LIRC@SFIT

The deterioration of science education in India should be of greater concern to us than not winning a Nobel Prize October is that month when institutions in Sweden and Norway, including the Swedish Academy of Sciences, announce the winners of the Nobel Prize in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, economics and peace. The awards in physics, chemistry and medicine have a long history and it is probably this long tradition, rather than their monetary value, that gives the Nobel Prize the extraordinary power to influence public perceptions of the scientific profession. REUTERS Productive, high-quality science requires good infrastructural facilities, good students, expensive instruments and industry-academia linkages. Such facilities are extremely rare in developing countries A question sometimes asked, though perhaps less often than it should be by Indian politicians and the intelligentsia, is why, despite our much-touted scientific acumen, no Nobel Prize in science has be...

Bulbbulapps library, a smartphone and tablet app for children below six years, has garnered more than a million views on YouTube. Merely four months old, Hyderabad-based startup Bulbulapps is available on all platforms is and  is currently among the top apps in iOS India. How Bulbul was conceived A serial entrepreneur, Prakash was always passionate about films and books right from his childhood. “I grew up to become a filmmaker and an artist. Bulbulapps is inspired by this very fundamental need to learn and unlearn. Most importantly. It is meant to unlock the curiosity of every single child. It became even more evident when my child began to ask questions born out of curiosity. They enjoyed reading and learning through the digital platform as it was highly engaging and had a tremendous visual and interesting narration,” says Prakash, founder and CEO, Bulbulapps. Prakash was awed by the curiosity and the questions that every child asks constantly...

Long working hours can lead to a sedentary lifestyle and associated illnesses such as obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. A few minutes of physical activity can not only enhance employee productivity but also employee bonding, so crucial for any organisation A competitive workspace, hovering deadlines and a pressure-cooker like environment are corporate realities of today. Our highly-connected lifestyles have magnified work-related stress with long working hours, disturbed sleeping patterns, sedentary lifestyles and lack of relaxation. As a result, most working professionals today suffer from various associated ailments. Stress is also becoming one of the reasons for declining productivity and attrition rates in some organisations. Additionally, organisations suffer from the loss of millions of working days due to stress-related illnesses. However, an increasing number of organisations are realising that employees are not a replaceable property but human reso...

WhatsApp users will no more have to worry about memory storage capacity of their smartphones as it has announced a back-up feature for Android platform that will help store chats and multimedia content in Google Drive. “...you don’t want your memories stuck on your phone. (What if something happens?!) So starting today, WhatsApp for Android lets you create a private backup of your chat history, voice messages, photos and videos in Google Drive. And once you do, you can restore everything on a new device with just a couple of taps,” Google Drive Director of Product Management Scott Johnston said in his blog. “The new backup feature is rolling out over in the next few months, so keep an eye on your WhatsApp settings to see if it’s available,” he said. WhatsApp website also shared similar information. “You can back up your messages and media to Google Drive so that if you lose your phone or switch to another Android phone, your chats are safe,” the instant messenger portal sai...

Aero clubs from various colleges win prizes at competitions in the US MUMBAI: For decades, aviation experts in India have rued India’s inability in producing planes and its makers. Even as the country continues to buy most of its aircraft from foreign aircraft makers, a small but promising culture emerging in city engineering colleges appears to be a ray of hope. Fed by a rising wave of international aero design competitions, aspiring aeronautical engineers are forming ‘aero clubs’ to make their own flying machines. Students of Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), Matunga, established one such ‘aero club’ in 2010. The club, named Aero VJTI has so far sent four teams to the aero design competition held in the US and won some prizes, said students. “Over the years, our club has become very good in aircraft designing. VJTI also has a windtunnel lab for those interested in research in the field of aeronautics,” said Darshit Dalal, a member of the club. The Aero De...

Trio maps city decibel levels, prepares tables based on their findings MUMBAI: When 11- year- old Sahil Parab stepped out with his parents on the last day of Ganeshotsav celebrations to witness various processions heading towards immersion sites, he could not stand the noise. He asked his father for his smartphone, opened a noisemeasuring app and found that the decibel levels were touching 100dB. “The loudspeakers and DJ’s sets sent vibrations through my body, while drunk people were dancing all around me. It felt like I was partially deaf,” said Parab adding, “I showed my parents the readings and persuaded them to head home.” The growing noise levels had been a concern playing on his mind even before the Ganeshotsav began. To bring forth the need to turn down the volume, Parab, along with two 12 year olds – Harsh Mhadadlkar and Anirudh Chowdhury – recorded noise levels of 12 locations during Dahi Handi and 10 locations during Ganeshotsav. The children – all residents of BDD...

Maharashtra Government Resolution dated 7th October 2015 for the Celebration of Vachan Prerana Din on 15th October, 2015 https://www.maharashtra.gov.in/Site/Upload/Government%20Resolutions/English/201510071739196521.pdf Analysis Students in the city and surrounding areas can leave their school bags at home next Thursday , when schools across the state will observe Vaachan Prerna Diwas or Reading Day as per a government order. The decision to celebrate October 15, the birth anniversary of former President of India A P J Abdul Kalam, as Vaachan Prerna Diwas in schools across the state was made by school education minister Vinod Tawde soon after Kalam's death on July 27. In a government resolution issued on Wednesday , the state asked all students from Class III to VIII to read non-academic books in school, and instructed schools to host book exhibitions, implement gift-a-book programmes, introduce students to well-known authors from around the world, and hold disc...