No pages, just people: At IIT Palakkad, stories come to life in a human library
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Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Indian Express
IIT-Mandi's new batch begins with ‘higher students' intake, women enrolment increases
As many as 592 students have joined the undergraduate programmes, compared to 514 in 2024, as per the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (IIT Mandi). The 2025-26 batch is the highest ever undergraduate intake figures since its inception, the institute informed in a statement. Of the total students admitted this year, 394 are men and 121 are women. 'The intake 121 female students in 2025 from 96 female students in 2024 is a reflection of the ongoing efforts of IIT Mandi towards rising gender equality and providing more access to education in the field of STEM among women,' an IIT Mandi statement issued in this regard said. Prof Prof Laxmidhar Behera, Director, IIT Mandi on the orientation programme held at the institute said: 'The class of 2025–26 undergraduates too is a diverse mix of courses, with enrollments in 13 different courses of study, including the recently introduced Integrated MBA (IMBA) and popular branches such as Computer Science and Engineering, Data Science and AI, and Microelectronics & VLSI, etc.' The orientation programme featured detailed presentations by Dr Venkatesh H Chembrolu, dean academics; Dr Tushar Jain, dean students; and Dr Ramna Thakur, chief warden. They provided important information about the academic structure, student welfare schemes, hostel life, institute rules, and the co-curricular activities offered at IIT Mandi. The session concluded with a Q&A segment, where students and parents interacted directly with the faculty and administration to clarify their queries and gain deeper insights into the academic and residential ecosystem of the Institute. In addition to the orientation programme, IIT Mandi is conducting a 10-day induction programme for students, which began on August 1 and will continue till August 10. During this period, students will get the chance to engage with experts on technology and motivation. The programme will be followed by super sports Sunday activities, sessions on mental health, well-being and nutrition, and gender sensitisation. The programme also includes physical activities, beginning each day with a yoga session. Over the course of these 10 days, students will participate in significant interactions, cultural events, and a variety of other activities. The induction programme will conclude with a tree plantation drive and nature walk in the serene IIT campus, the statement added.
Hindustan Times
16 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
DPCC to revive study on source of pollution in Delhi
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has decided to revive its 'super-site' for real-time source apportionment studies in the Capital — this time in partnership with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune — nearly nine months after it ended the collaboration with IIT-Kanpur. Officials said the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which was approached for guidance, has submitted a pilot study on the tower to the Supreme Court and is awaiting further directions (HT Archive) The decision was taken in DPCC's latest board meeting July 18, which also discussed conducting detailed audits of five-star hotels in the city to assess their groundwater consumption and reuse of treated water. Set up near Rouse Avenue in 2021, the super-site had been managed by IIT-Kanpur under a Delhi government MoU until November 2023. After the collaboration ended, officials said the government chose not to renew the partnership, citing dissatisfaction with the institute's 'methodology'. Since then, the infrastructure — including high-end equipment such as state-of-the-art air analysers, forecasting models and data dashboard and even a mobile van — has remained idle while DPCC searched for a new institutional partner. Delhi has long struggled to accurately pinpoint what is polluting its air and where it's coming from. Source-apportionment studies by IIT Kanpur in 2016 and by the The Energy and Resources Institute in 2018 are outdated, while the Decision Support System (DSS) -- which gives estimated contribution, too relies on an outdated emissions inventory. Despite multiple efforts by different agencies, including a city-specific source apportionment model by IIT-Kanpur and a broader Decision Support System (DSS) by IITM and the Centre's ministry of earth sciences, pollution control measures continue to rely on reactive strategies instead of real-time, localised data. 'The board had earlier directed that CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management) be pursued to develop a well-validated methodology through national-level experts. The board desired that the environment department be kept informed about the progress. It was decided that the running of the super-site and mobile lab be expedited in consultation with all at the earliest,' the DPCC's board minutes dated July 31 stated. The minutes further note that DPCC is now in the process of formally collaborating with IITM Pune to operate the supersite and restart source apportionment studies. To be sure, IITM is already a key player in Delhi's pollution forecasting ecosystem. It operates the DSS — which estimates the sources of pollution in NCR on a near-real-time basis — and the Early Warning System (EWS), which predicts AQI levels in the coming days. The meeting also touched on the fate of the 'smog tower' installed at Baba Kharak Singh Marg in 2020, following a Supreme Court directive. Operational through 2021 and 2022, the tower has remained shut since the winter of 2023. Officials said the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which was approached for guidance, has submitted a pilot study on the tower to the Supreme Court and is awaiting further directions. 'It is informed that the CPCB has filed an IIT pilot study report on the smog tower before the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India… and their (SC's) decision is awaited,' the minutes noted. Meanwhile, DPCC will also initiate on-ground verification of how five-star hotels in Delhi are using water — especially whether they have separate pipelines for treated and fresh water. In a February meeting, 40 hotels were asked to submit self-declared water mass balance statements. The data showed that 760 kilolitres per day (KLD) of treated water was being discharged into sewers, while the rest was being used for non-potable purposes like flushing and horticulture. Over half (54%) of their total water demand was being met by fresh groundwater. 'Ground reality needs to be verified by the DPCC. Hotels may not have separate pipelines for flushing, etc., which need to be checked during inspection. A proper report needs to be prepared for the analysis of water consumption. It was decided that a few hotels be audited in detail for the purpose of study (not for regulatory purposes),' the board minutes stated.
Deccan Herald
2 days ago
- Deccan Herald
No pages, just people: At IIT Palakkad, stories come to life in a human library
An IIT assistant professor said the Human Library is a one-of-a-kind space where real people become 'books,' sharing their experiences, breaking barriers, and sparking meaningful conversations.
