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The Hindu
4 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
World Environment Day celebrated at CFTRI
As part of World Environment Day, Shashwat Bharat Setu — an exhibition to educate and empower communities on sustainable lifestyles and alternatives — was inaugurated at Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) here on Thursday. Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar inaugurated the expo. It is an initiative of The Eco Factory Foundation (TEFF) Pune and provides an immersive experience to inspire sustainable living. The exhibited materials are in Kannada. The CFTRI said Shashwat Bharat Setu — Winning Net Zero exhibit developed by TEFF — is a first of its kind mobile sustainability awareness centre and aligns with the national missions like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, apart from the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. 'It creates an awareness on making use of biodegradable waste and recycle plastic, opting for eco-friendly choices, and reducing carbon footprint,' said the CFTRI. The exhibit shows visitors concepts like waste to wealth, water management, energy conservation, reduction in carbon footprint, importance of circular economy, achieving sustainability in rural, urban, industrial sectors and by individuals in the path to becoming net zero. The expo touches upon crucial points that will revitalise environment, exemplify the concept of waste to wealth by providing sustainable solutions that will not only benefit the environment but also create livelihood opportunities for communities. The exhibition is open to schools and colleges from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. till June 8, and is open to public on June 7 and 8. To mark the 75th foundation day of CFTRI-CSIR, platinum jubilee gardens or Amrita Vana was inaugurated by planting 75 plants on the campus. Sridevi Annapurna Singh, Director, CFTRI, Anand Chordia, founder, TEFF, and others were present.
The Hindu
17-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Deepen your knowledge
My daughter has completed Food Technology and is wondering whether to pursue or Food Science in India or abroad. How can we help her?Manoharan Dear Manoharan, An focuses on Applied Science and Engineering principles with an emphasis on practical applications, technology development, and industrial processes. An focuses on fundamental scientific principles and research which emphasises theoretical knowledge and in-depth scientific study. What are your daughter's interests and goals? Does she want to work in industrial settings, optimising processes, and developing new technologies ( Or is she more interested in research, exploring scientific principles, and contributing to academic knowledge ( Does she have specific interests within food technology such as food safety, nutrition, product development and so on? Where does she see herself in 5-10 years? Studying in India has the following advantages: lower tuition fees and living expenses, a familiar cultural environment and chance to develop a strong network within the Indian food industry. Studying abroad will give her exposure to advanced research and technologies, international networking opportunities, enhanced career prospects in multinational companies and exposure to different cultures. Research countries that have strong food science programmes, their eligibility criteria, visa requirements and work opportunities after study. Check university rankings and faculty expertise, and review each programme's curriculum to ensure that it aligns with her interests and career goals. In India, the IITs, Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), and state agricultural universities are good. Let her gather relevant information and seek guidance from her professors. Get her to connect with alumni who have pursued or in Food Science in India and abroad and see how their careers have taken shape. Help her identify the most important factors influencing her decision. Create a list of pros and cons and make a table comparing vs. in India vs. abroad. Support her in exploring options and gathering information and encourage her to take ownership of the decision-making process. I am doing B.A. (Hindi and Political Science) at Delhi University. I am from a lower-middle-class family from Rajasthan. Everyone expects me to prepare for the Civil Services because I am studying in Delhi. I don't like the Civil Services but am confused about my career options. Please help me. Ravindra Dear Ravindra, It is okay to feel confused, especially with the pressure of expectations and the desire to find a fulfilling career. Think about and clarify what you are interested in: subjects or activities you enjoy, the work environments you see yourself in, and the values important to you? Are you good at writing, research, public speaking? How are your analytical and critical thinking skills? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Please meet a competent career counsellor to get a career profile that will help you. Options you can explore are journalism and media, content writing, teaching (for which you need to do a translation and interpretation, public relations and so on. Once you identify what you are interested in, gain practical experience via internships, volunteering and freelance opportunities. Network with professionals and reach out to people working in your fields of interest to get clarity. Also, have an honest conversation with your parents about your interests and career goals and explain your reasons for not wanting to write the UPSC exams. I am doing a Climate Change and Environmental Science. What are the potential career paths? Aishwarya Dear Aishwarya, There are a wide range of career paths: environmental consulting, climate change analysis and research, sustainability management, environmental policy and advocacy, environmental education and communication, geospatial analysis and remote sensing, corporate social responsibility and so on. Seek internships or volunteer opportunities with organisations and companies to understand the workplace and job roles. Attend conferences and workshops on these topics and connect with professionals in the field. Consider an in Environmental Science, Climate Science, or related fields or a Master's in Public Policy or Environmental Policy or an MBA with a focus on Sustainability. What is the scope of Environmental Science with GIS and Remote Sensing? Are there scholarships for Ph.D. programmes? Om Prakash Dear Om Prakash, An in Environmental Science with GIS and Remote Sensing offers job opportunities in environmental consulting, government agencies such as ISRO and state pollution control boards, research institutions, NGOS, international organisations and the private sector. Specialised Master's programmes are available in Geospatial Analysis, Remote Sensing Applications and Environmental Modelling. You can also consider a Ph.D. in Environmental Science or Geospatial Science. In India, scholarship options include the CSIR-NET JRF, UGC-NET JRF, fellowships from the Department of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). International scholarships such as the Fulbright Scholarships (the U.S.), Chevening Scholarships (the U.K.), and DAAD Scholarships (Germany) are also available. Many universities also offer scholarships and research assistantships based on academic merit or research potential.
The Hindu
30-04-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Homegrown brands across India craft summer-ready sherbets and squashes
With temperatures soaring, swap store-bought sodas with sherbets and squashes crafted by these small businesses across the country Yummy Bakes, Chennai Nandhini Poobalan kickstarted Yummy Bakes as a small venture from her Neelangarai home nine years ago. She started off by retailing cupcakes, cakes, and cookies, and soon after, included fruit concentrates on the menu. Today, her rose, sarsaparilla (nannari), and strawberry concentrates are popular at organic shandies in the city. 'The rose variant is prepared by sourcing country roses, cleaning them thoroughly and extracting the essence from a cold pressed machine to preserve the goodness. Raw sugar is added to the extract and boiled until the desired consistency is reached. Finally, cold pressed beetroot extract is added to give it the pink hue of roses,' she says. The nannari concentrate's process involves cleaning nannari roots, soaking them for 24 hours, straining, and boiling. As for the strawberry concentrate, it is seasonal and finds its use as cake toppings, ice cream sundaes, etc. Concentrates are priced upwards of ₹300. For details, call 9791632262. BaKaHu, Mysore At BaKaHu aka Bale Kai Hudi, meaning raw banana powder, fruit squashes are more than just a refreshing drink. 'It's a story of sustainability, innovation, and community,' says founder Naveen Kumar HM, who has set up Abhay Natural Food Processing at Rathanapuri in Mysore district. Alongside this, he runs a Banana Incubation Centre within Mysore's Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) campus wherein he trains budding agri entrepreneurs. 'Here, we craft natural and preservative-free squash varieties, using fruits sourced directly from our network of farmers. It is a sustainable business opportunity for farmers, students, and agri-entrepreneurs,' he adds. Today, the primarily women-led team crafts variants such as mango, gooseberry (amla), wood-apple, Java plum (jamun), star fruit, among others. Naveen explains that before the processing begins, the fruits are thoroughly washed using ozonated water technology, which removes dirt and pesticides. 'Sorting is a critical step, and only the best fruits make the cut. Damaged or overripe fruits are set aside for composting, ensuring zero waste. For pulpy fruits like mango and guava, we use mechanical pulpers to extract flavour, and citrus fruits like oranges and lemons are juiced using specialised extractors. The juice is then strained and filtered to remove fibres, leaving behind a smooth, velvety liquid,' says Naveen, adding that natural sweeteners like jaggery or honey are used. Upwards of ₹300 at Himalayan Haat, Uttarakhand In 2014, after her father, Ronnie Chowfin's demise, Divya Chowfin Diederichs and her mother inherited his legacy: a forest farm in Pauri, Garhwal. 'My mother Indira, a retired teacher, and I started making preserves from the farm's harvest in our home kitchen. These creations were initially shared with friends and colleagues in Delhi,' she says, explaining how Himalayan Haat started with a desire to put our farm produce to good use. Their catalogue comprises small-batch syrups and concentrates made with the hand-pressed juice of local mountain produce (both cultivated and foraged) like Malta ornages, strawberries, plums, peaches and rhododendron flowers. 'We use organic khand (raw cane sugar) and lemon juice as natural preservatives. These are handcrafted in small batches on the farm and shipped pan-India directly from here,' adds Divya. The process begins with gathering tree-ripened mountain fruits or fresh flowers, that are then cooked and pureed in small batches with natural preservatives. Highlighting their popular flavours: Malta cooler, and Spiced buransh (rhododendron), Divya says the latter is Uttarakhand's State flower, and known for its many medicinal properties. 'These flowers bloom for only a few weeks in spring, deep within the forest. Our climbers carefully pick the blossoms high in the trees, bringing them back to our centre. There, women painstakingly clean each petal, discarding the inedible stamen, stigma and other parts. The petals are then washed, boiled, cooled, and their juice manually extracted.' Concenterates are priced upwards of ₹445. @himalayanhaatfarm on Instagram Boovenhully, Coorg After having lived on a coffee plantation in Coorg for several years, Sajini Joseph noticed that a lot of fruit was going to waste. Since selling them was not a viable option as local buyers offered very low prices, she started making squashes and sharing them with people. 'I began with just eight bottles of passion fruit squash. Today, we have seven different flavours and sell over 1,000 bottles a month,' she says. Over time, she expanded her catalogue to include jams and pickles; all recipes hailed from her grandmother. With flavours such as pineapple and chilli, lime and chilli, orange and bilimbi (tree sorrel), passion fruit, among others, the squashes are made from fruits grown in the orchard. 'Our most popular flavours are passion fruit and mint and lime because they suit all age groups. Our chilli and lime, made with bird's eye chilli, is a great cocktail mixer,' says Sajini, who enjoys experimenting. 'One of my best creations is bilimbi and orange. The former is usually very sour and not widely used, but blending it with orange made it an amazing drink,' she says, adding that the squashes can be used to soak pastries, as marinades, and cocktail mixers. The team's biggest challenge, says Sajini, is harvesting fruits during the monsoon season and storing them in deep freezers until needed. 'We don't make products in bulk because we don't use preservatives, which means shelf life can be a challenge. Instead, we prepare them fresh, based on orders.' The squashes are priced at ₹400 for 750 ml. @boovenhullys on Instagram
