SKLTGHU honoured with Best University Award for promoting open-source GIS in education
The award ceremony took place during the Open-Source GIS Day Celebrations at IIT Bombay, honoring institutions that have made significant contributions to geospatial science and education.
Receiving the award on behalf of SKLTGHU was Vice Chancellor Dr. D. Raji Reddy, a climatologist, who highlighted the transformative role of Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping in the horticulture sector. He affirmed that the university is actively involved in mapping horticultural orchards across Telangana and envisions GIS as a vital tool to empower farmers and revolutionize agri-planning.
The award was presented by Kiran Kumar, former Chairman of ISRO, who served as the Chief Guest at the function. The VC said that the recognition marks a milestone in SKLTGHU's efforts to bridge technology and agriculture through academic innovation and public outreach.
Adding further pride to the university's accomplishments, Dr. K. Veeranjaneyulu, Consultant at SKLTGHU, was honored with the Excellence in Outreach Award for his unwavering dedication to the FOSSEE initiative and active role in expanding geospatial awareness among students and educators.
The event was attended by key faculty members, including Dr. A. Bhagwan, Registrar, and other dignitaries. SKLTGHU also announced plans to organize a GIS Hackathon in the coming weeks to further strengthen student engagement and innovation in geospatial technology. This national recognition solidifies SKLTGHU's position as a pioneer in using open-source tools to transform education and agriculture through digital empowerment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Smart Irrigation Plan can save 10-30% of irrigation water in drought-prone regions: IIT Bombay research
The researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune (IITM Pune) have developed a Smart Irrigation Plan to save 10-30% of irrigation water in drought-prone regions, combining weather forecasts, satellite soil moisture data, and a computer simulation for efficient irrigation water management. Researchers from the Department of Civil Engineering and Centre for Climate Studies at the IIT Bombay and the IITM Pune formulated a method to predict the amount of irrigation water needed up to three weeks, on a district and sub-district scale. The researchers stated that the farmers in a drought-prone area require a plan for irrigation as rains are unpredictable, and they can't waste the diminishing groundwater. So, if farmers know beforehand how much water they will receive through rainfall in the coming weeks, they 'can plan their irrigation wisely', helping 'crop growth' and 'conserving groundwater'. The pilot study was conducted in Maharashtra's Nashik district, where researchers found that a few grape farmers used local soil moisture sensors. Thereafter, the study extended its methodology in 12 sub-districts of West Bengal's Bankura, a drought-prone district. 'During our pilot study in Nashik, we included local weather forecasts in the soil moisture data and showed farmers that groundwater can be conserved up to 30 %. We initially predicted up to one week (short-range) ahead,' shares Professor Subimal Ghosh, from IIT Bombay. Professor Ghosh explained that during the execution of methodology in Bankura, they considered crop varieties, varied growth patterns, root zone depth, and water requirements. According to researchers, they fed weather forecast and soil moisture data into a computer model that checks the possible amount of rain, the water capacity of the soil, and the water requirements of each crop. On the basis of these details, the system provides information on the crop's water requirement. If the model predicts no rainfall in the coming days, it will suggest irrigating crops now. In case of rainfall arrival predictions, avoid irrigation of crops. This approach prevents overwatering the crops and saves water. The researchers highlighted that they used global soil maps and integrated satellite and field data to include soil moisture data such as root zone depth, soil texture, porosity, water-holding capacity, water conductivity, and stomatal closure. The data on water consumption, monthly rainfall, root depth, and irrigation water requirement data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) resource was sourced from the IMD database and IITM Pune. 'Our computer model depicts the natural process by which plants draw water from the soil, their adaptation during a water stress, and their response during a water balance after irrigation or rainfall,' says Prof Ghosh, claiming the study methodology acts as a real-time advisor for water management. The study was funded by the Department of Environment, Government of West Bengal, DST-Swarnajayanti Fellowship Scheme, and others.
India Today
13 hours ago
- India Today
IIT Bombay, Pune institute irrigation plan to cut 30% water use in drought-hit areas
Farmers in drought-prone regions face the daily dilemma of when and how much to irrigate. Unpredictable rainfall and dwindling groundwater make efficient water management address this, researchers at IIT Bombay and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, have developed a smart irrigation plan that can cut water use in these areas and help farmers save 30% of the water without loss in crop irrigation plan integrates extended-range weather forecasts, satellite soil moisture data, and a computer simulation model to predict irrigation needs up to three weeks in advance. Earlier pilots in Nashik, Maharashtra, combined local soil moisture sensor readings with weather forecasts. "During our pilot study in Nashik, we included local weather forecasts in the soil moisture data and showed farmers that groundwater can be conserved by up to 30 percent. We initially predicted up to one week (short-range) ahead,' said Professor Subimal Ghosh of IIT system advises farmers whether to irrigate immediately or wait for predicted rainfall, preventing unnecessary STUDY IN NASHIKSoil moisture sensors alone can mislead when unexpected rain arrives soon after feeding 1-3-week forecasts and soil capacity data into their eco-hydrological model, the team calculated crop-specific water requirements and soil water model accurately predicted irrigation scheduling, enabling grape farms to reduce water use by 10-30percent without compromising TO BANKURABuilding on Nashik's success, the researchers applied their method to 12 sub-districts in Bankura, West Bengal, covering maize, wheat, sunflower, groundnut, and global soil maps, satellite and field data, and information from FAO, IMD, and IITM Pune, they incorporated root zone depth, soil texture, porosity, water-holding capacity, and stomatal response into the model.'Our computer model depicts the natural process by which plants draw water from the soil, their adaptation during water stress, and their response during a water balance after irrigation or rainfall,' Professor Ghosh simulations showed consistent 10-30percent water savings across all crops and DEPLOYMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURETo expand regionally, researchers plan village level discussions to install a few sensors and develop a real-time advisory have also proposed a bio-manufacturing hub to train students and industry researchers on smart protein production and API design, and aim to support TRLs3-7 for prototype by the West Bengal Environment Department, DSTSwarnajayanti Fellowship, SPLICE, Climate Change Programme, and Oracle CSR, this initiative demonstrates how weather forecasting, remote sensing, and simulation can revolutionise irrigation management and reduce groundwater dependency.- Ends
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Students join Isro pioneers at Spark India event
In a stride towards nurturing scientific minds, students of Helios International School attended the Spark India programme inauguration at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) on June 6. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The programme, a collaboration between , Indo Science Education Trust and SPPU, aimed to instill scientific temper and enhance Stem engagement among students. The panel included former Isro chairman AS Kiran Kumar, SPPU vice chancellor Dr Suresh Gosavi, Isro-SPPU Space Technology Centre director Dr Arvind Shaligram, former Isro director Dr Pramod Kale and Indo Science Education Trust founder and president Dr Santosh Pise. The event featured the 111th Isro space exhibition, showcasing models, simulations and interactive exhibits. Students engaged with space scientists through demonstrations and discussions. Space pioneers were also felicitated. All Sankalp students return with a medal Students from Sankalp Valley School dominated the Pune District Kudo Federation Championship held on July 12-13. The team of 29 participants displayed their prowess in martial arts, securing 23 gold medals and 6 silver medals. Students went through months of intensive training and holistic development under coach Saurabh Jadhav. Principal Mikita Kale praised the achievement, highlighting that each medal represented the students' determination and the school's ethos.
