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The Hindu
11-08-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Olympiad on astronomy, astrophysics to start from August 12
The 18th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) will be inaugurated in Mumbai on Tuesday with more than 300 high school students from 64 countries participating. The Olympiad, being hosted by Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), will be held at the Jio World Convention Centre. The opening ceremony will be attended by Principal Scientific Advisor to the governemtn Ajay Sood and Ajit Kembhavi, former vice-president of the International Astronomical Union. According to the HBCSE, the 18th IOAA will see record participation of 300 student contestants and about 140 leaders (mentors/teachers), covering every inhabited continent, including several first-time countries. So far, each Olympiad has hosted 40 to 50 teams, comprising 200-plus contestants, along with their leaders and academic mentors. IOAA was conceived in 2006 to meet the growing global interest in astronomy among high school students, with the first IOAA held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2007. 'The IOAA curriculum is designed to challenge students through theoretical, observational, and data analysis challenges,' said HBCSE.
India Today
10-08-2025
- Science
- India Today
18th International Astronomy Olympiad to be held in Mumbai from August 11
India will welcome the world's brightest young astronomy enthusiasts this month as Mumbai hosts the 18th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) from August 11 to 21. More than 300 high school students from 64 countries are set to participate in the global competition, organised by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) under the Tata Institute of Fundamental event will formally open on August 12 at the Jio World Convention Centre, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the gathering. Distinguished guests will include Principal Scientific Advisor Ajay Sood and Ajit Kembhavi, former vice-president of the International Astronomical Union. The closing ceremony on August 21 at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre will be attended by ISRO chairperson V Narayanan and Anil Kakodkar, chancellor of the Homi Bhabha National launched in 2007 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the IOAA was created to nurture the growing global interest in astronomy among school students. Over the years, it has travelled across Asia, Europe, and South America, with past editions hosted by Brazil, China, Colombia, Greece, Hungary, and Iran. The competition's format challenges participants with theoretical papers, observational tasks, and data analysis exercises, providing an intense yet inspiring platform for young talent to explore the fast-evolving realms of astronomy and year, students will be housed at The Westin Powai Lake, which will also serve as the venue for all academic events, including theory, data analysis, observational exams, and the team challenge. The arrangement aims to ensure safety and convenience during Mumbai's monsoon season. Leaders and academic mentors will be accommodated at the St. Regis Hotel, Worli, where moderation and jury meetings will also be held, according to the organisers.- Ends
Indian Express
10-08-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
Mumbai to host 18th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics
India is set to host the 18th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) in Mumbai from August 11 to 21 with over 300 high school students from 64 countries. Organized by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), a division of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, the event will begin with an opening ceremony on August 12 at the Jio World Convention Centre. The ceremony will have Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the presence of guests including principal scientific advisor Ajay Sood and Ajit Kembhavi, former vice president of the International Astronomical Union. The closing ceremony, scheduled for August 21 at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, will be presided over by ISRO chairman V Narayanan and Anil Kakodkar, chancellor of the Homi Bhabha National Institute. International Mathematical Olympiad 2025 Conceived in 2006 to meet the growing global interest in astronomy among high school students, the IOAA first took place in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2007. Since then, it has been hosted annually by countries across Asia, Europe, and South America, including Brazil, China, Colombia, Greece, Hungary, and Iran. International Chemistry Olympiad 2025 The Olympiad's curriculum is designed to rigorously test students through theoretical, observational, and data analysis challenges, offering a platform for the brightest young minds to engage with the rapidly evolving field of astronomy and astrophysics. The participating students will be accommodated at The Westin Powai Lake. The main academic events, including the theory, data analysis, observational exams, and the innovative team competition, will take place at the Westin itself, ensuring maximum convenience and safety for participants during Mumbai's monsoon season. Distinct arrangements have been made for leaders and academic mentors at the St. Regis Hotel, Worli where moderation and jury meetings will also be conducted, mentions the press release.
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Environment Ministry exempts 78% of coal plants from installing key anti-polluting systems
The Environment Ministry has exempted the majority of India's thermal power plants from installing flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems, which are designed to cut sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) emissions. Flue gas, a residue from thermal power plants, emits SO 2 , which can mix in the atmosphere and create secondary particulate matter. These are linked to air pollution. There are about 180 thermal power plants in India. A single plant can have multiple units. Now on, only about 11% of India's 600 thermal power plant (TPP) units have to mandatorily install FGD systems. These plants, called 'Category A', are the ones located within 10 km radius of the National Capital Region or are cities with a population of at least a million (2011 Census). Originally, these plants were to have put in place FGD systems by 2017 but have been given multiple extensions to comply. The latest – as per a gazette notification this week – is December 30, 2027. Another 11% of TPPs, called Category B – located within 10 km radius of critically polluted areas (CPA) or non-attainment cities (NAC) – may or may not have to install FGD. This would depend upon a decision by a committee of experts (Expert Appraisal Committee) – an existing body constituted by the Environment Ministry that grants environment clearances to proposed coal plant projects. Category B plants that comply with the EAC norms have a deadline of December 30, 2028, to install the FGD. CPA are regions or industrial clusters that are extremely polluted and deemed so according to a specified criteria by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). NAC – there are 131 of them – are those that have the worst air quality and haven't met the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for at least five years. The remaining 78% of thermal power plants , or 'Category C', and are now exempt from installing FGD. The updated rules regarding the installation of FGD are exactly in line with the recommendations of an expert committee constituted by Principal Science Adviser Ajay Sood this April. The Hindu had reported on this. Several hurdles Last month, Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the Central Pollution Control Board was examining this committee's recommendations and would be taking a call on the future of FGD. Only about 8% of India's TPPs have installed FGD units. The limited number of vendors capable of installing such equipment in India, the high installation costs, the potential rise in electricity bills, and disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been some of the reasons historically cited by the Power Ministry, the overseer of India's TPPs, for the plants' inability to adhere to previous deadlines. In theory, the costs of non-compliance could run to crores of rupees in fines, though these have not materialised thanks to deadline extensions. The guiding principles behind the committee's recommendations were: SO 2 levels in ambient air across the country are around 10-20 micrograms/cubic metre, well below India's air quality norms of 80; Indian coal is low in sulphur; SO 2 levels in cities near plants with operational FGD units do not differ significantly from those without these units, and all of these were anyway well below permissible levels. The committee had said that the concerns about sulphates – a potential by-product when SO 2 emissions reach certain atmospheric levels, thus forming particulate matter (PM) – are unfounded. They cited an analysis of 5,792 PM samples across the country, which found 'low elemental sulphur' content (max 8 micrograms/m3 after outlier removal), which was deemed 'insignificant — for considering PM removal as a benefit of FGD'. 'The CPCB and MoEFCC (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) should have carried out a more diligent benefit cost assessment of the retrofit for SOX control. With nearly 15% of India's ambient PM2.5 attributable to the combustion of coal, this latest notification is a short-sighted one that is not founded in the science of how and where PM2.5 forms, especially from large stacks,' Kartik Ganesan, an expert on energy and environment, at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a think tank, told The Hindu. Manoj Kumar, who has researched the FGD's impact at the Centre for Research and Energy on Clean Air, criticised the decision. 'Power plants are known to impact areas 200 kilometres away from their location. Thus, they are a source of transboundary pollution, regardless of the category they fall into. Additionally, using tall chimneys is not an effective pollution-control measure; it merely disperses sulfur dioxide higher into the atmosphere, where it eventually forms toxic fine particles. This decision will affect millions of lives in India by increasing the risk of lung and heart diseases,' he told The Hindu.
The Hindu
03-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
‘Strong deterrent measures needed from government to tackle anti-microbial resistance'
In tackling the anti-microbial resistance (AMR) challenges India faces, the difficulty to enforce the existing guidelines has been posing an issue, said Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, while addressing the media at an AMR Innovation Workshop held by The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP). 'Over-the-counter sale of antibiotics is the biggest culprit. We also have fake doctors who prescribe antibiotics. Many people think doctor consultation is a waste. But a pharmacist cannot replace a doctor. People also feed antibiotics to their animals prophylactically, which then gets passed downstream through food products,' he said urging for stronger deterrent measures from the government. Noting that the power of new technology will prove to be extremely useful in biosciences, Mr. Sood said that quantum computing will be a game changer in drug discovery. Building new solutions Taslimarif Saiyed, Director-CEO, C-CAMP, noted that building new solutions was important to tackle the AMR challenge, along with enforcement. He pointed out that Karnataka is now developing its own State Action Plan AMR. 'One of the efforts that has been happening under the aegis of the Office of the PSA, as well as the Department of IT/BT - Government of Karnataka is to build solutions. 'Today, the diagnostic cost is much higher than the antibiotic cost. It also takes a long time to get results and determine which antibiotic to prescribe. If we have solutions that can do quick detection at a lower cost and decide which antibiotic to give, people will rather go through a scientific way of diagnostics instead of directly going to pharmacist and taking antibiotics. Launch of AMR Challenge The event saw the launch of One Health AMR Challenge 2025 by C-CAMP, with the support of the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS), to identify, support, and scale breakthrough technologies tackling AMR across human, animal, and environmental health. Selected innovations will receive financial support ranging from ₹40 lakhs to ₹2 crores based on technology readiness. Comprehensive technical assistance—including regulatory, legal, IP, manufacturing, and market readiness support will also be provided. The workshop held by C-CAMP under the aegis of the India AMR Innovation Hub (IAIH), brought together over 50 key stakeholders from academia, industry, government, and the public health ecosystem. Innovations including Pocket PCR devices, air sterilisation systems, and paper-based lateral flow tests were featured. 'Our recently unveiled Biotech Policy identifies AMR as a key focus area for intervention, reflecting the Government of Karnataka's commitment to addressing this challenge through innovation and collaboration. We need a collective, coordinated effort to tackle AMR, and what I see here today through the India AMR Innovation Hub is a promising start — many stakeholders coming together in one room, collaborating to address a shared challenge,' said Ekroop Caur, Secretary, Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology, and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka.
