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Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
India gets its first privately funded institute for maths research
Representational Image MUMBAI: India, said Fields medallist Manjul Bhargava, must fall in love with mathematics again. Not as a "drudgery of formulae" but as an act of "exploration". Bhargava, Canadian by nationality but of Indian origin, believes classrooms need an overhaul-"experimental, playful," he said, with teachers "trained" to spark curiosity. Speaking to TOI on the sidelines of the launch of the Lodha Mathematical Sciences Institute (LMSI), he added: "I'm happy with the new textbooks and the changes brought in them. But they will only show impact in a few years." On the scientific advisory council of LMSI, Bhargava will lead sessions on arithmetic statistics, its new developments, and future directions. State cabinet minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha called it a school "not for an individual, not for a business, but for the nation that always prioritised knowledge over all and for India that gave so much math to the world." Entirely devoted to post-doctoral research, LMSI is India's first privately funded mathematics institute, backed by Lodha Foundation with a Rs 20,000 crore endowment. "We realised that for any nation to become strong, we ought to have original thinking and promote innovation," said Abhishek Lodha, CEO and MD of Lodha Developers. The privately funded mathematics research institute in the country is completely free, he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Could This NEW Collagen Blend Finally Reduce Your Cellulite? Vitauthority Learn More Undo Founding director V Kumar Murthy-who earlier led Toronto's Fields Institute-described math as the hidden scaffolding of modern life: the foundation for finance, engineering, and technology. Economist Nachiket Mor, also on the advisory panel, noted that models built in the West often collapse in India because they rarely account for "unique characteristics" like limited liquidity and higher viscosity of adjustment. "This reality makes it all the more urgent for us to build deep capacity mathematics," he said. Murthy explained that LMSI would begin not with students but with teachers. Ten senior number theorists have been chosen to seed the effort. As president, Murthy said he plans to travel across the country, meeting mathematicians firsthand and mapping who is doing what. The aim is to build a network where the "brightest minds" are spotted early, handpicked, and nurtured. By Dec 2026, LMSI will host the first Indian Congress of Mathematicians, showcasing contributions of Indian-origin mathematicians worldwide.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
MNNIT's 22nd convocation: India to launch space station by 2035, moon mission by 2040, says ISRO chief
India is set to achieve major milestones in space exploration over the coming years, with its own space station expected to be operational by 2035 and a fully indigenous Moon mission planned by 2040, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman and secretary of the department of space, V Narayanan announced on Saturday evening. (L) MNNIT director Prof RS Verma and (second from left) ISRO chief V Narayanan and (R) Prof Anil Sahasrabudhe, chairman of the NAAC Executive Committee (R) felicitating Vaibhav Kansal of BTech with overall Institute Gold Medal on Saturday evening. (HT PHOTO) Speaking at the 22nd convocation ceremony of Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT), Allahabad, ISRO chairman V Narayanan said that India is poised to reach new heights in space science in the coming years with the Chandrayaan-4 mission already approved and set to serve as a sample-return mission. He added that India's own space station will become operational by 2035, with the first phase scheduled to begin in 2027. 'By 2040, Indian astronauts will land on the Moon using entirely indigenous technology and return safely,' he stated, emphasising India's advancing self-reliance in space science. He also announced plans for the Venus Orbiter Mission, aimed at studying the planet in greater detail. Narayanan highlighted that ISRO is developing the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), designed to be 1,000 times more powerful than the SLV-3 and three times more powerful than the LVM-3, India's current heavy-lift launch vehicle. 'These ambitious projects will greatly strengthen India's space capabilities,' he remarked. 'Education comes with responsibility' The ISRO chief reminded students that education is not just about earning a degree, but also about the responsibility to give back to society. 'Your success is the result of support from your parents, teachers, taxpayers, and fellow citizens. Now is the time to serve the nation with your knowledge and skills,' he urged. He shared nine guiding principles for a successful life, including lifelong learning, joyful hard work, character building, dreaming big, clear goal-setting, imagination, self-confidence, and leadership development. Guest of honour's advice Prof Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and the National Board of Accreditation (NBA), addressed the convocation as the guest of honour. He emphasised that the journey of learning continues throughout life and advised students to adopt a professional attitude and remain dedicated to their work. MNNIT director Prof RS Verma shared the institute's progress over the past year. He reported that 83.29% of undergraduate and 81.79% of postgraduate students secured placements. During the 2024–25 fiscal year, the institute received approval for 19 new research projects worth ₹5.31 crore. Additionally, 19 patents were granted, and 7 new patents filed. MNNIT also generated ₹6.58 crore in revenue through 303 testing and consultancy projects. Alumni also played a vital role in the institute's development. A scholarship fund of ₹5.83 lakh was established for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) students, while the 1998 batch contributed ₹1.81 crore towards constructing the new Student Activity Centre (SAC-98). Vivek Lall, Chairperson of MNNIT's Board of Governors, presided over the convocation virtually. Degrees and awards A total of 1,569 degrees were awarded during the convocation, including 1,032 BTech, 267 MTech, 114 MCA, 62 MBA, 23 MSc, and 71 PhD degrees. Around 350 female students were among those receiving degrees. Additionally, 51 foreign students admitted through Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA), including 22 males and 9 females, also received their degrees during the ceremony. Meritorious students were awarded gold medals at the event. A total of 21 gold medals were presented to postgraduate students and 12 to undergraduate students. Furthermore, 13 sponsored gold medals, established by faculty, alumni, and industry, were also conferred upon students for their outstanding performance. Vaibhav Kansal of BTech (Computer Science and Engineering) received the overall Institute Gold Medal as the best student among all the BTech final-year students of the 2025 batch. In the Year-wise Gold Medal Category, Nishant Agarwal of BTech (Electronics and Communication Engineering) for the third year, Siddhant Prajapati of BTech (Civil Engineering) for the second year, and Avneesh Kumar Mishra of BTech (Electrical Engineering) for the first year were awarded gold medals.
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Centre orders probe into herbicide toxicity
The Centre on Sunday ordered a probe into alleged reports of toxicity resulting from the use of herbicide in soyabean fields, which could be linked to agricultural chemicals not conforming to standards. Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said large tracts of farms in several regions had reported toxicity.(X/ChouhanShivraj) A four-member team, comprising specialists, from the state-run Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) will carry out a field investigation and submit its report 'on an urgent basis', an order issued by the Union agriculture ministry-run ICAR said. Speaking to the media in Madhya Pradesh, Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said large tracts of farms in several regions had reported toxicity. The state is the country's largest soyabean grower, producing up to 5.5 million tonnes annually. Herbicides or weedicides are chemicals that kill weeds and agri-chemicals, especially if spurious or when not used per package instructions, can lead to toxicity in plants and humans. It is widely used by soyabean farmers to save on labour costs. Activists opposed to genetically-modified crops have alleged that illegal herbicide-tolerant soyabean GM soyabean has been found to be grown in many parts of the country's soyabean belt. The Coalition for a GM-Free India, an advocacy platform, and the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (Indian farmers' union), among several organisations, have in the past alleged that illegal soyabean crops had been detected in Gujarat. The BKS is affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS, a mother organisation of the BJP. 'This (toxicity) is not limited to one farm. A high-level team of scientists has been set up to probe it and pesticide companies responsible for this will be held accountable,' the farm minister said in the state's Chitkhara. According to the Indian Society of Weed Science, some commonly used herbicides in soybean include pendimethalin, imazethapyr and chlorimuron ethyl. Spurious pesticides have been proved to have a wide market in many states. The Modi government is planning to bring a stricter law to tackle the issue of fake fertilisers and spurious agricultural inputs, a problem that, according to a recent study, accounts for 40% of total sales by value, the HT had reported on June 3. Substandard agricultural materials can cut over 10 million tonnes of potential agricultural output in the country, according to a 2015 study by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (FICCI). The value of illegal pesticides, for instance, has been expanding by nearly 20% a year, according to the study's findings.
