acceleration of the highest-energy cosmic rays would be clarified, in particular, by the synchronised study of high-energy(HE) neutrinos along a flaring source of γ -rays. Although many specific sources are still unknown.

The observational correlation of a >290 TeV, extremely high energy (EHE), neutrino event  (IceCube-170922A) by IceCube neutrino observatory, on 22 September 2017, with the flaring direction of TXS0506+056 blazar, provides a possible advancement in the knowledge of extragalactic sources and their hadronic emission. The synchronised multi-wavelength follow-up observations for the neutrino events have the potential to reassess the current understanding of different blazar emissions.

Blazars, dominated by non-thermal emission with very high luminosity, are a class of AGNs(active galactic nuclei) with the jet along the direction of the observer.  It is characterised by two spectral components in their spectral energy distribution, one component is explained by electron synchrotron emission and the second component is still in debate.

Figure.1: (a) Multiwavelength observations of TXS0505+056 blazar (b) Time Study of multiwavelength observations using Proton synchrotron

Moreover, these follow-up multi-wavelength observations for IceCube-170922A suggest extended very high energy(VHE) emission observed by the major atmospheric gamma imaging Cherenkon(MAGIC) telescope. The collective study of the time of multi-wavelength observations with IceCube-170922A events provides new insight into hadronic emission. This time study emphasises the contribution of the proton synchrotron in the spectral energy distribution of blazars because there is a time difference between electron synchrotron and proton synchrotron.

Our model gives a possible explanation  for the extended VHE emission from the source using the proton synchrotron with varying ambient profile. This study would open a new window for understanding the most violent astrophysical sources.

Further Reading

About the Authors

Metameric locomotion of segmented worms

Sunita Kumari and Rudolf Podgornik

Without the ability to move, one cannot imagine life on Earth. Even plants move by scattering or distributing themselves with the help of sprouts and seeds. Animals are one of the most fascinating creatures. For survival, they move from one place to another in a myriad of ways- including walking, running, jumping, crawling, swimming, riding, rolling, hopping, creeping, flying, gliding, paddling, etc. When moving as a group, they often stun with their ability to self-organize and perform spectacular collective dynamics. Beautiful dancing patterns formed by flocks of birds or starlings, and vortexes formed by schools of fish and insect swarms are just a few examples.

Interestingly, some animals show very complex postures when they move alone, like the nematode worm (C. Elegans) which moves in a very irregular manner and performs small sinusoidal, undulatory wave-like movements [1, 2]. Caterpillars shift their internal organs forward before moving their legs, rapidly curling and propelling themselves to confuse their enemies [3]. 

Despite these complications, scientists are attempting to identify ways to mimic lifelike behavior in materials, not only to understand them better but also to design soft robotics. For example, recently, ETH Zurich scientists created an artificial cilia carpet that mimics the way millipedes walk [4]  and are testing its ability to move and deliver drugs and fluids into the human body [4]. In addition, studying animals’ locomotion in complex and unpredictable environments may provide invaluable insights into ecosystems, artificial intelligence, disaster response, control theory, biomechanics, and physiology. Presently, many efforts to study a special type of motion observed in segmented animals, in particular segmented insects,  referred to as metameric locomotion, focus on experimental observation or are related to technical applications [4-6]. At the same time, theoretical understanding of such living dynamic systems has provided no evident breakthrough and has lagged behind. It seems that the intrinsic complexity of the dynamics has, to a large extent, inhibited the development of theory.

Figure 1: Image source@ Thomas Shahan/Wikimedia Commons

Along this line of thought, we were motivated to study the dynamics of segmented worms, such as myriapods and annelids (millipedes and centipedes) [7]. Locomotion in these worms and insects is generated by well-organized movement, referred to as metameric locomotion. These segmented worms are elongated, flattened, and divided into different but identical segments. We can see them throughout the world (up to 10,000 species are known). Their typical range in length is between a few millimeters and 50 centimeters. Interestingly, they can move with or without legs by using their limbs.

These segmented worms fall into the category of active systems (also known as self-propelled systems) that transform energy available from their surroundings (or fuel available internally) into a directed motion[8-9], and, as such, are always away from equilibrium. Hence, it is very difficult to model their behavior[8-9]. Nature provides a vast variety of living examples in which self-propulsion or activity is generated only in a particular or local part of an active system. Representative examples are- many bacteria that move using cilia, which are attached to specific locations of their bodies. In another example, sperm cells swim due to a flagellum attached to their bodies.

One of the most important and defining features of our model is that only the head of the centipede worm is active. The remaining body segments are assumed to passively trail behind the head so that their dynamical state simply falls behind the centipede’s head at different time intervals [7]. So that the rest of the passive segments will exactly follow the active head trajectory later, at some other time. We assume that the curvature of the centipede has to remain continuous in position as well as in direction, which makes our model different from simple active Brownian models, which are irrelevant in our case. Within the framework of the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, we have implemented the curvature decay and fluctuations of the filament in the time evolution equation for the curvature instead of the position [7]. The presence of positional noise or any other noise in the direction normal to the body contour would result in a wobbling motion, which exhibits properties different from metameric locomotion. And since the objects of our investigation, i.e., myriapods and biologically inspired robots, are macroscopic, we have neglected thermal noise in the positions of the monomers. The unimportance of the positional thermal noise for a macroscopic myriapod and the locally inextensibility due to the connectivity of its metameric body (the body contour is unstretched locally as well as globally) dictate that positional dynamics with a single tangential driving velocity dominate with the constant norm [7]. The previous active filament models cannot maintain a velocity of constant magnitude tangential to the contour except in the limiting case where thermal fluctuations, inextensibility, and bending elasticity in the positional dynamics are all absent [10]. Moreover, in our model, the temporal decay of the filament curvature towards a straight shape as well as its fluctuations are accounted for in the curvature dynamics instead of directly in the positional dynamics, making our model analytically tractable [7].

We calculated the probability distribution of the active centipede head by solving the equations of Fokker-Planck and utilizing this, we further calculated the probability distribution for the full body of the centipede. For a smaller time scale, the probability density is partially heterogeneous and becomes fully heterogeneous on a larger time scale [7]. We also calculated the correlators, such as mean-square orientational fluctuations, the end-to-end separation (mean-square separation) between the head and tail segments, and the orientational correlation function both analytically using the Fokker-Planck equation and by solving the corresponding Langevin dynamics. We found ballistic behavior of mean square separation at small filament length, diffusive behavior for large length, and crossover between ballistic and diffusive behavior at intermediate length, with characteristic lengths depending on the parameters of our model [7]. 

The idea of this work is to understand what parameters governing the dynamics of centipedes can be tuned in order to minimize variability and promote an efficient way of moving. These results are therefore likely to have a significant impact on the design of bio-inspired soft-robots for targeted delivery systems.

References

About the Authors

A sneak peek into the secret life of the biological soil crusts of the IIT Jodhpur

Shubham Kumar, Somil Daga, Shankar Manoharan

A trip into the future 

A mote of dust rises in the distance. Nearby, four boys with sparkling eyes are taking turns to pull their new toy-tractor against the breeze with a makeshift rope made of seenio, a wiry tumbleweed of the Thar Desert. Barely a few metres in motion, the toy-tractor sinks into loose sand. One of the boys grabs it and sets it back in motion across the bare, rolling landscape, leaving behind a disarrayed pattern of tiny foot-and-tyre imprints. The breeze gathers momentum, picking up more sand as it sweeps across the landscape, and in no time morphs into a wild sandstorm moving thick and fast towards the boys. They rush back to the village to announce the arrival of the storm, leaving behind their new toy in haste. Chaos ushers in for a few moments, but in this village, everyone knows the drill. They tether their cattle inside their tightly-weaved sheds made with supple arna branches, hurriedly gather their cooking-pots from chulhas and rush back inside their homes, just in time before the storm hits the village. Doors and windows are shut tight, and mothers hold their babies close. The boys, with half a mind fixated on their toy, wait anxiously. The raging sandstorm–now a towering wall of sand like a giant tsunami wave moving at speeds faster than a race-car–hits the village, engulfs it, and paints it brown. Dust clothes every inch of the village and its inhabitants: the angans and the roads, the crops and the trees, the cycles, and the camel-carts. The toy-tractor is consumed by the shape-shifting landscape, and its imprints are like the fledgling dreams of the four young boys.

The year is 2080, and sandstorms are commonplace. They arrive unannounced, manufactured literally out of thin air, and disrupt the entire workings of the days to follow. They fill up wells, decimate fields, and sometimes even change the lay of the land. Sandstorms are not new to this village in any way, and the people here have dealt with the odd sandstorm for thousands of years, anticipating them mostly in the mid-summer months. But until now, they were few and scarce. Now, they are a regular occurrence, and they are making it nearly impossible to find ways to adapt lives around them.

The storm passes and it’s time to reset: over the next few days, the roads are swept clean, doors and windows are dusted, wells are de-silted. Life, usually, finds a way to adjust. But it is harder to reap any harvest from the crop fields. Barely a few kinds of crops manage to grow in this hot, arid climate in the first place: bajra, isabgol, a perennial crop of Mehendi. But even they cannot grow unassisted, irrigated occasionally by Himalayan waters fed from canals that are getting clogged too by the shifting sands. Life, in this unforgiving landscape, is getting tougher. Many families have left the village already, and the day is not far when the last family migrates out, making this village join the ranks of others in the region left to gather dust.

This scenario from the future is a reality that might hit us in the face much sooner than we think. Sandstorms are not new, of course, especially in the hot desert belts across the world. They occur especially in areas that have massive dunes that run for miles. But they are, for the most part, a seasonal occurrence; an odd, big sandstorm hits in the summers when the vegetation is thin and scanty. But both the frequency and intensity are relatively lower. In the future, though, they will probably occur throughout the year, irrespective of the season. They will come unannounced, carrying unprecedented quantities of sand and smother it across everything in its path. There are signs of this happening already [1]. So, what is causing this big shift? In part the answer is Climate change, as you might have guessed already. Climate change is making wind patterns erratic and unpredictable, but there is a lot more to the story. Something to do with the tiniest, minutiae creatures that you have probably never heard of.

It is natural and easy for us to visualize the potential impact of climate change on ourselves, animals, plants, and other species that we can see. In our arrogance, we often forget that there is an entire unseen world of microorganisms that perform important functions so that other life forms can sustain themselves. These microbes are equally threatened by climate change, which is unleashing perhaps one of its most potent yet understated effects on these microbes and microbial communities. Right here in the Thar desert, and in the arid and semi-arid landscapes across the world, tiny – but widespread – communities of microorganisms are working tirelessly, in tandem, to inhabit and engineer one of the harshest environments in the world. They stabilize the sandy soil by forming a crust and enable conditions for other lifeforms to exist. Plants only find a ‘foothold’ because the soil beneath them is not blown away by the gusting wind. Without these microbial communities, there is nothing to bind and hold soil particles together. If you have ever traversed the Indian Desert or any part of Western Rajasthan or Gujarat, chances are that you will have, without doubt, trampled on these communities of microorganisms that scientists call ‘Biological Soil Crusts’ (also called biocrusts; or cryptobiotic, microbiotic and microphytic crusts).

The first time we saw them, we were exploring the wild parts (Fig. 1 A) of IIT-Jodhpur’s sprawling 800-acre campus. We had read a few papers about biocrusts and microbes of the Thar desert [2,3,4] so we knew that biocrusts were likely to exist in these parts. In a particularly wild and unruly area, we noticed our first ever biocrust right there, beneath our feet, crumbling away (Fig. 1 B). We looked for a stone with a sharp edge and dug some of it out carefully (A well-formed biocrust is no more than 3-4 centimetres thick). We picked up a piece and held it against the sun. What we saw confirmed it: thin, wiry strands of thread-like fibres, a sureshot sign that we had in our hands a piece of biocrust! (Fig. 1 C) We went a little further, and we found some more. And more. To our delight, there was biocrust all over this wild corner of the campus!

Figure 1. A typical arid-zone, grassland scape towards the North Eastern end of the IIT Jodhpur campus showing flat exposed soil with interspersed vegetation (largely grasses) (A). A biocrust identified in the landscape shown in A with a blackened surface, presumably due to the production of ultraviolet-protective pigments by soil surface-dwelling cyanobacteria (B). In a piece of a biocrust formed by microbial activity, the underside will have thread-like strands of microbial filaments dangling as shown when held up against the light, a sure shot way to confirm a Biocrust (C).

So, what exactly, are biocrusts? 

Biocrusts are formed by the cooperative activities of a unique combination of microorganisms, usually cyanobacteria, bacteria, fungi, lichens (an association between a species of fungi and cyanobacteria / algae) and algae in arid zones of the world [5]. Cyanobacteria, also called as blue green algae, are photosynthetic and are believed to be the initiators of biocrust formation in arid zones. Often, we associate cyanobacteria with aquatic ecosystems or moist wetland ecosystems and therefore find it difficult to associate them with arid deserts. However, cyanobacteria were among ancient life forms to evolve on earth and have adapted to survive in various environmental niches. In the case of the biocrusts, cyanobacteria are critical for their formation and survival. Survival in a harsh environment like a desert requires perfect adaptation. For example, deserts are bombarded with extremes of ultraviolet radiation that can damage the DNA of microbes, killing them instantly. Some cyanobacteria, commonly found in biocrusts, have adapted by producing dark pigments that shield them as well as the biocrust community from the intense ultraviolet radiation [6].

Once formed, biocrusts begin shaping the environment around them earning them the title of “Ecological Engineers”. A biocrust is formed by the stabilization of the sandy soil of the desert, by the activity of the cyanobacteria. They can make simple sugars by photosynthesis, just like plants, and use these sugars to make sticky secretions, creating networks of channels that act as a cement and hold the soil together (Fig. 2). But how do these cyanobacteria manage to survive in such nutrient-poor desert soils? In addition to photosynthesizing, some of them can also convert atmospheric nitrogen to water soluble form usable by themselves, other microorganisms and plants. Once cyanobacteria start multiplying, they slowly transform the nutrient-poor soil into soil that is relatively nutrient-rich, which is more suitable for other microbes like fungi, algae, bacteria, grasses and small plants to grow in. Fungi and algae, the new inhabitants of the biocrust also contribute to the crusting by creating a mesh made of their fibers that also contribute to the biocrust strength (Fig. 2). They also engage in various nutrient cycles contributing to the soil formation process.

Figure 2. The top few centimeters of soil held together as a crust by the presence and activities of a living microbial community is referred to as a biological soil crust. The microbial filaments of cyanobacteria and fungi themselves and the polysaccharides produced by photosynthetic sheathed cyanobacteria strengthen the biocrust. As the cyanobacterial primary colonizers fix carbon and nitrogen into the soil, the biocrust slowly becomes capable of supporting heterotrophic fungi and bacteria. As the soil properties improve further, vascular plants can start growing.

Why YOU should care…

A biocrust engineers the larger ecosystem around it by performing various functions including nitrogen fixation, carbon fixation, prevention of wind / water erosion, expansion of soil water holding capacity, soil formation by weathering, dust trapping etc. [7]. Though evolution has engineered the biocrust to perform such key functions, the biocrust itself is quite fragile and can easily be damaged. In addition to physical threats including trampling by humans, animals, mining, land utilization initiatives and irresponsible tourism activities, climate change is perhaps the singular threat faced by biocrusts across the world. It is estimated that ~12% of the earth’s surface is covered by biocrusts. This cover is expected to reduce by 25-40% in about 65 years [8]. This impact of this reduction will be severe as carbon fixation and nitrogen fixation in arid zones along with biogeochemical cycling will be affected. It has been estimated that biocrusts contribute to 50% of all biological nitrogen fixation and that this nitrogen fixation is critical for carbon sequestration by plants [9] This will lead to loss of nutrients for plants and other life forms resulting in a cascade of events that may eventually lead to ecosystem collapse. Naturally, biocrusts have been the subject of several investigations around the world [5]. Concrete efforts are however needed to study the distribution of biocrusts in the Thar ecoregion. Initiatives are needed to raise awareness and conserve existing biocrusts as well as building technology for monitoring and restoration of damaged biocrusts. In a pilot study under the aegis of the Thar Desert EcoSystem Innovations Guided by Nature & Selection (DESIGNS) initiative of the Jodhpur City Knowledge and Innovation Foundation, our group has initiated work to profile the microbial communities and functions leading to biocrust formation in collaboration with Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park, Jodhpur. Using microbiological and metagenomic approaches, we are also exploring biocrusts from previously unexplored sites in the Thar desert in the hopes of conserving this unique microbial community and learning from its adaptations.

Acknowledgements

The Microbial Physiology Lab gratefully acknowledges support from the Jodhpur City Knowledge and Innovation Foundation. MS acknowledges the contributions of Mr. Lavanya Arora to the Thar DESIGNS project. Figure 2 was created with BioRender.com.

References

2D Multimode interference based optical devices

Kritarth Srivastava and Nitin Bhatia

Multimode interference (MMI) effect–based optical devices have attracted more attention over the past few decades. MMI-based optical devices offer various advantages, such as low loss, high power uniformity, large optical bandwidth, polarization insensitivity, ease of fabrication, and compact size [1]. The MMI effect has been thoroughly investigated in 1D waveguides, with few recent literature reports on 2D waveguides. MMI-based optical devices can be used in power splitting [2-3], combining [4], switches [5], and wavelength division multiplexing [6].

There are two main types of waveguides: multimode and single-mode waveguides. Single-mode waveguides support only one mode, whereas multimode waveguides can support multiple modes of propagation. The light wave travels in an optical waveguide through the phenomenon of total internal reflection (TIR). When light is injected into a multimode waveguide, it excites all the propagating modes. These modes travel inside a waveguide with different velocities leading to the accumulation of different phases by each mode. These modes interfere based on the phase relations, resulting in a complex interference pattern. This interference pattern can be exploited in various applications.

The working principle of MMI devices is based on the self-imaging phenomenon. Self-imaging is the inherent characteristic of a multimode waveguide in which the input launch field profile gets replicated at different lengths along the direction of propagation. The reproduced images are known as self-images. Single or multiple self-images may exist along the propagation direction depending on the input launch conditions. Usually, various output ports are connected to the waveguide for receiving the power in these self-images. The single image is popularly known as re-imaging.

The design of MMI devices involves several vital parameters, including the length and width of the waveguides and also on the waveguide’s core and cladding refractive index contrast. These parameters can be adjusted to control the power distribution in the output waveguide, and bandwidth of the device. One of the critical design parameters for MMI devices is the length of the multimode waveguide section. This parameter determines the distance between the replicas and the interference pattern in the output waveguide. 

Fig. 1(a) shows the normalized MMI intensity pattern in the xz plane inside a 2D multimode optical waveguide with a center-fed input launch field. The normalized input launch field intensity in the xy plane is shown in Fig. 1(b). The interference pattern shows various high intensity spots due to constructive interference of multiple propagating modes. The input field profile is replicated at the end of the waveguide creating a re-imaging condition. At various distances between the launch and re-imaging length, multiple self-images are possible. The normalized intensity pattern in the xy plane at different lengths along the direction of propagation is shown in Fig. 1(c-f). For achieving power splitting operations, the waveguide can be terminated at 3 × 3 or 2 × 2 imaging length for 1 × 9 and 1 × 4 splitting ratio, respectively. Similarly, other applications can also be realized by choosing the appropriate multimode waveguide length. Power splitters based on MMI are widely used in passive optical networks. Apart from that, power splitters also find applications in laser systems and interferometers etc.

References

About the Authors 

Contactless Services at S. R. Ranganathan Learning Hub, the library of IIT Jodhpur

Kamleshkumar J. Patel, C. Chhatwani, Amit K. Soni, and Kshema Prakash

Introduction

S. R. Ranganathan Learning Hub, the library at the Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, supports teaching and research activities of the institute by facilitating acquisition, organization and dissemination of knowledge resources, and also by providing library and information services to the IIT Jodhpur community consisting of more than 4000 users including the faculty members, staff and students. This article intends to provide an outline of the contactless services initiated and run by the library of IIT Jodhpur.

Dr. S. R. Ranganathan, on whose name the library of IIT Jodhpur stands proudly, is considered as the father of library science in India. He conceived and propounded five laws of library science in 1924, and the statements encapsulating these laws were formulated by him in 1928, detailing the principles of operating a library system. The five laws of library science are viewed as a set of norms, precepts, and guides to good practice in librarianship. These have global acceptance as the foundations to the library philosophy. These laws are:

Like a pot containing oceans, these are the “fundamental laws” of Library Science and are applicable to any problem in the areas of library science, library service, and library practice. Besides providing a scientific approach to the subject of library science, they provided a philosophical base, guaranteeing an everlasting future to the subject of library science, the profession of librarianship, and the use of libraries. Despite being proposed prior to the emergence of the digital era, these laws remain applicable and pertinent in contemporary times.

As the user base of a library grows, it becomes increasingly imperative for the libraries to scale-up and expand their services and adopt as much technology as possible that can save the time of a user, as well as the service provider. In fact, the fourth law of library science says “Save the time of the reader”. A corollary to this law can be considered as “Save the time of the library staff”. This will enable the library to provide more effective and efficient services to its users.

Contactless Technologies - Historical Background

Ching et al. (2017) reported that the word “contactless” refers to a technology that does not need any sort of direct physical contact in order to function. Nikola Tesla was the first person to develop the concept of contactless technology in 1898. At the beginning, he developed a technique for remote controls that operated via radio waves. In 1914, the German Navy implemented remote control boats, then C. G. Johnson implemented an electric overhead garage door opener. In 1955, Eugene Polley developed a remote control using a beam of light instead of radio signals. Successively invented the text message in 1973 and barcode in 1974. In 1984, Charles Walton obtained the patent for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and it became a great breakthrough in contactless technology. Contactless technology takes a giant leap forward with the development of Near Field Communication NFC), and RFID is the technology platform that made it all possible. NFC is a technology that was developed from RFID, however it has a few characteristics that set it apart from RFID (Ching et al., 2017).

Contactless Technology and Service Innovation in Libraries

Since almost more than a decade now, innovations in and widespread application of information communication technologies have increased the use of contactless technology in many areas such as, banking, education, IT industry and education sector is no exception. Therefore, the libraries attached to these educational institutions too have been embracing the technologies and stepping up from time to time, for providing effective services to their patrons.

Broadly, services such as touch-free information distribution, self-service, online references, remote resource services and smart services without personal interaction come under the umbrella term of Contactless Technologies (Guo et al., 2022). Keeping in line with this definition, the following non-exhaustive list can be considered to be using contactless technology in providing library services:

Contactless Services @ S. R. Ranganathan Learning Hub

The library ideated and initiated contactless services in a modest manner, since 2016. The objectives at that point in time to start contactless services were to:

Since then the library has been gradually transforming the services into contactless by using innovative technological interventions wherever possible. The S. R. Ranganathan Learning Hub, IIT Jodhpur, developed the following services using innovative technology, before the CoVID-19 pandemic:

With the surge of CoVID-19, now the library must ensure safety and hygiene of its users and library staff. These contactless services became a necessity and potentially life-saving from being merely fancy perks. Therefore, amidst the CoVID-19 pandemic, libraries have been adopting diverse strategies to give precedence to the well-being and security of their users while ensuring the uninterrupted provision of essential services. It was required to rapidly expand the existing contactless services to the entire user base, who wanted to access library resources from the safety of their homes, or for those who were on campus by ensuring proper safety and hygiene protocols while they visited the library. Thus, the emergence of new contactless services can be ascribed to various factors, like, safety and health precautions of the users and staff, adherence to social distancing protocols, uninterrupted access to library resources, for the convenience and flexibility to the library users, and to ensure a wider reach and inclusivity.

Hence, in addition to the already-established contactless services, the S. R. Ranganathan Learning Hub at IIT Jodhpur launched the following new contactless services during the CoVID-19 pandemic period:

During the pandemic, while these services helped prevent close social interaction with the library staff and also prevented users from queuing up or gathering in small spaces with other users, it allowed the library staff to handle the pandemic-related services efficiently instead of getting stuck in providing the basic library services. Also, they aided the users in minimizing their visiting time in the library to the possible extent. Therefore, besides efficiency and convenience, now the contactless services have transformed the library service scenario to mean safety and hygiene, more than ever.

Even beyond the pandemic, contactless services cater to the evolving preferences of library users. Many individuals appreciate the convenience and speed offered by digital transactions and remote services, making contactless options a valuable addition to the library’s overall service offerings. The implementation of new contactless services is indicative of the library’s dedication to innovation and keeping abreast of technological progress. Through the adoption of digital solutions, libraries can optimise their services, increase operational efficiency, and deliver a streamlined user experience. All in all, the introduction of new contactless services amid the CoVID-19 pandemic not only placed an emphasis on safety but also showcased the library’s flexibility, commitment, and dedication to catering to its users, and willingness to adopt innovative technologies.

The Road Ahead

As Bonal (2023) says, “the future of the library will be determined by how effectively it is able to provide intelligent services utilizing the resources that are now available. It is imperative that the library continue to serve as a testing ground for emerging technologies in order to develop and improve library services”, we eagerly look forward to adopting newer technologies for the larger good of our users and aspire to stand as a library marked by service excellence.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to place on record their heartfelt gratitude to the Director, the Library Committee, and the authorities of the Institute, who have been instrumental in enabling us to embrace the technological developments from time to time and motivating us to strive for providing enhanced services to our users.

References

About the Authors