Director`s Column

Professor Avinash Kumar Agarwal

As we celebrate the 17th Foundation Day of our Institute on 2nd August, I am filled with immense pride and joy for its remarkable journey. Over the years, we have achieved substantial growth, establishing new benchmarks in the domains of technology and education, and attaining numerous milestones. I would like to express my appreciation to the entire community on this momentous occasion for their steadfast devotion, loyalty, perseverance and dedicated hard work.

We are excited to present a set of new initiatives aimed at catapulting our institute into a fully matured technology institute and enhancing the efficiency of our processes. These efforts reflect our continued commitment to innovation, efficiency, and quality dedicated to the nation building, and our desire to contribute to ‘Viksit Bharat’.

Our main goal is to streamline our administrative structure by creating and rationalising administrative positions. This complete redesign aims to enhance our academic administration by ensuring that all procedures are less bureaucratic, streamlined, and effective. The Deans Group and Heads Group will enhance our governance by promoting greater strategic, collaborative, and participative decision-making by all stakeholders of academic community.

Currently, we are in the midst of rewriting our faculty shortlisting and evaluation procedures, promoting leadership among our faculty and staff, and modernising our rules for the Seed Grant and International Research Mobility Grants. These efforts are aimed at attaining academic and research excellence. These improvements will attract top talent to our institute, fostering a more conducive environment
for research, academic, and professional development. In addition, the entry of high-caliber PhD candidates will significantly enrich our academic community through the implementation of new Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with NITs, and other CFTIs.

In acknowledgement of the importance of linguistic variety, we are implementing the inclusion of first year B.Tech. courses in Indian languages. This effort not only recognises our cultural legacy but also improves the accessibility of our programs to a broader range of students. Furthermore, we are creating endowment student awards and faculty chairs to recognise and support outstanding achievements made by individuals within our community.

We are prioritising student well-being by creating a Quick Reaction Team to efficiently handle emergencies. We are appointing Student Ombudspersons to address the challenges faced by the students in a fair and transparent manner. We are working towards creating modern infrastructure that supports both academic and extracurricular activities. This involves redesigning the internal structure of Chanakya Complex and proposing a new HEFA loan for a sustained growth of the Institute, with emphasis on student hostels, extracurricular activities and sports culture on the campus.

The creation of a Green Cell, responsible for overseeing environmental programs and ensuring the ongoing environmental friendliness of our campus, demonstrates our commitment to sustainability. Also, we are strengthening our ties and collaborations by organising interaction meetings with administrative, academic, and R&D groups in the city and the state. This helps us increase our involvement with the wider community in the state of Rajasthan.

Significant changes are being made to the administrative structure too. A precise identification of tasks will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our operations. To streamline these changes, we are creating several new administrative roles, designed to oversee specific areas, ensuring that management remains focused and committed. Besides strengthening the main pillars of the institute through this overhaul, we have created new roles to oversee other important areas, namely, Training & Placement, Continuing
Education, Vocational Training & Upskilling, Campus Security & Transport, Visitors Hostel & Allied Services,
Research Park, Innovation & Incubation, Companies Oversight, IITJ Connect, and the Green Cell. These positions will play a crucial role in effectively implementing our vision for the seamless growth of IIT Jodhpur.

Within the realm of academia, we are implementing a novel framework and forming sub-committees of the Senate to enhance academic governance and facilitate effective decision-making in a grounds-up manner. The examination system is undergoing revision to incorporate a primary and secondary test. Additionally, the top 10 performers in B.Tech. programs from NITs will have the opportunity for direct admission into Ph.D. programs at IIT Jodhpur. These improvements will strengthen our academic programs. We
are introducing Teaching Excellence Awards for faculty members nominated by students.

We aim to attain research excellence through our research and development projects. We are instituting Research
Excellence Awards to acknowledge exceptional publications, adjusting our R&D management strategy, and developing a financial framework for strategically investing funds to generate additional resources for the institute. Besides this, we have revised the guidelines for the International Research Mobility Grant and made it purpose oriented and inclusive. At R&D Office, an Institute Research and Development Committee (IRDC) with representatives from many departments will ensure that all the views and opinions of each department is accounted for, in Institute R&D policy-making. We have made many changes to our policy and guidelines for the Research Initiation Grant (Seed Grant) and made it simpler, faster, and purposeful.

We are using impactful strategies to promote the comprehensive growth and welfare of our students. This includes the conceptualisation of a Student Activity Centre, enhancement of hostel security, planning for NCC on campus, the simplification of a Student Benevolent Fund, and extension and strengthening of Student Wellbeing Committee. The aim of these activities is to provide a conducive and nurturing atmosphere for our students, who are the flag bearers of our institute.

Overall, these activities demonstrate our resolve to achieve highest standards by enhancing our all-round performance. They are intended to ensure that our institute achieves sustained growth and efficiency in all aspects of governance. We are confident that these efforts will significantly influence our community by fostering an atmosphere that promotes the academic and personal growth of all its members.

May this Foundation Day mark the beginning of a new era on the shoulders of these new initiatives at IIT Jodhpur.

Jai Hind...!! Jai Bharat...!!

Affectionately yours,
Avinash Kumar Agarwal

Editorial

Debanjan Guha Roy

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the "Foundation Day" issue of TechScape, the Science, Technology, and Education Journal of IIT Jodhpur. This special edition marks a significant milestone in our institution's journey, reflecting on our past achievements, celebrating our present endeavors, and envisioning a future filled with innovation and excellence.

In our “News & Views” section, we are proud to highlight several notable events and breakthroughs that showcase the vibrant academic and research environment at IIT Jodhpur. On April 8th, 2024, in commemoration of World Health Day, a seminar series on "Public Health" was organized under the auspices of the Center of Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Development (CETSD) and Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA). IIT Jodhpur celebrated Technology Day 2024 with great enthusiasm, highlighting our commitment to technological advancement and innovation. In a significant stride towards sustainable energy solutions, IIT Jodhpur unveiled a state-of-the-art EV charging adapter designed for remote solar panel installations. We also share an exciting research news about IIT Jodhpur researchers developing a groundbreaking method to clean textile wastewater, addressing one of the major environmental challenges of our time.

In our “Research Snippet” section, we are excited to share several stories on the cutting-edge research being conducted at IIT Jodhpur. Researchers from the Dept. of Physics explore the potential of hybrid heterojunctions in developing photo-rechargeable Li-Ion batteries, paving the way for more efficient energy storage solutions. Dr. Moudgil from the Dept. of Electrical Engineering discusses a roadmap on the development of printable electrochemical biosensors to advance medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. Dr. Rajput the Dept. of Electrical Engineering presents advanced optical modulators for next-generation optical communication that marks a significant step towards faster and more efficient data transmission technologies. Researchers from the Dept. of Civil and Infrastructure Engineering share details on utilizing recycled construction and demolition (C&D) waste in construction practices to promote sustainable building methods. Additionally, a team from the Computer Centre delved into the best practices and analysis of MariaDB WSREP (Galera) Cluster, providing valuable insights for optimizing database management systems.

Our “Innovation Gallery” showcases pioneering initiatives and creative approaches in education and research, reflecting the innovative spirit of IIT Jodhpur. A case study on gamification in a first-year engineering course demonstrates how points and rewards can enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. An analysis of the impact of the Document Delivery Service (DDS) at the S R Ranganathan Learning Hub illustrates how access to diverse resources can significantly boost research productivity. A case study explores the use of storytelling in language learning, cultural studies, and environmental pedagogy for students from/in Rajasthan

As we celebrate the foundation of IIT Jodhpur, we look back with pride on our accomplishments and forward with anticipation to the future. This issue of TechScape embodies our commitment to excellence in science, technology, and education. We hope it inspires and informs our readers, encouraging them to join us in our mission to innovate and lead in these fields.

Happy reading!

Debanjan Guha Roy
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil & Infrastructure Engineering
IIT Jodhpur
dguharoy@iitj.ac.in

Seminar series on Public Health

An academic event focussing on “Public Health” took place on April 8th, 2024, to honour the World Health Day. The event was organised by the Centre for Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Development (CETSD) and Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) at IIT Jodhpur. The event, titled “My Health, My Right,” included a keynote speech delivered by Dr. Pankaja Ravi Raghav, a Professor at AIIMS-Jodhpur. The speech was around the topic of “Attaining Health Rights for the Sustainable Development of Communities.”

The event featured lively debates and knowledge sharing among attendees, with 50 participants online and 30 participants onsite. The active involvement and passion displayed by the participants highlighted the significance of working together to tackle public health issues and promote sustainable development goals.

Dr. Raghav emphasised the importance of protecting health as a basic human right in the context of sustainable community development, based on her broad knowledge and experience.The seminar series sought to stimulate multidisciplinary discussion and practical insights in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The discussions focused on topics such as guaranteeing equitable access to healthcare services, the impact of government policies and international frameworks on the promotion of health rights, and the importance of prioritising preventive measures and community-based interventions for the long- term health and well-being of the population.

Technology Day 2024

Technology Day 2024 was celebrated at IIT Jodhpur on 8th May 2024. The program stressed the importance of technology in influencing society and advancing numerous areas. It brought the community together to discuss how technology affects society, education, and industry.

Dr. Rajendra Singh, renowned as “Jal Purush” and the “Waterman of India”, graced this event and shared his thoughts on technology and environment. Dr. Singh is feted for his river rehabilitation and environmental protection work. The Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2001 for his community leadership and the Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar in 1994 are among his many honours.

Prof. Avinash Kumar Agarwal, Director of IIT Jodhpur, stressed the importance of technology in creating our future and pledged to innovate for social good on Technology Day. Technology and innovation are key to IIT Jodhpur’s mission to advance knowledge and solve problems. We enable our community to explore new frontiers and create the future via interdisciplinary collaboration and cutting-edge research.

Dr. Singh spoke about environmental sustainability and the need for technology interventions to protect our natural resources. Dr. Rajendra Singh, popularly known as the “Jal Purush” and an environmentalist, introduced his futuristic Rain Water Conservation and Rejuvenation Technologies for the IIT Jodhpur Campus. His ambition is to build a society for ecological restoration and rejuvenation and merge Thar Desert indigenous knowledge systems with modern technologies. The goal is to make IIT Jodhpur a sustainability leader and constructive force in the community. Comprehensive implementation plans have been created to achieve this aim. It includes the creation of water bodies in defined locations, the planting of native trees including Neem, Peepal, Bargad, Amla, Gular, and Khejri, and IIT community participation in plantation operations in adjacent villages. The implementation has two phases: Phase 1 (Year 1) emphasises awareness, immediate water body action, and campus rewilding with local vegetation. From June 2025, Phase 2 emphasises community participation, natural nourishment technology courses, and rainwater drainage systems to conserve campus rainfall. Dr. Rajendra Singh hopes these measures will make IIT Jodhpur and its environs greener and more sustainable.

EV Charging Adapter for Remote Solar Panel Installations

An important advancement in electric vehicle (EV) charging technology, spearheaded by Dr. Nishant Kumar from the Department of Electrical Engineering, addresses the critical need for EV charging infrastructure in remote areas, leveraging isolated pillar-top solar panels for sustainable and efficient energy delivery.

Innovative Charging Solution for Remote Locations
EV batteries, with their finite energy storage, require reliablerecharging solutions. While urban centers are equipped with ample charging facilities, remote and sparsely populated areas face significant challenges. Large countries such as Canada, China, the United States, India, Australia, Russia, and several Arab states are increasingly considering pillar- top solar panel installations in isolated locations to provide emergency EV charging. Dr. Kumar’s research introduces a specialized sensor-based low-cost charging adapter designed to maximize the efficiency and safety of this setup. Most importantly, it can be easily attached to the company-provided charging adapters without tampering with the charging adapter, so the manufacturing warranty of the product will not be violated.

Key Features and Benefits
The proposed charging adapter uses a sophisticated algorithm known as Only Single Input Adaptive Fuzzy Logic tuned Deterministic Optimization (SIAFL-DO) to ensure optimal maximum power point tracking (MPPT) and precise battery charge management. This innovative system employs a single current sensor, making it both cost-effective and highly responsive.

Main advantages include:
• Efficient Power Management: The SIAFL-DO algorithm accurately executes MPPT, extracting the maximum power from solar panels while securely managing the charging process.
• Industrial Compatibility: The adapter meets the stringent European Standard EN50530, demonstrating its suitability for industrial application.
• Safety and Reliability: Integrated battery management features protect against adverse conditions, ensuring
safe charging in remote locations.
• Cost-Effectiveness: The use of a single sensor reduces costs and minimizes susceptibility to electromagnetic interference, making
the system more reliable and affordable.

Proven Performance
The research involved extensive testing using a hardware prototype to assess the adapter’s compatibility and performance. Comparative studies with cutting-edge methods confirmed that the SIAFL-DO approach outperforms existing algorithms, particularly in terms ofstability and dynamic response.

Broad Implications
This advancement holds significant promise for expanding EV infrastructure to areas where traditional charging stations are impractical or uneconomical. By harnessing solar power through innovative charging adapters, remote regions can now benefit from sustainable and efficient EV charging solutions.

New Method to Clean Textile Wastewater

IIT Jodhpur has unveiled a pioneering technique for treating wastewater from the textile dyeing industry, notorious for releasing harmful substances like azo dyes into the environment. This new method leverages environmentally friendly far ultraviolet (UV) light at 222 nm, offering significant advantages over conventional mercury-based UV light at 254 nm.

Key Aspects of the Study
The Problem: The textile dyeing and manufacturing industry produces large quantities of wastewater containing persistent contaminants like azo dyes, which are challenging to remove using conventional methods. Effective treatment of this wastewater is crucial to prevent environmental pollution and promote sustainable water reuse.

The Solution: Researchers at IIT Jodhpur, led by Dr. Ram Prakash, Professor in the Department of Physics, along with PhD students Ms. Kiran Ahlawat and Mr. Ramavtar Jangra, have developed a novel approach using a 222 nm Kr/Cl2 excimer UV light source. Their method has shown remarkable effectiveness in breaking down Reactive Black 5 (RB5), a common dye in textile wastewater. The study,
published recently in Nature: Scientific Reports (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-63012-z), explored both direct photolysis and an advanced oxidation process (AOP) using titanium dioxide (TiO2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The degradation rate of RB5 was found to be approximately 27 times faster with their designed excimer-222 light and H2O2 AOP compared to conventional UV-C based methods.

Key Findings

•Enhanced Absorption: The higher molar absorptioncoefficient of RB5 dye at 222 nm significantly improves degradation efficiency.
•Energy Efficiency: The 222 nm UV light and H2O2 process is five times more energy-efficient than using TiO2, making it more sustainable and cost-effective.
•Optimal Conditions: The highest degradation rates were achieved at an alkaline pH of 10, which is typical for textile wastewater, eliminating the need for pH adjustment.
•Degradation Pathway: Advanced analytical techniques established a detailed pathway for RB5 degradation under 222 nm UV light.
•Environmental Impact: The mercury-free UV lamps and the non-toxic nature of the treated water make the process environmentally friendly and suitable for reusein agriculture.

Broader Implications This innovative method offers several benefits over conventional wastewater treatmenttechniques:

•Eco-Friendly: Avoids hazardous chemicals and eliminates the need for catalyst recovery.
• Energy Saving: Significantly reduces energy consumption.
• Scalable: Can be scaled up for industrial applications, providing a viable solution for the global textile industry.
The researchers believe this breakthrough could pave the way for more sustainable wastewater management practices, not only in the textile industry but also in other sectors producing similar pollutants.

Future Directions The team at IIT Jodhpur plans to conduct further research to optimize the process and explore its application in real-world industrial settings. Additionally, they aim to investigate the use of far UV-C light for other environmental cleanup operations andsustainable agricultural practices.

MariaDB WSREP (Galera) Cluster: Best Practices and Analysis

Ashish Kumar Rai, Mohit Lal Sah and Ram Singh Ratnu

Abstract
This paper focuses on the test cases and implementation of the WSREP (Write-Set replication) API of MariaDB using Galera, based on synchronous data replication, a multi- master cluster. With Galera, you can read and write on any database node in the cluster anytime. All the nodes are in the same state, so there is no data loss. The study involves understanding the proper implementation of Galera and
analyzing the various steps by which one can understand and minimize the risks involved, such as data loss in, migration of databases to Galera cluster, the event of a node crash and proper shutdown and start-up procedure.

Introduction
The growing technology and its use are heavily dependent on the database, which stores all the necessary information. Suppose one is booking a railway ticket, the steps involved are searching for the train, checking availability on that train, feeding records for the ticket, paying the fare, getting the ticket details, and fetching the ticket details and other info. Now, for all these tasks, the app or website being used has a front end through which users interact. All actions that are performed by users at the front end are programmed to either fetch or write data from the database and to display the queried results. Now given scenarios like the ticket booking service - where the processing load at the front end and the database are immense - no single server, no matter how powerful, can handle the load. One intuitive solution would be to set up multiple nodes for web services or apps just by replication and load balancing them. But these would
be pointing towards the same database, thereby leading again to a bottleneck.

The  Galera cluster allows us to address the same, by providing a multi-master database cluster with synchronous replication with the use of WSREP API. The Galera cluster setting comes with MariaDB as default; no other software needs to be installed / acquired. Other benefits include:

1. Synchronous replication of data across all nodes.
2. All nodes in the cluster will be in a uniform condition.
3. Absence of manual intervention.
4. Absence of slave lag ensures the preservation of all datain the event of a node failure.
5. No necessity to separate read and write queries.

Consider Figure 1. which shows how the Galera cluster works - all three ‘database’ nodes are synchronized, and the ‘user’ can read and write the data in any of the databases using ‘application’. Galera is a high-availability solution which provides the functionality to set up multiple database nodes, which, if used correctly, can share the load and provide better functionality in any workload situation, while guaranteeing that - if changes happen on one node of the cluster, they occur on other nodes “synchronously”.

Figure 1: Galera set-up

1. Setting up Galera
To set up Galera, we need to add certain parameters to the MariaDB configuration file or write a new file and include that in the existing configuration.

Let us assume we have three database servers, i.e., Database_1, Database_2 & Database_3, Firewall and other required MariaDB settings have been done, and these are independently accessible in the same network.

The minimum configuration required to ensure MariaDB functions across all nodes within a Galera Cluster setup are: Setting up parameters such as cluster membership (wsrep_cluster_name and wsrep_cluster_address), synchronization technique (wsrep_sst_method), and node identification (wsrep_node_address and wsrep_node_name) and enabling the Galera replication plugin (wsrep_on=ON). This configuration guarantees data consistency and resilience, which makes synchronous replication and high availability across the MariaDB nodes possible. These settings may be adapted to the needs of the particular cluster and environment.

After enabling WSREP, the Galera library can be generally found at /usr/lib/galera/libgalera_smm.so. Here, we can name the cluster and provide all the constituent database nodes' IP addresses. The method used for synchronizing the database nodes with each other is called SST (state snapshot transfer). The valid values for this parameter are rsync (default), mysqldump, xtrabackup, xtrabackup-v2, mariabackup.

2. Initialising and Test the cluster
Assuming all three database servers have MariaDB service, and have made the minimum required settings for the Galera cluster, we can now proceed towards initialisation of our cluster. Before we begin, it is imperative to back up any existing database on our servers, since initializing Galera wipes out all earlier databases across all -nodes.

To initialize the Galera cluster, we must first stop the MariaDB service on all the nodes (Database_1, Database_2, Database_3,)  and in one of the servers, we will initialize the cluster by using the “galera_new_cluster” command. This command will not show any output when successfully executed. We can now  check that the server Database_1 is registered as a part of the cluster by using the command mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW STATUS LIKE 'wsrep_cluster_size'" The output will indicate that the cluster is active, and that the cluster size is “1”. Now, on the other servers (Database_2 & Database_3), we can start the MariaDB service. Once done, we will find that all of our servers, Database_1, Database_2 & Database_3, are now in the cluster, and we can test them for synchronous replication. To do this, we can log in to “mysql” on any of the servers and create a database. The instantiated database can be found to be replicated instantly on the other servers. Other nodes can be similarly included in the cluster.

Experiments
After having created a cluster of 3 nodes/servers operational, as described in the preceding section, the following scenarios can be tested: different scenarios in which the cluster is tested.

1. Any of  the  nodes is down - whether it is the node/server that was used to initialize the cluster,  or any other node: the cluster will continue functioning normally with the two available nodes/servers. After re-activation of the failed node and MariaDB service, it will automatically join the cluster, and the data will be synchronized.
2. Cluster is down: The user  needs  to look up the file “/var/lib/mysql/grastate.dat” in all the nodes/servers to identify the node/server which has “safe_to_bootstrap: 1” [the other nodes/servers have “safe_to_bootstrap: 0”]. In this node, the command -# galera_new_cluster (please run this with sudo privileges) - needs to be run, which will start the MariaDB service on the node/server. The data on the node will be safe. Next, on the other nodes/servers the MariaDB service can be started, and the cluster will be active, and all the nodes/servers will start syncing again.
3. Network is down -  given a connectivity issue, or the service or system has not stopped gracefully: The cluster will be in a state where no read-write operations can be performed, and it will give an error - “ERROR 1047 (08S01): WSREP has not yet prepared the node for application use"

Conclusion
This work describes setting up a multi-master database cluster with synchronous replication using WSREP API through Galera-MariaDB. The data can be written and accessed on multiple nodes anytime, and all the nodes will be synchronized. This also highlights configuration settings needed for the cluster setup. Discussions on user-scenarios have been presented as well. The study is envisioned to be of use across any business domain, since databases are regarded as the most important part of any application bundle -  the warehouse of all historical and current relational information from all  sources and systems that constitute the larger system.

References

[1] S. Tongkaw and A. Tongkaw, “A comparison of database performance of MariaDB and MySQL with OLTP workload,” in 2016 IEEE Conference on Open Systems (ICOS), Oct. 2016, pp. 117–119. doi: 10.1109/ICOS.2016.7881999.

[2] H. Handoko, S. M. Isa, S. Si, and M. Kom, “High Availability Analysis with Database Cluster, Load Balancer and Virtual Router Redudancy Protocol,” in 2018 3rd International Conference on Computer and Communication Systems (ICCCS), Apr. 2018, pp. 482–486. doi: 10.1109/CCOMS.2018.8463263.

[3] J. Ryynänen, "Relational Database Clustering with MariaDB Galera," Bachelors Thesis, KAMK Univ. Appl. Sci., 2019.

About the authors

Ashish Kumar Rai
Assistant Manager (ICT) - System Administration
Computer Centre
IIT Jodhpur

Mohit Lal Sah
District Information Officer
National Informatics Center, MeitY
Govt. of India
raiashish@iitj.ac.in

Ram Singh Ratnu
Junior Technical Superintendent
Computer Centre
IIT Jodhpur
ramsingh@iitj.ac.in

Hybrid Heterojunctions based Photo-Rechargeable Li-Ion Batteries

Rashid M. Ansari, Shubham Chamola and Shahab Ahmad

Solar energy solutions offer an effective way to meet the increasing energy demands to enable a modern lifestyle of growing population. However, due to the intermittent nature of solar radiation, the solar energy needs to be stored in batteries for later use, a practice that has been followed for commercial applications since several decades. While this integration has helped in reducing energy poverty at off-grid locations, it also increases device cost due to duplication of electronic components, which makes the entire system bulky and expensive. Moreover, due to use of multiple current collectors the interfacial resistance reduces the efficiency of charge transport across the materials, thus affecting their overall performance. Due to all these concerns the utilization of solar energy harvesting and its storage becomes limited especially for applications requiring lightweight energy solutions such as IoT devices and drones.[1] Photo-rechargeable batteries (PRBs) present an effective way to utilize solar energy by simultaneously harvesting solar energy and storing it in the form of electrochemical energy in a single device, thus effectively overcoming the issues arising from conventionally combined solar cells and battery system.[2] However, to achieve bifunctionality, it is essential and challenging to tackle the material and manufacturing incompatibilities to maximize the energy harvesting and storage properties. 

We have developed and demonstrated scalable and efficient photoelectrodes composed of Ruddlesden-Popper  (RP) phase 2D metal halide perovskite and MoS2 hybrid heterojunctions for Li-PRB applications.[3] These heterojunction-based photoelectrodes have shown exceptional performance compared to previously reported perovskite based Li-PRBs, achieving approximately ~15 times higher photo conversion and storage efficiency (PC-SE).[4] In contrast, this study has shown that the demonstrated LIB maintain stable performance and excellent stability, with discharging specific capacities of 122 mAh/g at the 1250th cycle. The schematic of crystal structure of the synthesized RP perovskite (n=4) and MoS2 nanoflakes are shown in Figure (a), where the four inorganic [PbI6]4- octahedron layers are separated by organic spacer cation BA (Butylamine). The presence of MoS2 together with perovskite material form staggered heterojunction which triggered heterogeneous nucleation during the casting of films. Such nucleation has improved structural and morphological properties of RP perovskite material which has ultimately enhanced the photoelectrochemical properties of Li-PRBs. Top view scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of RP perovskite n=4+MoS2 drop-casted film has shown vertically aligned stacks of large size crystals, creating an interconnected network with improved morphology. This optimized morphology provided least resistive path to Li-ions during lithiation and de-lithiation process and at the same time improved the light absorption which is desirable for efficient Li-PRBs. 

The schematic diagram for the developed hybrid Li-PRBs is shown in Figure (b). The photoelectrode is fabricated on FTO substrate which worked as an optical window to couple the solar radiation with RP perovskite crystals, while maintaining contact with the electrolyte to allow the transport of Li-ions. To understand how light enhances the specific capacity of Li-PRBs, first the freshly fabricated Li-PRB is discharged from its OCV to 0.02 V and kept at rest for ~6 minutes to stabilize the OCV to 0.06 V (red curve). Afterwards, when LED light is illuminated on the Li-PRBs, a sudden rise in OCV is observed, which has charged the Li-PRB from 0.06 V to 0.47 V (yellow curve). Next the Li-PRB is discharged at 40 mAg-1 current density under light and dark conditions (Figure c).  Under illumination conditions, the voltage has dropped gradually in 8.56 hours from 0.47 V to 0.30 V, (magenta curve). Whereas, when light is turned off voltage has dropped sharply in ~4.12 hour from 0.30 V to 0.02 V (black curve), suggesting the effectiveness of light in stabilizing the Li-PRB. The discharging time under light illumination conditions is found to be ~2 times higher compared to discharge under dark conditions. This phenomenon is attributed to the simultaneous photo-charging process which counterbalances the potentiostatic discharge and provide additional discharging time. This specific capability of Li-PRB can be beneficial to provide constant power supply to various electronic devices like calculators, sensors etc. The PC-SE of our Li-PRB is estimated to be PC-SE of ~0.52% under standard 1 Sun illumination (Figure d). The potential application of the developed Li-PRB is demonstrated practically by powering a commercial calculator, where the battery and solar panel of the calculator is first removed so that it can be powered solely by Li-PRB. The PRB was able to power the calculator continuously for more than seven days (Figure e). Our findings indicate that the development of RP perovskite-MoS2 heterojunction-based Li-PRBs has potential in advancing renewable energy technologies by offering efficient energy harvesting and storage solutions. With these improved performance and initial demonstration, Li-PRBs can provide revolutionary compact and low power energy solutions for off-grid sites.

Figure. (a) Schematic diagram for the crystal structure of perovskite (n=4) + MoS2. (b) Schematic diagram for hybrid Li-PRBs. (c) OCV charge observation of Li-PRBs under LED illumination (yellow curve) after stabilization under dark condition (red curve). In situ galvanostatic discharge at current density of 40 mAg−1 under illumination conditions (magenta curve) and dark condition (black curve). Inset shows the sudden rise in OCV under illumination. (d) OCV charge observation of Li-PRBs under 1 sun illumination (yellow curve) after stabilization under dark condition (red curve) and galvanostatic discharge under dark conditions (black curve) after OCV charging. Inset shows the sudden rise in OCV under illumination. (e) Demonstration of digital scientific calculator operated with hybrid Li-PRBs. Solar panel is removed before demonstration.

References

[1] E. Hittinger and P. Jaramillo, “Internet of things: Energy boon or bane?,” Science (80-. )., vol. 364, no. 6438, pp. 326–328, 2019, doi: 10.1126/science.aau8825.

[2] S. Chamola and S. Ahmad, “High Performance Photorechargeable Li‐Ion Batteries Based on Nanoporous Fe2O3 Photocathodes,” Adv. Sustain. Syst., vol. 7, no. 6, Jun. 2023, doi: 10.1002/adsu.202300043.

[3] R. M. Ansari, S. Chamola, and S. Ahmad, “Ruddlesden–Popper 2D Perovskite-MoS2 Hybrid Heterojunction Photocathodes for Efficient and Scalable Photo-Rechargeable Li-Ion Batteries,” Small, vol. 2401350, pp. 1–13, 2024, doi: 10.1002/smll.202401350.

[4] S. Ahmad, C. George, D. J. Beesley, J. J. Baumberg, and M. De Volder, “Photo-Rechargeable Organo-Halide Perovskite Batteries,” Nano Lett., vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 1856–1862, 2018, doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b05153.

About the authors

Rashid M. Ansari
PhD Student Department of Physics
IIT Jodhpur
Email: ansari.3@iitj.ac.in

Shubham Chamola
PhD Student Department of Physics
IIT Jodhpur
Email: shubham.2@iitj.ac.in

Shahab Ahmad
Associate Professor Department of Physics
IIT Jodhpur
Email: shahab@iitj.ac.in

Roadmap on Printable Electrochemical Biosensors based on Conjugated Organic Semiconductors

Akshay Moudgil

Status

Printable electrochemical biosensors based on conjugated organic semiconductors have gained significant attention due to their potential to provide a low-cost, easy-to-use, large-area, environment-friendly, and portable disease diagnosis and health monitoring platform [1], [2]. The active incorporation of conjugated organic compounds has unique properties, such as high electrical conductivity, good electrochemical activity, easy processability, and biocompatibility, that make them excellent choice for biosensing applications [3], [4]. For example, conjugated polymers such as poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene:poly-4-styrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), and polyaniline (PANI) are widely used in organic bioelectronics [5]. 

Printable electrochemical biosensors use various device structures, including two-electrode and three-electrode configurations with transducing principles (cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and open-circuit potentiometry) where the three-electrode is typically preferred for more accurate measurements, as it allows better control of the electrochemical potential of the working electrode. These electrochemical methods offer distinct advantages, such as rapid and simultaneous analysis, qualitative and quantitative analysis, non-destructive and label-free analysis, simple and cost-effective, and long-term stability monitoring. However, challenges related to overlapping peaks, limited chemical selectivity, complex data analysis, data interpretation, electrode stability, and quantitative analysis must be considered for reliable and accurate measurements. Understanding the strengths and limitations of these methods facilitates their appropriate selection and optimization for various sensing applications. Printed biosensors are advantageous for practical biosensing applications as they can conform to complex geometries, which is not possible with rigid material-based electronics. However, the device must be comfortable for specific applications, such as physiological metabolite detection, body temperature monitoring, blood flow, pressure monitoring, etc. Therefore, developing efficient and reproducible processing methods on biodegradable or compostable substrates with low power consumption for these biosensors remains a critical challenge and opens new avenues, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Current and Future Challenges
There is a growing need for developing new materials and printing technologies to address many challenges, such as:

• Materials: One of the main challenges in printable electrochemical biosensors based on conjugated organic semiconductors is the devices’ limited stability and lifetime (a few hours to days). The sensitivity of these materials to environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, oxygen, and oxidation/reduction processes during sensing can affect their performance over time (up to 50%), leading to sensor signal drift, sensing rangevariation, and reduced accuracy.

• Device Fabrication: Optimizing the processing methods to improve reproducibility and scalability is another challenge. Some of the key challenges include:

1.  Materials compatibility: Choosing suitable materials is crucial for achieving high-quality printed devices, as different printing techniques require specific materials, and not all materials are compatible with all methods. Therefore, selecting appropriate materials with appropriate chemical and physical properties, including surface energy, reactivity, and compatibility with the printing process, is essential.
2. Deposition uniformity: Achieving uniform deposition of the functional materials is challenging, particularly for large-area printing. Non-uniform deposition can result in variations in device performance, which is undesirable for applications that require high sensitivity
   and accuracy.
3. Resolution and feature size: The low resolution (20-50 μm) and large feature size (50-250 μm) achievable by printing techniques are limited by ink viscosity, nozzle size, and substrate properties.

• Biosensor Performance: One of the main challenges is the development of new materials with improved sensing properties, including higher sensitivity (up to 100%), selectivity (as high as possible with less standard deviation), stability (minimum 3 years for commercial use), and reproducibility (lower coefficient of variation <5%) along with lower limit of detection (up to single target entity with a certain level of confidence).

In summary, developing printable electrochemical biosensors based on conjugated organic compounds is a rapidly growing field with numerous advantages, such as low-cost, large-area, and flexible fabrication. It possesses significant potential for revolutionizing disease diagnosis and monitoring applications, including point-of-care diagnostic devices, personalized healthcare, physiological analyte monitoring, and fitness tracking. The future roadmap can be chalked out in terms of innovation in materials, device printing techniques (inkjet, EHD, 3D), dimensional scaling (feature size, aspect ratio, aerial scaling), electrical performance (conductivity, mobility), mechanical robustness (elastic modulus, stiffness, viscoelasticity, self-healing), form factors (compact, hybrid printed circuits, wireless) and packaged system.

Acknowledgments
This work is an excerpt from the following published article

• V. Pecunia, A. Moudgil et al., “Roadmap on Printable Electronic Materials for Next-Generation Sensors,” Nano Futures, Mar. 2024, doi: 10.1088/2399-1984/ad36ff.

References 

[1] V. Pecunia et al., “Roadmap on Printable Electronic Materials for Next-Generation Sensors,” Nano Futures, Mar. 2024, doi: 10.1088/2399-1984/ad36ff.

[2] A. Moudgil and W. L. Leong, “Highly Sensitive Transistor Sensor for Biochemical Sensing and Health Monitoring Applications: A Review,” IEEE Sens J, vol. 23, no. 8, pp. 8028–8041, Apr. 2023, doi: 10.1109/JSEN.2023.3253841.

[3] X. Wu et al., “Ionic-Liquid Induced Morphology Tuning of PEDOT:PSS for High-Performance Organic Electrochemical Transistors,” Adv Funct Mater, p. 2108510, Oct. 2021, doi: 10.1002/ADFM.202108510.

[4] T. Li et al., “Biocompatible Ionic Liquids in High-Performing Organic Electrochemical Transistors for Ion Detection and Electrophysiological Monitoring,” ACS Nano, vol. 16, no. 8, pp. 12049–12060, Aug. 2022, doi: 10.1021/acsnano.2c02191.

[5] A. Moudgil, K. Hou, T. Li, and W. L. Leong, “Biocompatible Solid‐State Ion‐Sensitive Organic Electrochemical Transistor for Physiological Multi‐Ions Sensing,” Adv Mater Technol, vol. 8, no. 18, Sep. 2023, doi: 10.1002/admt.202300605.

About the author

Akshay Moudgil
Assistant Professor
Department of Electrical Engineering
IIT Jodhpur
akshaymoudgil@iitj.ac.in

Heterogeneous Silicon Photonics: Pioneering Optical Modulators for Next-Generation Optical Communication

Swati Rajput

Heterogeneous Silicon Photonics (SiPh) is at the forefront of integrating optical and electronic functionalities on silicon microchips, providing a blend of cost-effectiveness, low power consumption, and high-speed data transmission. This technological advancement is not just a leap in science but a significant contributor to societal progress. From a scientific perspective, SiPh innovations include low-loss optical waveguides, high-speed modulators, and sensitive detectors. These advancements are set to revolutionize telecommunications by enhancing data transfer rates and reliability, which is essential for the growing demands of our connected world. By improving the efficiency and speed of communication networks, SiPh technology supports the infrastructure needed for modern applications such as streaming services, online education, and telemedicine [1].

On a societal level, the implications are profound. Enhanced telecommunications can bridge the digital divide, providing better access to information and communication technologies in underserved regions. This connectivity fosters social inclusion, economic growth, and educational opportunities, empowering communities to participate in the global digital economy. Additionally, SiPh plays a crucial role in quantum electronics applications, enabling the generation, manipulation, and detection of quantum states of light. This capability is essential for secure communication, computing, and sensing, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in information security and processing power. Quantum communication, for instance, can ensure unbreakable encryption, protecting sensitive information in an increasingly digital world. By fostering advancements in these areas, SiPh not only drives scientific progress but also addresses critical societal needs. It exemplifies how cutting-edge technology can have far-reaching impacts, improving the quality of life and enabling new possibilities for innovation and development.

Optical modulators are essential in optical communication systems, particularly in data centers and high-performance computing (HPC) environments, enabling high-speed data transfer between electrical and photonic domains. They manipulate light by altering material properties, either passively through thermal methods or actively by changing carrier density, resulting in shifts in the effective index. Silicon stands out for its CMOS-enabled fabrication and strong optical confinement, making it ideal for optical modulators and photonic switches. Silicon-based devices, leveraging thermo-optic and electro-optic effects, meet the demand for high-speed signal processing in data centers [2,3]. However, challenges persist, including weak electro-optic effects, slow response times, and thermal instability. Recent
advancements focus on hybridizing silicon or designing engineered structures to address these limitations, aiming to enhance performance in terms of footprint, modulation depth, speed, and energy efficiency.

Fig. 1: (a) Illustrative view of the proposed AZO-based optical
modulator in an engineered HPW on a SOI substrate. The inset
illustrates the mode profile of the confined light.

(b) Scanning electron microscopic image of the fabricated device.    

Despite silicon’s limitations, ongoing innovations in silicon-based modulator design aim to achieve superior performance and broader applicability in next-gen communication systems. Adopting heterogeneous SiPh is crucial to overcome these limitations and realize compact, high-performance optical modulators with fast sub-volt operation, cost-effectiveness, high extinction ratio, and low energy consumption. Integrating low-cost, tunable materials with Si enhances its optical properties, leveraging Si’s strengths alongside complementary materials to deliver advanced optical modulators. Hybrid plasmonic waveguides (HPWs) combine dielectric and plasmonic components, boosting light-matter interactions and leading to efficient and compact optical modulators with high field confinement, rapid modulation speeds, and enhanced nonlinear effects [4].

Fig. 2: (a) Three-dimensional color surface graph depicting the variation
in the real part of the effective index (Δneff) concerning voltage (-5 V to
1 V) across wavelengths from 1500 nm to 1650 nm.

(b) Three-dimensional color surface graph showing the Extinction
Ratio (ER) versus voltage (-5 V to 1 V) for wavelengths ranging from
1500 nm to 1650 nm.

Transparent Conducting Oxides (TCOs) like AZO and ITO enhance optical modulation. These doped metal oxides possess wide bandgaps and high electrical conductivity [5, 6]. In the long wavelength range (>1100 nm), AZO and ITO demonstrate metal-like behavior, making them promising plasmonic materials capable of significant refractive index modulation via the free carrier effect. By adjusting the charge carrier density, AZO’s permittivity and refractive index can be modulated, exploiting its ENZ condition for more effective and efficient optical modulation [7].

In this article, we report a high extinction ratio, low voltage optical modulator with wide bandwidth operation in an engineered HPW based on AZO. This modulator design incorporates a thin AZO layer into the HPW, facilitating both vertical and lateral plasmonic mode confinement, leveraging AZO’s unique properties. By electrically inducing changes in AZO’s carrier density, the material reaches the ENZ state, crucial for efficient intensity and phase modulation over a wavelength range of 1500 nm to 1650 nm. The modulator’s geometry is meticulously optimized to ensure effective electro-optic coupling between the dielectric waveguide mode and the surface plasmon mode, minimizing the losses typical of conventional HPWs. For the specified wavelength range, the modulator achieves an impressive ER ranging from 13 dB/μm to 45 dB/μm at a low operating voltage of just 1 V. The modulation efficiency, measured in terms of voltage-
length product (V-μm), spans from 2.75 V-μm to 2.90 V-μm, indicating efficient operation with minimal power.

The proposed work introduces a breakthrough optical modulator design leveraging engineered Hybrid Plasmonic Waveguides with AZO as the key material. Through rigorous numerical analysis, we unveil the modulator’s remarkable capabilities in achieving exceptional Extinction Ratio and operating at ultra-low voltages across a wide bandwidth. By ingeniously integrating a thin AZO layer into the HPW
structure, we unlock its unique properties, enabling efficient intensity and phase modulation crucial for diverse applications in optical communication, quantum computing, and sensing. Our meticulous optimization efforts yield unprecedented results, establishing strong vertical and lateral nanoscale optical confinement while minimizing propagation losses, ensuring unparalleled performance in long-distance signal transmission.

References
[1] S. Shekhar, W. Bogaerts, L. Chrostowski, J. E. Bowers, M. Hochberg, R. Soref, and B. J. Shastri, “Road mapping the next generation of silicon photonics”, Nat. Comm., vol.15, pp. 1-15,2024.
[2] G.T. Reed, G. Mashanovich, F.Y. Gardes, and D. Thomson, “Silicon optical modulators”, Nat. Photon., vol.4, pp.518-526,2010.
[3] Q. Xu, B. Schmidt, S. Pradhan, and M. Lipson, “Micrometre- scale silicon electro-optic modulator”, Nature, vol. 435,pp. 325-327, 2005.
[4] R.F. Oulton, V.J. Sorger, D.A. Genov, D.F.P. Pile, and X. Zhang, “A hybrid plasmonic waveguide for subwavelengthconfinement and long-range propagation”, Nat. Photon.,
vol.2, pp.496-500, 2008.
[5] S. Rajput, V. Kaushik, P. Babu, P. Tiwari, A.K. Srivastava, and M. Kumar, “Optical modulation via coupling of distributed semiconductor heterojunctions in a Si-ITO-based subwavelength grating”, Phys. Rev. Appl., vol.15, p.054029, 2021.
[6] M.G. Wood, S. Campione, S. Parameswaran, T.S. Luk, J.R. Wendt, D.K. Serkland, and, G.A. Keeler, “Gigahertz speed operation of epsilon-near-zero silicon photonic modulators”,
Optica, vol. 5, pp.233-236, 2018.
[7] S. Rajput, V. Kaushik, P. Babu, S.K. Pandey, and M. Kumar, “All optical modulation in vertically coupled indium tin oxide ring resonator employing epsilon near zero state”, ScientificReports, vol. 13, p.18379, 2023.

About the Author

Dr. Swati Rajput,
DST Inspire Faculty
Department of Electrical Engineering
IIT Jodhpur
swatirajput@iitj.ac.in

Recycled C&D Waste in construction practices: Insights from IIT Jodhpur

P. Saraswat and B. Singh

The rapid growth of urbanization and industrialization in Rajasthan has led to an alarming increase in construction and demolition (C&D) waste generation, posing significant environmental and sustainability challenges [1]. Rajasthan generates approximately 889.48 tons of C&D waste per day, with a collection rate of 755.99 tons per day, leaving a substantial amount unattended [2]. Jodhpur, like many major cities in Rajasthan, has been experiencing rapid economic and infrastructure development. Major projects such as various smart city initiatives, the construction of universities and colleges, the AIIMS Jodhpur expansion, and the Jodhpur Ring Road project have led to a significant increase in C&D activities, consequently generating a substantial amount of C&D waste. Managing this C&D waste presents a major challenge for the city, as improper disposal can lead to environmental degradation, resource depletion, and health hazards. Much of the C&D waste in Jodhpur is currently dumped in open spaces, causing significant environmental risks such as soil contamination, air pollution, and water pollution. Improper disposal has also resulted in waterlogging in some areas, as waste clogs drains, disrupting drainage systems. Addressing these concerns requires the efficient integration of these waste materials into construction practices, a resource-intensive process. Recycling and reusing C&D waste not only addresses waste management issues but also reduces the demand for virgin construction materials.

To tackle these concerns and explore potential opportunities, the Transportation Engineering Lab at the Department of Civil and Infrastructure Engineering (CIE), IIT Jodhpur, is working on the treatment and incorporation of C&D waste into various construction practices, including cement concrete [3], bituminous concrete [4], and paver blocks [5]. This initiative aims to provide a sustainable solution for managing C&D waste while contributing to the development of eco-friendly construction materials. The research focuses on the treatment of C&D waste, the extraction of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA), and the evaluating it use in cement concrete, bituminous concrete, and paver blocks. It examines the feasibility, durability, and performance of these materials when incorporating RCA. By thoroughly assessing these factors, the initiative aims to provide a viable alternative to traditional construction materials, promoting sustainable practices and mitigating the environmental impact of C&D waste.

RCA has emerged as a promising solution in the construction sector, offering both environmental benefits and cost-effectiveness [6] . However, the presence of adhered mortar on RCA surfaces presents a significant challenge, potentially compromising the mechanical and durability properties when RCA is used as an aggregate. The methods to remove adhered mortar, includes hammering, mechanical abrasion, thermal treatment, chemical treatment etc. Although these methods found effective have some disadvantages in terms of weaken the aggregate, increasing porosity, reducing mechanical strength, increasing cost, requirement of significant time, posing environmetal environmental and safety risks [7]. To address these issues, we are currently exploring these treatment methods both individually and in combination. The treatment parameters associated with different treatment methods such as treatment duration, treatment charges, treatment acid type, treatment acid concentartion, treatment temperature are being optimised to produce high-quality RCA in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner. An image analysis method (IAM) is also being developed, where the images are processed to quantify the amount of adhered mortar that was present of  RCA before and after treatment [8]. This addresses the inconsistencies and inefficiencies of traditional mortar removal methods, which affect the mechanical and durability properties of RCA. This approach provides a novel and comprehensive method for evaluating the effectiveness of chemical treatments by quantifying the physical properties like weight reduction, thickness of adhered mortar, and specific gravity of the treated RCA. This rigorous methodology guarantees a thorough assessment and comprehension of the consequences of various treatment methods on RCA. This research has strengthened the RCA's usability and performance in construction, contributing to the validation of theoretical knowledge and practical applications.

The extracted aggregates i.e. recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) are then effectively utilized in the production of paver blocks [5]. These blocks are commonly used for paving roads, sidewalks, and open spaces. The study emphasized that incorporating recycled C&D materials, such as crushed concrete and bricks, into paver blocks will help to manage waste while providing a sustainable and cost-effective construction material. The research focused on partially replacing natural coarse aggregates with C&D waste in I-shaped interlocking paver blocks. The collected C&D waste underwent screening, a double treatment, optimization, and microscopic evaluation before being used in paver block production. The study recommended that paver blocks could incorporate up to 75% treated C&D waste. The strength of these paver blocks was found to be comparable to that of those made with natural aggregates. These paver blocks are specifically targeted for low-traffic areas such as sidewalks, parks, and footpaths. Paver blocks are classified by their strength and are installed according to the expected vehicular traffic. The study recommended a 50-mm depth for paver blocks, providing sufficient strength for use in low-traffic areas.

Further research is being conducted to incorporate RCA into both cement concrete and bituminous concrete. In both cases, replacing 100% of virgin coarse aggregates with coarse RCA has shown promising results. The samples have met the strength and durability criteria recommended by the respective standard codes. Comprehensive research is ongoing to explore all other aspects of RCA utilization, aiming to develop more conclusive recommendations and increase its practical application in the field.

REFERENCES

[1] M. Behera, S. K. Bhattacharyya, A. K. Minocha, R. Deoliya, and S. Maiti, “Recycled aggregate from C&D waste & its use in concrete – A breakthrough towards sustainability in construction sector: A review,” Constr Build Mater, vol. 68, pp. 501–516, Oct. 2014.

[2] Central Pollution Control Board, “Guidelines on Environmental Management of Construction and demolition (C&D) Wastes,” Mar. 2017. Accessed: Jul. 27, 2023. 

[3] X. Yang et al., “Straightening methods for RCA and RAC—a review,” Cem Concr Compos, vol. 141, p. 105145, Aug. 2023.

[4] D. Prasad, R. R. Kant, and B. Singh, “Effect of lime filler on RCA incorporated bituminous mixture,” Clean Eng Technol, vol. 4, Oct. 2021.

[5] P. Saraswat and B. Singh, “Utilization of recycled concrete aggregates in LDPE-bonded cementless paver blocks,” Constr Build Mater, vol. 419, p. 135467, Mar. 2024.

[6] S. Jain and B. Singh, “Recycled concrete aggregate incorporated cold bituminous emulsion mixture: Mechanical, environmental and economic evaluation,” J Clean Prod, vol. 380, p. 135026, Dec. 2022.

[7] D. Prasad, B. Singh, and S. K. Suman, “Utilization of recycled concrete aggregate in bituminous mixtures: A comprehensive review,” Constr Build Mater, vol. 326, p. 126859, Apr. 2022.

[8] Y. Wang, J. Liu, P. Zhu, H. Liu, C. Wu, and J. Zhao, “Investigation of Adhered Mortar Content on Recycled Aggregate Using Image Analysis Method,” Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, vol. 33, no. 9, Sep. 2021.

About the authors 

P. Saraswat
Research Scholar
Department of Civil and Infrastructure Engineering
IIT Jodhpur
bhupendra@iitj.ac.in

B. Singh
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil and Infrastructure Engineering
IIT Jodhpur
saraswat.3@iitj.ac.in

Classroom Gamification through Points and Rewards: A Case Study with First-year Engineering course

Rajlaxmi Chouhan

Classroom gamification has gained recognition as a powerful tool for enhancing student motivation. Gamified lessons often offer students a sense of autonomy and control over their learning, as they can make choices and see the immediate impact of their decisions. Additionally, the use of points, badges, and/or leaderboards provides a sense of accomplishment, fostering a spirit of healthy competition and a desire to excel. Especially for engineering undergraduate students, the transition from high school to an IIT is often challenging, and gamification can ease this transition into a demanding field of study. The setup of this study is a video-based flipped class where interactive video assignments are provided to students for prior review, and classroom interaction is focussed on discussion on queries, problem solving, additional discussion on recent developments, applications, simulations, etc. The video assignments are about 15-25 minutes long and contain simple knowledge check questions interleaved at strategic places to gauge the learner’s attention. The score on these questions do not contribute to performance but the 100% completion of video assignments is counted as “engagement” and considered in lieu of physical attendance of the class by the instructor. The course also has a lab component where initially all lab teams are created roll number-wise. The timely completion of video assignments before the scheduled class is extremely important for utilizing the class hour meaningfully and interactively. The instructor has noted, over a previous flipped classroom term, that while most of the students do eventually complete the video assignments and other exercises, the percentage of students who do so ‘on time’ is less than 50%. An incentive mechanism to improve the completion rates, that would consequently improve the overall classroom engagement, was therefore required. The literature suggests that gamified flipped learning could improve participation.

CONTRIBUTION

The contribution of this work is particularly in the context of gamification of a flipped classroom primarily focussed on interactive video assignments. The literature is abundant in successful use of gamification in the classroom across various age groups and disciplines. Typical ways in which gamification is incorporated in classrooms is (i) by assigning points to positive behaviors where students can earn points for desirable behaviors and losing points for undesirable ones (ii) game-based learning where the student learns a topic by playing a game. The focus of this paper is the former. The instructor uses a simple set of desirable activities and assigns Experience Points (XPs) to it. The target student group comprises 261 first-year engineering students enrolled in an electronics course, common for all students. 

It must be noted that gamification in the context of this paper refers to the system of earning points and redeeming points for certain rewards. The study aims to find answers to the following research questions in the context of first-year engineering students:

Did the system of XPs have an impact on completion rates and accuracies of the assignments?
Did gamification have an impact on overall classroom engagement and learner motivation?

APPLICATION DESIGN

The primary elements of the methodology were as follows:

Step 1: Identifying positive behaviors that the instructor wants to encourage in the students and assigning (initial) XPs.

As is common to many classroom gamification frameworks, the instructor, based on his/her experience of teaching a course over a few terms, identifies a list of desirable actions. These included:

• Coming prepared to the class (i.e. reviewing the entire video assignment before the class, 50 XPs)
  Watching the video material carefully (i.e. answering all knowledge checks interleaved in the video correctly, 50 XPs)
• Practising problems diligently and soon after the topics are covered in class, for better retention (i.e. solving all the questions in the practice test correctly and submit assignments before deadline, 125 XPs)
• Contributing to the offline discussions on the Learning Management System (i.e. answering queries of other students, 25 XPs)
• Reaching for the lab sessions on time (There are 10 lab sessions throughout the semester) (25 XPs)
• Compiling the findings from the lab experiment soon after the lab experiments (i.e. submitting the lab report on time, 25 XPs)
• Participating in classroom activities, like games, crosswords, scavenger hunts etc. (up to 500 XPs)

Step 2: Identifying a list of rewards (based on responses from a small focus group of students about what rewards would be interesting to a first-year Gen Z engineering student). After an initial XPs assignment, the maximum total XPs earned by a student were estimated. With this estimate, the reward values were adjusted to make more desirable rewards more challenging to attain. This was done so that the student remains motivated to be sincere. These included, but were not limited to,

• 1-day extension for any assignment (1000 XPs), 1-day extension for lab report submission (1500 XPs)
• 1 Gift Attendance (2000 XPs)
• Changing lab partner (2000 XPs, could also be pooled by two students)
• ‘Superextension’ on one assignment (till the end of the semester) (5000 XPs)
• Unlocking bonus question of 1-mark in the next quiz (6000 XPs), Collaborative quiz (15000 XPs, pooled by two students)

Step 3: Theoretically validating the above identified parameters and their weightages (i.e. overall XPs earned over a semester from those activities) using Yu-kai Chou’s Octalysis framework for actionable gamification using eight core motivational drives. The game mechanics through which each of the drives are invoked in the proposed framework is as follows:

White Hat Drives (Positive motivations)

• Accomplishment: Earning XPs
• Ownership: Redeemable XPs (that can also be pooled by multiple students for specific Rewards)
• Empowerment of Creativity: Gamified quizzes, puzzles, scavenger hunts, unlock bonus
• Epic Meaning: No significant aspect w.r.t. this drive since the tasks required are usually expected of every student.

Black Hat Drives (Negative motivations)

• Social influence: Students could see their total XPs wrt others; one puzzle for a team exercise
• Scarcity: Exclusively implemented only for this course for this group of students
• Avoidance: A majority of XPs, and in turn rewards, are earned primarily by virtues of timeliness, diligence, and showing up to class
• Unpredictability: Surprise rewards for certain classroom games

The Octalysis tool generated a score of 409/800 with an affirmation of a good balance between the extrinsic and intrinsic motivations.

Step 4: Explaining the point system, the list of rewards, and the duration for which the framework would be active (for earning XPs) on the first day of class. A spreadsheet-basedlog system to accumulate and redeem points visible to all students was also set up.

OUTCOMES

The students received the XP system very well. The class collectively earned nearly 8.3 lakh points and nearly 90% of the students redeemed their points for at least one reward by the end of the term. Usefulness of various rewards and motivating factors were also sought from the students (5-level Likert) in an anonymous survey with 72 respondents. The reward of 1-day Gift attendance (3.9/5) was found to be the most useful, followed by lab extension and unlocking bonus questions (3.6/5 each). The feedback also showed that most students valued the gamification framework for motivating them towards (i) timely completion of assignments, 4.2/5 (ii) participating more in classroom activities (3.9/5), and (iii) taking more efforts towards learning (3.8/5). A comparison of completion rates was analyzed (for nine video assignments corresponding to the topic operational amplifiers) between a class of 243 students (who took the same course in flipped mode in 2022 without any gamification), and the current class. While the average completion rate of the same video assignments without gamification was about 46%, that with gamification was observed to be 76%, given all other variables were the same. Statistical analysis (t-test and ANOVA) also showed a statistical significance in both the timely completion and the scores between the two groups.

INFERENCES

As video assignments are a critical component in a flipped classroom and reflect ‘engagement’ with the study material, these results suggest that the introduction of XPs and rewards resulted in about 30% increase in engagement with the study material. The noticeable reduction of tardiness and increase in active class participation also reflect an impact of the system on the motivation of the students. Student feedback validates the impact of the simple gamification framework on overall engagement and motivation. The development of an app that would allow the convenience of adding tasks, updating points, and redeeming points is under progress.

About the author

Rajlaxmi Chouhan
Associate Professor
Department of Electrical Engineering
Affiliate Member,
Center for Education & Technology for Education
IIT jodhpur
rajlaxmichouhan@iitj.ac.in

Enhancing Research Efficiency: Analyzing the Impact of Document Delivery Service (DDS) at S R Ranganathan Learning Hub,

Amit Kumar Soni, Poonam, Kshema Prakash and Kamleshkumar J. Patel

Libraries are essential in academic settings, offering key resources for teaching, research, and assessment, as well as connecting learning resources, users, and staff (Vijayakumar & Barayyan, 2015). Library supports education with internal collections and provide external documents via Document Delivery Service (DDS) and inter-library loans. DDS has a long history of addressing users’ information needs beyond individual collections (Oh & Lee, 2015). With the advent of the internet, electronic document delivery services have revolutionized research by providing rapid access to scholarly resources, like journal articles and book chapters, directly to researchers’ inboxes, eliminating the delays of traditional delivery methods.

Importance of Document Delivery Service in Research Efficiency
Seamless access to research materials is essential for researchers to excel. Traditional methods, such as inter- library loans, frequently cause delays and uncertainties due to dependency on other libraries and physical dispatch risks (Manna, 1997). Electronic document delivery services have revolutionized this by providing near-instant access to extensive scholarly resources, significantly enhancing research efficiency (Saini, 2014). Researchers at IIT Jodhpur access articles from prestigious journals globally with a click. Subscribed access to journals, databases, e-books, and extended borrowing privileges remain vital, but electronic DDS expands resources beyond a single library, broadening research horizons (Tomaszewski, 2012).

Overview of the Electronic Document Delivery Service at IIT Jodhpur
The SRRLH, IIT Jodhpur, has embraced the electronic document delivery service to enhance research productivity. This service overcomes traditional document delivery challenges by providing instant access to a vast collection of scholarly resources. Integrated with the institute’s library management system, it warrants a seamless experience for researchers. By supporting resource sharing and inter-library loans, it allows access to resources from other libraries, widening the available resources and fostering a cooperative culture among libraries.

DDS Implementation at S R Ranganathan Learning Hub(SRRLH), IIT Jodhpur
The initiation and organization of the electronic Document Delivery Service (eDDS), has been done in the following manner:

1. Initiation of Document Delivery Service (DDS)
   After the establishment of library in 2010, the Document Delivery Services were initiated as a regular service, as early as 2011. With a purpose of systematically collecting and organizing the inter-library loans and document supply data for their internal analysis, in 2015, the library converted the Document Delivery Service (DDS) into electronic format to provide convenient access to resources for its academic and research community. Subsequently, an Article Request web form was introduced to facilitate DDS requests, allowing users to submit their document requirements online.
2. Integration of the Article Request Form with the Library Website
   The Article Request Form was integrated with the Library Website and the users were encouraged to use the Article Request Form for availing the service, as data capturing for library was both important as well as convenient in this way. Currently, this service is prominently indicated on the website of SRRLH under the heading “SwiftDocs” where the online Article Request Form and Inter-Library Loan Request Form are hosted for the convenience of users.
3. DDS Service Request Data
   Requests submitted through the Article Request Form from 2018 to 2023 have been systematically collected and organized in a Response Sheet, which formed the database.

• Besides the standard bibliographic data of the document being requested, data also includes details like the requester’s name, academic status (Faculty, PhD Research scholars, MTech/MSc students), document type, and timestamp.
• Processing the request and checking the availability of documents in the library collection before placing out the request is important and mandatorily done by the library staff.
• Once this step is completed, the data pertaining to the lending library along with the delivery date is recorded in the database.
• The data thus collected has been categorized into three main groups: (i) Faculty members, (ii) PhD Research Scholars, and (iii) MTech MSc students.
• This classification provides a detailed analysis of the different user groups and their respective needs.

The collected and classified data of electronic Document Delivery Service is mentioned in Table 1 and represented graphically in Figure1.

Table 1. Category of users

Impact of Usage of Documents Supplied through DDS

• The impact of eDDS-provided documents was assessed by tracking citations in the academic work of users.
• For PhD Research scholars and MTech/MSc students, citations were identified in their thesis work.
• Faculty members’ utilization of DDS documents was traced through citations in articles, research papers, conferences, books, and book chapters published by them.
• To ensure accuracy, a verification process was implemented in which Institute publications were searched across multiple platforms such as Scopus database, Google Scholar, Indian Research Information Network System (IRINS) portal, and institutional repository (IR) of IIT Jodhpur.

Effectiveness of the eDDS
From the data collected over these years against the eDDS services provided to the users, it is found that the eDDS significantly benefits the library users. Table 2 illustrates that 1165 articles were delivered from 2018 to 2023, with 106 referenced by users. 283 articles were provided to faculty members, of which 16 were cited, 763 were provided to research scholars, 53 to MTech students and 32 to MSc students, of which 53, 30 and 7 articles were cited respectively. This implies that research scholars have cited the most publications, followed by MTech students, teachers, and MSc students. These citations reflect the engagement and utilization of scholarly work across various academic levels within the institution during the specified time.

Table 2. Cited Articles
 

Figure 2 shows the documents delivered by SRRLH, along with the number of articles cited in each category. It also shows the maximum number of articles delivered to research scholars and the maximum number cited in their thesis.

Measuring the effectiveness of eDDS and Associated
Benefits
Periodically, to assess the effectiveness of the electronic Document Delivery Service, the library of IIT Jodhpur employs some performance metrics that measure the speed of document delivery, the number of resources made accessible, and the overall satisfaction of researchers.

1. Turnaround Time: The service ensures prompt delivery of requested documents to researchers within a specified period.
2. Breadth of Resources: The service provides access to a wide range of scholarly resources, enabling comprehensive and interdisciplinary research.
3. Requesters’ Satisfaction: Feedback and reviews provide insights into the service’s usability, reliability, and impact on research efficiency.

This performance assessment not only provides insights regarding the efficiency of service delivery but also provides crucial information for the library and the authorities. Such as:

1. In-depth analysis of bibliographic data of documents requested by users serves as a feeder for subscription decisions.
2. Analysis of books requested on inter-library loan from other libraries can guide the library’s collection development plan.

Similarly, there can be many more associated and derived benefits of a systematic analysis of the Document Delivery Service provided by the libraries.

Use Cases and Success Stories of eDDS@S R Ranganathan Learning Hub, IIT Jodhpur

It is a well-set practice at the SRRLH to collect feedback and inputs from the users whenever a document has been delivered to them. The following cases from the faculty and researchers at IIT Jodhpur who have benefited from the service illustrate the impact and effectiveness of the electronic Document Delivery Service (eDDS) at the SRRLH.

1. A Faculty Member at the School of Liberal Arts (SoLA), evokes how the electronic Document Delivery Service enabled her to access a crucial research article within hours. The timely availability of the publication allowed her to incorporate the findings into her research paper, ultimately enhancing its quality and credibility.
2. A Research Scholar at the School of Management & Entrepreneurship found the electronic Document Delivery Service of the library to be very user-friendly and convenient, and it has been incredibly beneficial for the literature review in her research area, as shared by her while recording her feedback about the library.
3. Another PhD student from the School of Management and Entrepreneurship used this service to access few rare and specialized case studies. His research relied on these resources for its distinct assessments and perspectives. These rare publications made his research stand out, demonstrating the importance of the electronic Document Delivery Service in promoting effective research.
   

These examples illumine the positive impact of the electronic Document Delivery Service. Thus, Faculty Members and Researchers at IIT Jodhpur have experienced accelerated access to resources and an expanded pool of scholarly materials, resulting in higher-quality research and academicachievements.

Future Trends and Advancements in Document Delivery Service
The future of Document Delivery Service (DDS) is promising, driven by technological advancements. Key trends include improved digital rights management and copyright regulations to ensure secure and legal access to materials. As publishers mark digital distribution, robust frameworks will be essential. Additionally, the growing adoption of open access in academia will redesign DDS, enabling researchers to access scholarly resources freely, bypassing subscription fees and paywalls, thus enhancing research efficiency.

References
[1] Vijayakumar, J. K., & Al Barayyan, F. (2015). The role of the Document Delivery Service at an evolving research library in Saudi Arabia. Interlending & Document Supply, 43(1), 41–46. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILDS-01-2014-0011
[2] Oh, J. S., & Lee, J. W. (2015). Standing strong in the winds of change: An analysis of a Document Delivery Service in South Korea. Interlending & Document Supply, 43(1), 47–52. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILDS-04-2014-0022
[3] Manna, S. K. (1997). Document Delivery in Digital Environment. CALIBER 2001: Pune. https://ir.inflibnet.ac.in/
bitstream/1944/124/1/cali_27.pdf
[4] Saini, O. P. (2014). Document Delivery Service by Central Library, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow: A Study. DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology, 34(5), 435–439. https://doi.org/10.14429/djlit.34.7054
[5] Tomaszewski, R. (2012). Information needs and library services for doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars at Georgia State University. Science & Technology Libraries. https://doi.org/10.1080/0194262x.2012.73046

About the authors!

Amit Kumar Soni
Asst. Lib. Info. Officer
S. R. Ranganathan Learning Hub
IIT Jodhpur
amitsoni@iitj.ac.in

Poonam
Young Library Associate
S. R. Ranganathan Learning Hub
IIT Jodhpur
poonams@intern.iitj.ac.in

Dr. Kshema Prakash
Deputy Librarian
S. R. Ranganathan Learning Hub,
IIT Jodhpur
kshema@iitj.ac.in

Kamleshkumar J. Patel
Research Scholar, Gujarat University &
Asst. Lib. Info. Officer
S. R. Ranganathan Learning Hub
IIT Jodhpur
kamlesh@iitj.ac.in

Storytelling as an Interdisciplinary Teaching Tool: Language Learning, Cultural Studies, & Environmental Pedagogy with V

Tonisha Guin

Academic—especially pedagogical—work in India often starts from a place of deficit. Sometimes, this deficit is a matter of infrastructure: the lack of classrooms, washrooms, textbooks and teachers. Often, there is a different kind of deficit—invisible, but just as crucial—that takes the form of apathy. The word apathy signifies a lack of interest, of emotional involvement. In teaching, this is most commonly experienced when a teacher senses that the students are not paying attention or engaging with the subject matter. “They don’t listen,” and “They don’t care,” are often the most frequently heard expressions around a student’s apathy.

This paper argues that this disinterest is a symptom rather than a cause, and has long-term devastating consequences. Further, this apathy may often come from a student feeling not just overwhelmed by unfamiliar information, but also overwhelmed because one is asked to accommodate two (or more) stances that may appear completely irreconcilable. Why should students begin to care—intellectually if not also emotionally—about the ways in which industrial development has led to environmental degradation, if they are simultaneously expected to excel academically in order to be employable by corporate entities that rely on industrial development? Or, why must traditional, local, community knowledge systems be valued if they are also superstitious, oblivious to modern science, and therefore inferior to it?

This way of creating polarised, rigid opposites is not just reductive, it elides our complex, deeply heterogeneous social realities. Indian modernity accommodates the contradictions created by heuristic classifications: a scientist may be devoutly religious, a local custom or home remedy may be a pragmatic solution that matches scientific rationality, a government department may incorporate folk rituals in their daily functionality. Instead of turning these differences into contradictions, it is crucial to negotiate with each instance on a context-sensitive, case-by-case basis. This does not imply a blanket approval or acceptance of harmful superstitious practices, or ignoring science. In fact, it relies on debates, discussions so that the student is more engaged, and thus more effectively convinced of the way different situations call for different responses. Their people skills and adaptability increases when they start relating with, critiquing, and responding to situations and peoples distinctly different from themselves. Thus, in courses on environment and development, I often lay emphasis on the fact that environmentalists are not anti-development or anti-capitalism (or that, similarly, a Gender Studies class doesn’t preach that all men are terrible, and women are superior to men). We live in these social systems, and critically examining the risks and benefits of contemporary institutions in a case by case way helps learners to develop a pragmatic, optimal sense of judgement.

This is where storytelling, as a deeply tactile and versatile medium, can play a role in engaging students by helping them overcome their anxieties and play an agentive role rather than be passive listeners and rote learners.  The narrative structures of stories rely on two crucial elements:

• an emotional response from the reader/listener (the response can be curiosity, intrigue, happiness, sadness, even boredom or dissatisfaction, but a response nonetheless).
• Identification with one or more of the characters, and relatability: Critical Media and Cultural Studies use terms like interpellation and suturing to discuss how an audience member may be able to emotionally connect with the character of a narrative, and how this connection creates a point of empathy. Successful stories create successful points of empathy, identification, relatability to get the audience invested in the events of the narrative.
  

Further, they appear light, accessible, even trivial, because receiving or accepting stories is not treated like a skill, all of us have heard stories since we have been children. So the learner is immediately more receptive and comfortable with it, even if the narrative is demanding, layered and nuanced. Precisely because they are associated with entertainment, light, easy distractions, they immediately help in lowering anxiety levels among students, and thereby help them to connect with the underlying (academic, theoretical) themes the story is being used as a vehicle for.

Also, any act of storytelling is necessarily performative: it is reiterative, but also transformative, allowing it to be suited to the group it is catering to at the moment. Stories allow for real-time modifications depending on the response of the learners and are an inclusive tool with which a heterogeneous group of learners can be engaged with simultaneously. Stories are also open to adaptation in multiple formats, from in-person storytelling in a group—with a single storyteller, or group members contributing to the story, analysing it, or discussing possible meanings or endings for it—to a digital, Choose Your Own Adventure interactive storytelling application. Oral histories and allegories of Smriti traditions in India have flourished because of this tactility.

Finally, shared social crises like the pandemic and climate change are deeply complex, and ask for interdisciplinary responses. In the face of this, the distinctions between the sciences and the humanities still prevail, but interventions that accommodate scientific truths and cultural attitudes are more successful than others.  Scientific and technical information is culturally mediated. As such, looking at the socio-political-economic impacts of a scientific discovery allows for a more nuanced and effective problem-solving or socio-cultural intervention. If storytelling appears to be a matter of the pure humanities to you, you’d be surprised at how the most biomedical, technical fields have started incorporating it within their practices for improved results. Doctors are increasingly trained in what is known as narrative medicine; psychologists and psychiatrists rely on storytelling for the treatment of trauma patients, even marketing and design professionals rely heavily on drawing their consumer base by building a good story around a brand.   

This paper argues that an interactive, transmedia use of storytelling can be incorporated into classroom pedagogy with very minimal tools. It works on the premise that

• Critical pedagogy is much more useful & inclusive a practice than what Paulo Freire calls the banking model: In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Freire distinguishes between the “banking model of teaching” that assumes that students are empty vessels, the teacher is the repository of all knowledge, and the process of teaching transfers this knowledge to the students from the teacher; while that of the critical pedagogical model respects the fact that different students come from different socio-cultural backgrounds: if teaching is conducted as a discussion rather than a lecture, how they choose to interpret the lesson from their own subjective positions allows for a more meaningful and engaged learning experience. Storytelling as a  pedagogical tool helps open up a learning space into one where students can bring in their own understandings and interpretations, allowing the teacher to understand what resonates with them and what doesn’t. It helps improve the efficacy of lesson plans and learning outcomes immediately. A conversation between the teacher and the learner is more impactful than a one- way communication from the teacher with the learners as passive listeners or observers.
• Any academic discussion involves what Karen Rosenberg calls “rhetorical reading.” Disciplines and definitions evolve over time, with academics responding to each other’s work. Since this holds true for all disciplines, storytelling helps a student to hold the tactility necessary to accommodate multiple schools of thought (or ways of problem solving) instead of creating rigid hierarchies.

Storytelling, if used carefully, can cater to multiple learning outcomes simultaneously: For instance, the exercise this paper proposes addresses the three major pedagogical challenges listed below:

• Language Learning:  English acts as both a link language and a prestige language. Due to this, the cultural capital and symbolic meanings associated with English proficiency become deterrents that complicate the process of language learning, not in the least because such proficiency affects everything from how one is perceived by ones’ peers to how one is placed in employment opportunities. Further, English cannot be taught to an adult learner in the same manner as it is to a child: pedagogy based on grammar texts has limited success. Immersive practices have emerged as one of the most effective methodologies for adult language-learning. Instructors also work with time constraints, with students who already have a huge academic workload and are therefore often either absent or distracted when the compulsory but non-graded English lessons are in progress. Furthermore, English learning tries to accommodate a range of communication skills, from soft skills and people skills, to presentation making and academic writing. An optimal mode of teaching all this through storytelling within existing constraints may empower a learner instead of making them feel dejected, inadequate, and eventually apathetic or distracted. Storytelling, especially through hands-on projects can accommodate the constraints of time despite making a learner participate in ways that covertly help them improve their language proficiency levels.
• Environmental Sensitisation: More and more scientific evidence on climate change and environmental degradation has not translated into adequate public sensitisation about it. Typically, apathy works here by imagining “natural” spaces (forests, waterbodies) outside “human” spaces like cities. This extends to the people inhabiting these spaces, who have least contributed to our carbon footprint, but are most vulnerable to climate violence. Instead of the distancing and growing sense of alienation or compassion fatigue that a learner may experience, storytelling’s interpellation and suturing (mentioned above) helps them connect, relate to, and engage better, with empathetic concern.
• Pedagogy of Intangible Heritage, Local, Cultural, Indigenous Knowledge Systems: Engagement with communities is accompanied with an engagement with community knowledge systems. Instead of assuming a sense of superiority from a distance, a learner becomes more adept at engaging with indigenous knowledge systems – selectively accepting that which is relevant, and discarding that which they consider harmful. This engagement helps them connect with what may otherwise appear as old, obsolete, non-modern, traditional schools of thought. In environmental humanities, we see an increasing trend of scientists and engineers collaborating with local stakeholders who may have very little formal education. Mutual learning and cooperation plays a key role in creating locally effective solutions, alongside the preservation of endangered, indigenous knowledge systems.

As a small example of this, the paper suggests using Vijaydan Detha’s Baatan ri Phulwari & Abanindranath Tagore’s Rajkahini for engineering and STEM students from/in Rajasthan for an interdisciplinary exercise that involves language learning, cultural studies, & environmental sensitisation.

Detha’s Baatan ri Phulwari (1960-1975) is one of the most remarkable anthologies of local, oral folklore and fables of Rajasthan, recorded in the social dialects used by the communities that remember them across generations. It is an invaluable work of community memories, storytelling, and cultural historiography. On the other hand, a children’s classic, Abanindranath Tagore’s Rajkahini (1919) is one of the first introductions of Rajasthan, its peoples, histories and lore to Indians who are typically not from Rajasthan, especially Bengalis, Assamese and Odia. Both these texts have been widely translated for their enduring popularity and cultural value.  While they are connected in terms of the region and the oral, folk, local histories they tell, there is also a significant difference in Detha and Tagore's works: one is compiled by a local storyteller and archivist of the community, while the other represents a Rajasthan imagined from a distance. As such, one might assume they have been arbitrarily chosen.

However, that is not the case. Beyond their commonalities of drawing from folklore and foundational ethnogenetic stories of Rajasthan (effectively its intangible heritage) it is crucial to work on them in parallel for a different reason: No matter how familiar the names or the stories may be, Abanindranath Tagore writes as an outsider. He may not intend to, but in his adaptations he may represent Rajasthani peoples and their histories in ways that may appear familiar and relatable to the Bengali, Odia or Ahamiya reader located outside Rajasthan. But in the process–despite, especially because it is a classic–it is crucial to see if readers from within Rajasthan like it, or do not. Does it objectify or mystify the shared stories of Rajasthan in a way that alienates the Rajasthani reader? Would a student be able to overcome the prestige values attached to it as a classic to critique it for being very different in tone or content to what they have locally seen, heard and read? Or, does it harmonise perfectly with Detha’s tellings to weave a shared tapestry of Rajasthani history and heritage? How does this text compare with the tales compiled from oral accounts collected locally by Detha as a man of the soil?

Rajasthan is as inhabited a space as it is a tourist attraction: the outsider’s gaze may remind one of a tourist’s or the colonial anthropologist’s. Such representations may be distinctly different from how locals imagine their own heritage, tell their own stories, and wish to be perceived. Orientalist, mystified exaggerated or distorted representations of Rajasthani lores may lead to popular, but distorted or demeaning pan-Indian impressions of Rajasthan. Rajasthani communities may be more vulnerable because of these distortions, practices of otherising or objectification. Engaging a mixed group of learners who are both from Rajasthan and not, in detailed discussions of Rajasthan’s past, present and hoped for future through these stories (in original and English translation), will help them connect better in their own subjective ways to the space/s they now occupy and communities their institute serves. Instead of distancing or otherising themselves from the lived heritage of Rajasthan, stereotypes or caricatures will be exchanged in favour of real people, and their concerns, strengths and necessities.

Given this, this pedagogical tool may ask the following questions:

• How would students and other residents of Rajasthan respond to the way the stories are told? Would they agree/disagree? What would they change?
• What are the gaps/differences in representation that are observable?
• How is the Rajasthan of past and present constructed through these narratives? Are they very different/ alienating?
• Further, if we use English and Marwari translations for English language lessons locally, in Rajasthan, what is the cultural feedback loop that is created?
• How do students from outside Rajasthan learn from local, Rajasthani students due to the choice of texts and class discussions?
  
• What kinds of cultural knowledge systems can thereby be accessed and discussed, through an analytic lens of critical pedagogy
• Further, since adult learners—unlike children—learn best through example and practice rather than rules and grammar books, does this potentially help with that?

In the process, if the tourist-like gaze/representation of Rajasthani peoples is problematised through these pedagogical practices, students would also understand the local communities, their needs, ideologies, strengths, and therefore conceptualise necessary interventions, problem-solve with the local stakeholders in collaborative rather than condescending ways, in a far more nuanced and context-sensitive manner. This will, in turn, affect their perception about subjects as varied as traditional water conservation techniques, to better-informed industrialisation, environmental resource management, and inclusive practices in local workspaces. These are only some of the possibilities such exercises may result in. depending on the learners’ interests, a range of ecological and cultural sensitisation–along with language learning–may be possible. Other books and storytelling tools may be similarly explored.

The domain of education is a deeply dynamic one, changing in response to the changing needs of the society that it caters to. The most pressing concerns in contemporary, modern societies ask for an interdisciplinary way of thinking about the humanities and the exact sciences: instead of imagining them as polarised opposites, it helps to understand them as intertwined, constantly informing and inflecting each other. In fact, what E. O. Wilson evokes when he uses the word ‘consilience’ (meaning an agreement between the approaches to a topic of different academic subjects, especially science and the humanities) in Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge (1998) is all the more relevant today, as we face--locally and globally-- phenomena like climate change and entrenched, man-made inequalities. Storytelling through the use of local lores and legends in this way may be a small step towards this direction.

References:
[1] Abanindranath Tagore and Monimala Dhar, Rajkahini. New Delhi: Rupa, 2006.M.
[2] Dean and D. Wong, The Power of Storytelling in Teaching Practices. Taylor & Francis, 2023.
[3] E. O. Wilson, Consilience : the unity of knowledge. New York, Ny: Vintage, 1999.
[4] Haldrup and J. Larsen, Tourism, Performance and the Everyday. Routledge, 2009.
[5] P. Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 1970.
[6] S. Prätor, Storytelling as a Tool to Combine Second language Learning and Internationalization of Learning. GRIN Verlag, 2018.
[7] Vijaydan Detha, The Garden of Tales. Harper Perennial, 2023.
[8] W. Storr, SCIENCE OF STORYTELLING : why stories make us human and how to tell them better. S.L.: Harry N Abrams, 2021.

About the Author!

Tonisha Guin
Assistant Professor
School of Liberal Arts
IIT Jodhpur
tonisha@iitj.ac.in