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Scientist, policy-maker, scholar, parliamentarian, Cabinet Minister and a humanist of rare elegance, Mambillikalathil Govind Kumar Menon has often been described as one of India’s most eminent 'statesmen of science'. Affectionately known as Goku to friends, Menon played a prominent role in the development of science and technology in India over the last five decades. Sadly, the acclaimed scientist passed away on November 22, 2016, at the age of 88.

This is the story of M G K Menon, a brilliant physicist who worked tirelessly for decades to develop and lay the foundation for a strong scientific programme in India.

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M G K Menon[/caption]

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Born in Mangalore in 1928, Menon did his matriculation from Punjab University, followed by BSc from Jaswant College at Jodhpur and MSc from the Royal Institute of Science at Bombay. Then, inspired by the legendary C V Raman, he decided to devote his energy to research in physics, especial particle science. It was with this in mind that Menon joined the University of Bristol to do his PhD under the mentorship of noted physicist Cecil Powell (who later won a Nobel Prize for Physics). Here, Menon developed methods to use large photographic emulsion stacks for the measurement of cosmic rays at high atmospheric altitudes, and the processes of decay of high energy particles like K-mesons found in cosmic rays. Awarded a PhD at the relatively young age of 25, Menon returned to India in 1955 to work at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) at the invitation of its founder, Homi Jehangir Bhabha. This marked the commencement of Menon's remarkable scientific trajectory in India. [caption id="attachment_75954" align="aligncenter" width="512"] unnamed

Homi Bhabha. M C Chagla and M G K Menon admiring the mural by M F Hussain at TIFR[/caption]

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At TIFR, Menon was a part of the team that developed the capability for high altitude studies of cosmic rays using atmospheric balloons. At that time, the funding for science in the country was low. So, Menon and his team began their experiment with rubber-braced balloons before developing the technique of flying large-volume plastic balloons to very high altitudes. Today, balloon-based study at TIFR has grown multi-fold, with a full-fledged production facility capable of manufacturing plastic balloons that can carry one-tonne payloads to an altitude of 40 kilometres. [caption id="attachment_75951" align="aligncenter" width="1631"] launchlineup

A present-day Cosmic Ray Study Balloon being prepared for release[/caption]

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Menon also conducted pioneering experiments on particle physics and cosmic rays using detectors deep underground. The most famous of these was the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) experiments, which demonstrated the feasibility of doing neutrino-induced interactions and related new phenomena. Held in the 1960s, this was the first experiment in the world to detect atmospheric neutrinos (formed at the top of the atmosphere due to cosmic ray interactions). In the 1980s, Menon led the proton decay experiment at KGF, the first major dedicated experiment in the world to look for decays of the apparently stable proton. He continued to play a major role in the nearly three-decade-long story of experiments at KGF. Interestingly, it's a little known fact that the neutrino experiments at KGF also threw up a handful of rare events (called Kolar events), which are suggestive of new long-lived particles and remain unexplained to date! For his landmark contributions to particle physics, Menon was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1970. [caption id="attachment_75953" align="aligncenter" width="623"] th27-kgf3-brsc_jpg_1811595g

The proton decay detector used in the second phase proton decay experiments at KGF[/caption]

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Menon had been made the TIFR Director in 1966 after Homi Bhabha's untimely death in a tragic air crash. The same year, he was also given additional charge as Chairman of ISRO and of the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad. In 1971, he was appointed as the Secretary in the Department of Electronics and for the next two decades, he played a key role in India's science and technology policy-making. M G K Menon also had the innate ability to spot the right talent, encourage it and entrust it with responsibility. For example, he was the one who enabled the appointment of Professor Satish Dhawan (then working at IISc) to the Chairmanship of ISRO. He also encouraged many other talented Indian scientists while heading TIFR.

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In 1974, he was appointed Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister and entrusted with the responsibility of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). In 1978 he was appointed Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, and Director-General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). [caption id="attachment_75961" align="aligncenter" width="500"] mgk-menon-2

M G K Menon[/caption]

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During his multiple administrative positions, including one as Member of the Planning Commission between 1982 and 1989, Menon advised the government on research policy, including electronics initiatives, fundamental and industrially-relevant science. However, the stint he is most remembered for is as the Secretary of the Department of Environment. During the aforementioned tenure, he played an important role in saving Kerala's Silent Valley from ecological disaster. This is what happened: A Kerala Assembly resolution was passed in the mid-1970s to dam the Kunthipuzha river to help irrigate 10,000 hectares of land in Palghat and generate 250 MW electricity. However, the project was widely viewed as a threat to the Silent Valley – a 30,000-hectare area of dense tropical forests with a diversity of animals and plants. Menon was appointed the chairman of an eight-member panel to resolve the impasse between environmentalists seeking to protect the Valley and the Kerala government that was enthusiastic about the project. He organised careful and extended hearings of the arguments of both sides. Such was his objectivity that both sides felt that his decision would go in their favour. The panel's decision, accompanied by a carefully drafted evaluation, went in favour of the environmentalists – it said that the dam would cause irreparable damage to the ecology and advised the Kerala government to abandon the project, suggesting an alternative site in Idukki district. In September 1984, the project was formally scrapped. M G K Menon also played a significant role in supporting the development of scientific facilities in the country. He believed that building a world-class infrastructure in experimental science was the best way to attract and nurture the best and brightest young scientific minds in India. For instance, on Menon’s initiative, the Kodaikanal Observatory (then under the India Meteorological Department) was made an autonomous institution under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in 1971. This paved the way for its rapid growth – in 1985, the observatory built its own indigenous medium-size aperture optical telescope! [caption id="attachment_75958" align="aligncenter" width="1008"] vi30

M G K Menon on a visit in Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in 1992[/caption]

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A staunch supporter of indigenisation of technology, Menon also laid great stress on national self-reliance and an uncompromising focus on excellence. It was thanks to his leadership and initiative that the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT) and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) were set up in India. In 1995, when the GMRT was set up, it was the world’s largest telescope in its frequency range, which was and still is used by astronomers from all over the world.

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For his exemplary contribution to scientific development in India, M G K Menon was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1985. Between 1989 and 1990, he was a Union Minister of State, first for Science and Technology and then for Education. In 1990, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha, of which he remained a member until 1996. All along, he maintained his strong links with TIFR by continuing to be a member of its council until 2004. In 2008, the asteroid 7564 Gokumenon was named in honour of this distinguished scientist! As former TIFR astrophysicist Ramanath Cowsik wrote in the journal Current Science in 2013,

"If we can call Homi Bhabha the architect of modern scientific and technological India, then Menon can be considered the builder who grasped the significance of the plans and assiduously worked on them and oversaw the construction of the first important stages."

Many eminent personalities have contributed to the growth of experimental facilities in the country since Independence. However, M G K Menon was the master conductor who conducted this scientific symphony. With his passing away, India has lost an extraordinary man who revolutionised the growth of science in India.

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"What happens if you take a rich magistrate's son and make him learn in a village school sitting besides the sons of servants and fishermen? He'll hear tales of birds and animals that make him curious about Nature. And that makes him one of India's first scientists." - Jagdish Chandra Bose

In 1914, a journalist for The Nation wrote about an experiment he witnessed in a small private laboratory in Maida Vale in London:

"An unfortunate creature is strapped to the table of an unlicensed vivisector. When the subject is pinched with a pair of forceps, it winces. It is so strapped that its electric shudder of pain pulls the long arm of a very delicate lever that actuates a tiny mirror. This casts a beam of light on the frieze at the other end of the room, and thus enormously exaggerates the tremor of the creature. A pinch near the right-hand tube sends the beam 7 or 8 feet to the right, and a stab near the other wire sends it as far to the left. "Thus," the journalist concluded, "can science reveal the feelings of even so stolid a vegetable as the carrot."

The carrot vivisector mentioned above was Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose, a scientist widely acknowledges as the father of modern Indian science. However to call Bose just a scientist would, however, be akin to calling Leonardo Da Vinci a mere painter.

A man whose genius transcended boundaries, Bose was a quintessential polymath: a physicist, a biologist, a botanist, an archaeologist, an author, and a connoisseur of fine arts.

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Jagdish Chandra Bose[/caption]

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He was the first person from the Indian subcontinent to receive a US patent and is considered one of the fathers of radio science, alongside such notables as Tesla, Marconi, and Popov. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1920, becoming the first Indian to be honoured by the Royal Society in the field of science.

However, like most pioneering scientists, Bose was famed for his more controversial pursuits - his experiments in plant physiology during the 1900s that drew some startling inferences. On his 158th birth anniversary, we bring you the story of J C Bose's path-breaking work on the discovery of plant stimuli.

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J C Bose[/caption]

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Having graduated with a BA (Physical Sciences) from Kolkata University, Bose was teaching physics at the Presidency College while simultaneously pursuing his own research in electricity and electromagnetic waves. In November 1894, for the first time in the world, Bose gave a demonstration of microwaves at the Kolkata Town Hall, where he ignited gunpowder and rang a bell at a distance by using microwaves. He also developed an improved 'coherer' (a device that detects radio waves) - the first to use a semiconductor junction - but was unwilling to patent it. Bose believed that science should be for the benefit of humankind and one should not make money from it. However, under pressure from his friends, he finally submitted a patent application to the US patent office and on March 29, 1904, he became the first Indian to get a US patent for his "detector of electrical disturbances". Interestingly, Bose's coherer was the one used by Guglielmo Marconi to build an operational two-way radio.

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Between his experiments, Bose also found time to write science fiction in Bengali. His famous story Polatok Tufan (Absconding Storm) describes how a cyclone was stopped using a bottle of hair oil! It explained how oil changes the surface tension and holds water. His book Niruddesher Kahini (Story of the Untraceable) was the first major Bengali science fiction novel. [caption id="attachment_76621" align="aligncenter" width="600"] jagadish-chandra-bose-palatak-tufan-1-600x520

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J C Bose's book, Polatak Toofan[/caption]

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Perhaps it was his work in radio waves that made Bose believe physics could go far beyond what was apparent to the naked eye. He had always been fascinated by the plant reactions seen in sensitive plants like the mimosa, which, when irritated, will react with the sudden shedding or shrinking of its leaves. So, curious about the secret world of plants, Bose switched his attention to investigating how plants respond to stimuli. To do this, he invented the crescograph, an early oscillating recorder using clockwork gears and a smoked glass plate to measure the growth and movements of plants in increments as small as 1/100,000 of an inch. The plate caught the reflection of the plant and it was marked according to the movement of the plant. His first experiments were conducted with a leaf, a carrot and a turnip plucked from his garden. [caption id="attachment_76615" align="aligncenter" width="650"] crescograph-650_051016111029

The Crescograph[/caption]

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Bose strongly believed that plants had a sensitive nervous system, not unlike that of animals, and that their responses to external stimuli could be measured and recorded. His belief was strengthened by the results of his experiments. For instance, in one of his experiments, the plant was dipped in bromide (a poison). The pulse beat of the plant, shown as a light spot on the smoked plate, became unsteady once the plant started taking in the poison, proving that plants have life. Encouraged by the results of this experiment, Bose began studying how plants behave differently under different environmental factors such as temperature, chemicals, electricity, gases and humidity. The more responses he got from his plants, the more detailed his efforts became. Bose was astounded to discover that an electric death spasm occurs in plants when they die, and that the actual moment of death in a plant could be accurately recorded. As he later wrote:

"All around us, the plants are communicating. We just don’t notice it."

Determined to reveal the wonders of plant perception to the world, Bose described his experiments and their results in his 1902 paper,"Responses in the Living and Non-Living". He wrote how plants grew more quickly when exposed to nice music and gentle whispers, and poorly when exposed to harsh music and loud speech. He even mentioned how plants became depressed when exposed to polluted air and darkening skies. In short, his work showed that plants could feel pleasure and they could feel pain.

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Though Bose's research had its usual share of naysayers, his invention of the crescograph received widespread acclaim, particularly from the Path Congress of Science in 1900. The publication of his paper by the Royal Society created greater interest and numerous invitations were extended to him. During his fourth scientific mission to Britain in 1914, Bose set up his private laboratory at Maida Vale which was visited by distinguished men from all walks of life. [caption id="attachment_76623" align="aligncenter" width="500"] jagadish_chandra_bose_1926_full_image

J C Bose[/caption]

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Scientists from the Royal and Linnean societies came to see Bose's experiments with plant perception. In a famous incident, the ever-curious playwright George Bernard Shaw was seized with horror when subjected to the sight of a violently convulsing piece of cabbage gasping in a pot of boiling water. While Bose's work with plants was highly esteemed by some scientists, the disdain of the Western scientific circles for an Indian scientist's work can be seen in the way British journalists described Bose's work with plants in terms similar to Frankenstein-like experiments (like the account at the beginning of the story). However, his path-breaking experiments couldn't be ignored for long. In 1920, he was elected the Fellow of the Royal Society for his amazing contributions and achievements. Prior to his death in 1937, he also set up the Bose Research Institute at Calcutta (now Kolkata). He was greatly helped in this endeavour by his close friend Rabindranath Tagore, who contributed financially and also backed him in his efforts. An avid supporter of Bose’s researches and discoveries, Tagore had always found an essence of Indian scientific spirit, a reflection of Indian national culture, in Bose's work. In his poem for Bose, published in Kalpana, Tagore, addressing the scientist, was effusive in his praise:

"From the Temple of Science in the West, far across the Indus, oh, my friend, you have brought the garland of victory, decorated the humbled head of the poor Mother … Today, the mother has sent blessings in words of tears, of this unknown poet. Amidst the great Scholars of the West, brother, these words will reach only your ears."

As Tagore's words portray, for a country in the clutches of colonial rule, J C Bose was not just a scientist, he was a symbol of national pride. Bose too had always acknowledged his responsibilities as a scientist to revive the national pride of his country. In a letter to Tagore, he wrote:

"I am alive with the life force of the mother Earth, I have prospered with the help of the love of my countrymen. For ages, the sacrificial fire of India’s enlightenment has been kept burning, millions of Indians are protecting it with their lives, a small spark of which has reached this country through me."

Today, the legendary scientist may no longer be with us, but his legacy shall endure forever. Over the decades, several scientists have given further weight to Bose’s theories that plants may not be as different from animals as previously thought. It is only fitting that the team of scientists that hopes to complete and carry his work forward should choose to run their research at Kolkata's Bose Research Institute and call it, although informally, the JC Bose Legacy Project. At the Institute's Madhyamgram campus, work is on to decode the molecular mystery of plants (in terms of protein and genes) that show different responses to external stimuli such as touch, light or noise.

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Feminist Approach to Technology (FAT), a Delhi-based organisation is trying to encourage girls and women to participate more in the fields of science and technology. Here's how. It is a Wednesday evening. In the premises of an organisation named Feminist Approach to Technology (FAT) located in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar, 20 girls are huddled together, working on a science project. Facilitators in the room are ensuring everyone’s participation and answering occasional questions. The girls are from government schools in nearby areas and they gather here four days a week after school.

For these girls coming from underprivileged households, FAT’s Jugaad lab is a space that lets them explore the world of science -- an area they are often kept away from.

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Participants of Jugaad Lab during a session[/caption]

“Gender discrimination and stereotypes are so prevalent in our society that they start conditioning a child’s mind even before she understands the meanings of the words gender or stereotype. Adding to the external situational circumstances that discourage a girl from taking up STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) subjects, there’s an intrinsic lack of confidence that we have observed in girls when it comes to science. We are trying to change this through Jugaad lab,” says Gayatri Buragohain, founder and executive director of FAT.

Gayatri founded FAT with the aim of encouraging girls and women to participate more in the STEM fields. The Jugaad lab tries to explore how hands-on STEM learning in a feminist environment can encourage and support girls to pursue these subjects. Jugaad lab was conceptualised in 2013 after the organisation conducted a study in five government schools and one private school in and around Lajpat Nagar. The study tried to find out the reasons why girls from an underprivileged background are dissuaded from choosing STEM courses – especially Science and Maths. The findings revealed that more often than not, girls find themselves unable to develop an interest or aptitude for STEM due to various factors like lack of moral and infrastructural support in schools, absence of role models, and parental pressure to drop out of education or to pursue fields like arts and home science that are considered more suited for girls.

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“A majority of girls either don’t have access to basic technology such as phones and computers or are banned from using them. The reasons are multifold, but the real question is, how can girls and women have access to equal resources, opportunities and rights without access to technology?” asks Gayatri who is an electronics engineer herself. The lab is a safe haven for the girls. Here they can tinker with, build, break and rebuild stuff to learn through experimentation. The lab also helps them understand the patriarchal structure and systematic discrimination that prevents them from accessing opportunities in the field of science and the ways to counter these challenges. Although FAT wants the lab to be open for every girl who is interested, they have some selection criteria due to logistical issues.

“There’s no selection process based on IQ or marks or anything like that. The criteria are simple. The girl has to be from an underprivileged background. It is also important that she stays nearby. Our programme is quite intensive; we work for around 2-3 hours in the evening at least four days a week and commuting can be a problem if the girls stay far away. We prefer girls from Classes 6 to 10, as they are at a more impressionable age,” says Gayatri.

The first batch of Jugaad lab has completed a one-year curriculum, which consists of educational inputs, scientific experiments, and innovation projects.

The organisation will now enrol new girls for the same curriculum, while developing a more advanced syllabus for the students entering second year.

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Girls are given hands on training and encouraged to undertake individual projects[/caption]

“We have seen positive results after the first year of the lab. I will tell you the story of one of our participants, Sanjana. The TV at her place stopped working one day and everyone thought of calling a mechanic to fix it. Sanjana checked the plug and saw that the wire connections inside were loose. She reconnected the wires and the TV started working again. Her parents were so impressed, they visited the lab and told us proudly about what their daughter had done. Incidents like these help us in getting the support of the parents,” says Gayatri.

Renuka Motihar, the chairperson of FAT, says, “At FAT, the girls are taught to shed their fear of technology and are introduced to the ideas of feminism. They are introduced to women role models, who have done tremendous work in the STEM fields. All of a sudden, an entirely new world opens up to them, and we dream of making it happen for every girl out there.”

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FAT is currently running a crowd funding campaign for the Jugaad lab. To know more about FAT, visit the official website here. To donate to the organisation’s crowdfunding campaign, click here.

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Four Indian-American scientists and researchers are among the 102 people who received the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). It is the highest honour bestowed by the American government on those who are in their early stages of research in the scientific community. While announcing the awards, US President Barack Obama said, "These innovators are working to help keep the United States on the cutting edge, showing that Federal investments in science lead to advancements that expand our knowledge of the world around us and contribute to our economy." The award was first instated by former President Bill Clinton back in 1996.

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Meet the four winners:

1) Pankaj Lal, Montclair University

Image source: Twitter

Pankaj Lal is the assistant professor of Earth and Environmental Studies at Montclair University. Prior to receiving this honour, he has won several laurels including the prestigious $450,000 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant from the National Science Foundation. He works towards developing sustainable bio-energy solutions.

2) Kaushik Chowdhury, Northeastern University

Photo source: Twitter

Kaushik Roy Chowdhury is the Associate Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Northeastern University and Faculty Fellow of the College of Engineering. Having won awards like NSF CAREER award, his research focuses on concepts like the Internet of Things (IoT) and energy harvesting sensors.

3) Manish Arora, Icahn School of Medicine

Manish Arora is the Associate Professor, Dentistry, and Associate Professor of Environmental Medicine & Public Health. His methods are being used to understand and study outcomes of autism and the neurodevelopment in children.

4) Aradhna Tripati, University of California

Photo source: LinkedIn

Aradhna Tripati has been the Associate Professor at UCLA since 2010. Her research is focused on Geology and Tectonics, Geobiology and Geochemistry among others areas.

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One of the most talked about images from India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) was that of ISRO's women scientists celebrating the success of the mission. While it may have been the very first time many Indians were seeing a visual of women working in the sciences, they definitely weren't the first ones. Many other brilliant, dedicated and determined Indian women have pursued science over the years.

Here's the little-known story of one of India's pioneering women scientists, Anna Mani. A distinguished meteorologist, Mani was the former Deputy Director General of the Indian Meteorological Department and made significant contributions in the field of solar radiation, ozone and wind energy instrumentation.

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Anna Modayil Mani grew up in a prosperous family in Travancore, a former princely state in the southern part of India, now part of the state of Kerala. Born in 1918, she was the seventh of eight siblings. Anna Mani’s father was a prosperous civil engineer who owned large cardamom estates in the region. The Mani family was a typical upper-middle class professional household, where sons were groomed for high level careers from childhood while daughters were primed for marriage. Back then, there was a consensus in society that education for women should be tailored to their particular roles as mothers and homemakers. But little Anna Mani would have none of it. Her formative years were spent engrossed in books. By the time she was eight, Mani had read almost all the Malayalam books available at her local public library. On her eighth birthday, when she was gifted with diamond earrings- as was the custom in her family- she opted instead for a set of Encyclopaedia Britannica. By 1925, Travancore had become the epicentre of the Vaikom Satyagraha. People of all castes and religions across the princely state were protesting the decision by the priests of a temple in the town of Vaikom to bar dalits from using the road adjacent to the temple. [caption id="attachment_83088" align="aligncenter" width="712"] 019PHO000430S45U00046000[SVC2]

The stone bridge in the town of Alleppey in erstwhile Travancore[/caption]

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It was during this time that Mahatma Gandhi came to Viakom to lend his support to the civil disobedience movement. The satyagraha movement, the swadeshi philosophy and especially, Gandhi’s visit in its support, made a deep impression on the young and idealistic Anna. Drawn to Gandhian principles, the little girl took to wearing only khadi as a symbol of her nationalist sympathies. Her strong sense of nationalism also instilled in her a fierce desire for personal freedom. Instead of following the footsteps of her sisters (who got married in their late teens), she insisted on pursuing higher studies. While her family did not oppose her wish, they offered little encouragement. Mani wanted to study medicine but when that was not possible, she decided in favor of physics because she happened to be good in the subject. So, she enrolled in the honours programme in physics at Presidency College in Madras (now Chennai). In 1940, a year after finishing college, Anna Mani obtained a scholarship to undertake research at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. She was accepted in no less than Nobel laureate C V Raman’s laboratory as a graduate student and worked on the spectroscopy of diamonds and rubies. [caption id="attachment_83090" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Untitled design (3)

C V Raman[/caption]

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During this period, Raman’s laboratory housed a collection of 300 diamonds from India and Africa; practically all his students worked on one aspect or the other of diamonds. Mani recorded and analysed fluorescence, studied absorption and temperature dependence, and the Raman spectra of 32 diamonds. The experiments were long and painstaking, sometimes requiring 15 to 20 hours. Mani spent long hours at the laboratory, often working through the night. Between 1942 and 1945, she published five single-authored papers on luminescence of diamonds and ruby. In August 1945 she submitted her PhD dissertation to Madras University and was awarded a government scholarship for an internship in England.

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The scientific institutions, however, perpetuated their own gender biases. Madras University, which at that time formally granted degrees for work completed at the Indian Institute of Science, claimed that Mani did not have a M.Sc. degree and therefore could not be granted a PhD. They chose to overlook that Anna Mani had graduated with honours in physics and chemistry, and had won a scholarship for graduate studies at the Indian Institute of Science on the basis of her undergraduate degree. [caption id="attachment_83091" align="aligncenter" width="500"] annamani ji

A portrait of Anna Mani[/caption]

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Despite her pioneering work, she was never granted a doctoral degree and today her completed PhD dissertation remains in the library of Raman Research Institute, indistinguishable from others. Fortunately, the lack of a PhD never deterred her. Utilising the government scholarship for an internship in England, Mani went on a troop ship to the Imperial College in London to pursue physics in 1945. However, she ended up specializing in meteorological instrumentation as it was the only internship available. When Mani returned to independent India in 1948, she joined the Indian Meteorological Department at Pune. Put in charge of construction of radiation instrumentation, she had to make do with what was available. Never compromising quantity for quality, she inspired the scientists under her to put in their best. "Find a better way to do it!" was her motto. Anna Mani standardised the drawings for nearly 100 different weather instruments and started their production. During the International Geophysical Year (1957-58), she set up a network of stations in India to measure solar radiation. She also published a number of papers on subjects ranging from atmospheric ozone to the need for international instrument comparisons and national standardisation. [caption id="attachment_83093" align="aligncenter" width="800"] simla-office-pic1

Indian Meteorological Department, Pune[/caption]

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Furthermore, she undertook the development of an apparatus to measure ozone – ozonesonde. This enabled India to collect reliable data on the ozone layer. Thanks to Mani's singular contribution, she was made a member of the International Ozone Commission. In 1963, at the request of Vikram Sarabhai (Father of India's Space programme), she successfully set up a meteorological observatory and an instrumentation tower at the Thumba rocket launching facility. In 1976, Anna Mani retired as deputy director general of the Indian Meteorological Department and subsequently returned to the Raman Research Institute as a visiting professor for three years. Later she set up a millimetre-wave telescope at Nandi Hills, Bangalore. She published two books, The Handbook for Solar Radiation Data for India (1980) and Solar Radiation over India (1981), which have become standard reference guides for solar tech engineers. A visionary, Anna Mani knew/foresaw that alternative sources of energy would have a big role to play in India's future development. She organised round-the-year wind speed measurement from over 700 sites using state-of-art equipment. Later, in Bangalore, Anna Mani started a small workshop that manufactured instruments for measuring wind speed and solar energy. She hoped that the instruments produced in her workshop would help in development of wind and solar energy in India. Today, as India takes a lead in setting up solar and wind farms across the country, part of the credit goes to Mani. Untitled design (5)

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Asked whether being a woman had any impact on her work, the stoic and proud Anna Mani would insist that she "had worked hard to gain my academic qualifications and was judged fit to carry out the work that was needed." However, she would recall how even a slight error made by her or other women scientist in handling instrumentation or in setting up an experiment would be immediately broadcast by some men as a sign of female incompetence. This aside, she gratefully remember the warmth with which a few of her male colleagues, especially their wives, welcomed her into their homes. Mrs Raman, who she had grown close to during her days at IISc, treated her like her own daughter. Devoted to her studies and research, Mani never married. Passionate about nature, trekking and bird watching, she was a member of many scientific organizations – Indian National Science Academy, American Meteorological Society, and the International Solar Energy Society etc. In 1987, she received the INSA K. R. Ramanathan Medal for her achievements. In 1994, she suffered from a stroke that left her immobilised for the rest of her life. She passed away on August 16, 2001, in Thiruvananthapuram. In 1913, the year of Amma Mani's birth, the literacy rate for women in India stood at less than 1 percent. Even in 1930, when Mani went to college, opportunities for women to pursue further studies or a career in science were very limited. A woman who spent her life in the pursuit of science, the pragmatic Mani saw nothing unusual in her pursuing physics in an era where it was possible to count all the women physicists in India on one’s fingertips. It's time India remembers this amazing woman and her exemplary contribution to the world of meteorology.

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India’s Himalayan region is home to some of the country’s most abundant natural resource reserves, yet much of its population still lags behind the rest of the country in access to basic amenities. Kalyan Paul and his organisation Grassroots hope to help the region’s people overcome this gap through the application of technology. In 1992, Kalyan Paul set up Pan Himalayan Grassroots Development Foundation with a clear vision and objective—focus on the initiation and implementation of fundamental ways and means for renewal of hydrology, and restoration of ecology. Born on September 3, 1956, Paul is a driving force in promoting holistic mountain development programmes. His efforts have initiated appropriate technologies for conserving natural resources and setting basic amenities, which have improved the quality of life of many. Some of the areas of his activities include water, with projects like infiltration wells for drinking water, Roof Runoff Rainwater Harvesting, and Surface Runoff Rainwater Harvesting; energy, where he works on biogas units; and sanitation, where he has pioneered the Twin Pit Water Seal Sauchalaya. The loss of environmental assets is viewed by Paul as an additional component of poverty, leading to his engagement with conservation of natural resources, focussed on the inter linkages of Forests and Water, through revival of traditional moisture conservation methodologies and provision of fresh vegetal cover on degraded village commons. Continued interactions during multi-stakeholder workshops led the government to allow SHGs of women to enter reserved forest areas for revival of this tradition.

Over the years, these efforts have been consolidated in the Gagas river basin in the Almora district of Uttarakhand, largely through the participation of women.

It is indeed worth noting that at a grass-root level, appropriate institutional structures have been formed to work on the renewal of river basin hydrology and its linkages with sustainable mountain farming systems. By 2011, over 4,300 households were engaged in 101 SHGs (2-3 per village) and 39 Gadhera Bachao Samitis (1 per village), forming the bedrock for sustainable change and development. The most appropriate methodology to implement all these initiatives with maximum effect and use is by involving the youth and building their capacities to be barefoot engineers. Paul strongly believes that this will help tap and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit in village communities. This methodology led to the establishment of the Kumaon Artisans Guild, wherein these barefoot engineers help in creating awareness regarding the importance and benefits of appropriate technologies, and assist communities in adopting such technologies through active engagement and cost sharing. Under his leadership, and in partnership with various civil society organisations and the government, Grassroots, over a span of 20 years, has benefited communities with outreach programmes spread over 800 villages in 12 districts in the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, India. Infiltration Wells have proven to be a suitable technology for community-managed drinking water systems – a boon indeed. The benefit of 500 infiltration wells has spread to 350 villages, 55 blocks, and 12 districts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, providing 2.40 million litres of safe drinking water daily to 17,600 households with close to 100,000 people.

This has further reduced the drudgery of women and children who otherwise spent time travelling to distant locations to fetch water.

Sanitation infrastructure, comprising of twin-pit water-seal sauchalayas, has been built in 4,000 households in the Gagas river basin, and installation is 100 % in some Gadheras. This technology, along with roof run-off rainwater harvesting structures, has been demonstrated in 40 large schools in the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, benefiting more than 20,000 children, especially girl-students. In the area of renewable energy, biogas units have been set up in various far-flung watersheds. More than 2,400 households now have access to clean energy for 3-4 hours daily to cook food. This has drastically reduced the drudgery, health hazard, as well as biotic pressure on scarce natural resources. Communities in the river basin have been enabled to raise over 2,00,000 saplings per annum of around 50 species of native trees/shrubs in various small village-level nurseries. This, in turn, has encouraged community participation in protection and conservation of ecology, besides gainful employment at the village level. Farmers have continuously expressed the need to strengthen livelihood opportunities within the river basin. Steps have been taken to revive cultivation of traditional rain-fed crops, introduce high value crops like chamomile, and improve soil fertility. Alongside, Grassroots has been modernising small irrigation systems to enhance production and incomes. For example, in Pidyadhar micro watershed in Himachal Pradesh, the existing open-channel irrigation system has been modernized by laying of underground irrigation pipes and construction of appropriate inlet chambers at the headwaters, which has led to tripling of income for around 100 families.

For the past few years, hundreds of small farmers have benefitted through establishment of backward and forward linkages which provide a bridge between “farm gates to fork” through the brand HimKhadya – safe food from the Himalaya.

Grassroots has also introduced free-range poultry activity, wherein over 500 households—with an average of 10 chicks of Kroiler birds—are enabled to earn through sale of mature hens at a premium, as well as get nutrition at home through egg consumption. The projects are supported by Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, Jamsetji Tata Trust, World Wide Fund for Nature, Artha – Sustainable Development Fund, Government of Himachal Pradesh, Government of Uttarakhand, and Government of India, amongst others. Grassroots, spearheaded by Paul's zeal, continues to develop programmes and act as an interface between communities and other stakeholders to promote sustainable mountain development. He plans to increase the force of barefoot engineers due to his strong belief that Guilds of Barefoot Engineers are the most effective and appropriate way for technology transfer at the grass-root level. This will further enable village communities to determine their own destiny, establish goals, take risks, and invest their time and energy to achieve their aspirations for a better life, leading to self-sustainable and independent communities. Soon, Paul wants to bring the 10 states of the Indian Himalayan Region on the planning table, extensively promote the concept of barefoot engineers, and work towards innovative capacity-building mechanisms. It is Paul's dream to see Grassroots as a community-based and community-run organization. Kalyan Paul is a Fellow of Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, and a Lemelson Technology Fellow of the USA and Salzburg Global Seminar, Austria. He has presented several papers on sustainable mountain development, both at national and international forums.

Special features on the activities of Grassroots have been highlighted in the media: Social Watch on Doordarshan, Unstoppable Indians on NDTV, and in the 2009 Outlook Business – 50 Social Entrepreneurs edition.

Currently, Grassroots is engaged in two significant challenges—firstly, replacing the old masonry model of a biogas digester with a more robust pre-fabricated FRP digester so that the benefits of renewable cooking energy can reach thousands of rural homes each year. Secondly, as an active member of the Mountain Partnership Secretariat of the FAO, a new venture has been launched to promote mountain products at a global level. This venture is called Mountain High!, and is attempting to provide a platform for marketing handicrafts and food from the world of mountains. The idea is to get policy makers to think deep about the contribution of mountain communities as custodians of biodiversity and water resources, besides the spectrum of cultural heritage.

In the year 2012, Kalyan Paul received the Jamnalal Bajaj Award in the category for Application of Science and Technology for Rural Development.

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Founded by Venu Nadella, Janyaa designs and distributes scientific & mathematical experiments for government schools in villages and trains teachers to encourage hands-on learning.

"As students, we retain only 5% of a lecture, 50% of any audio-visual aid and 80% of what we experience, says a key finding. When we take a look at our education system, we see lecturing as the only predominant method used. We are working towards changing that through Janyaa,” says Venu Nadella, who founded the organisation in 2009.

Janyaa, which translates to ‘life’, focuses on developing creative problem solving skills among rural children. The organisation’s aim is to educate government school students through hands-on learning.

Janyaa designs, manufactures and distributes curriculum-based scientific as well as mathematical experiments in different schools. The organisation's focus is on the students from classes 6 to 10 and the organisation plans to start working with lower classes in near future. There are around 500 experiments in the kit developed by Janyaa that cover Physical sciences, Biology & Mathematics.

“We are trying to make students understand the real life application of various scientific concepts. When children understand the concepts, it makes learning fun and excites the imagination,” Satish Velagapudi, member of the executive team at Janyaa.

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Janyaa piloted the project in 4 schools in 2009 and 5 more schools were added in 2010. So far, the programme has worked with about 320,000 students in 930 schools across 14 states that include Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Delhi, Odisha, Haryana, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

“We received great response and more schools started approaching us to work with them. Then we started working with other non-profit partners to reach out to more number of students. Since 2014, we have also started working with Government organisations. We are currently implementing a pilot program in partnership with Nigerian government with Rotary’s support. Our goal is also to spread our program to other countries,” says Satish.

Venu thought of founding an organisation over 10 years ago. She had read about farmer suicides in the villages and come across many stories of the predicament of farmers through friends and acquaintances.

“When discussing several issues with the locals, I was surprised at their ignorance of the fundamentals of farming, like the storage of crops, interest rates and fertility of soil. I realized that even little education on the fundamentals of math and science would help them in many ways. Upon further deliberation, I felt that if we focus on children and educate them well, they could help their parents and also be in a position to understand and implement what they have learnt when they take up the responsibilities,” says Venu.

With farmers on her mind as the target group, Venu knew that the emphasis had to be on practical learning.

She realised that while the theoretical understanding was important for the children, understanding how those concepts are applied in real life was equally important.

“We thought of starting mobile labs, but we could not comprehend (students) being taught a bunch of concepts in a day and having to wait for another three months for the next set. Children cannot retain so many concepts learnt in a single day. Then we decided to give the boxes of scientific experiments to schools so that teachers would have the flexibility to use them whenever needed,” says Venu.

The box of experiments is given to schools and the teachers are trained by Janyaa’s educational experts. Teachers can pick an experiment from the box that is relevant to the concept and use it while teaching it in the classroom. There are many experiments in the box, like tiles that can be used to solve simple equations, a toy telephone to understand the concept of sound and a rubber ball and syringe that can be used to explain Pascal’s law. The box is available to students any time they want.

“A child wrote to us saying that she is able to answer questions in the exams in her own words. It was something she had never been able to do before! A teacher informed us that students have started coming to school even during rainy days since they love working with the experiments. I think that sums it all,” says Satish.

Also read: TBI Blogs: Does Your Child Have Poor Reading or Math Skills? This New Learning App Can Help.

To know more about Janyaa, visit its official website here.

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The Bastar district in Chattisgarh recently stood witness to a magnificent Science Fair, where 44,000 students from 637 government schools presented more than 35,000 scientific experiments. Here’s how this feat was achieved! In the formative years of a child, the teacher is one of the most influential people. Efforts that a teacher takes to make his students understand various concepts, is what makes a lasting impression on a child’s mind. Quite understandably, a teacher who explores the boundaries of classroom teaching becomes successful in cultivating a thirst for knowledge in students.

Taking this into consideration, the Department of Education led a project in the Bastar district of Chattisgarh that recently culminated into a one-day science fair, where over 44,000 students from 637 government schools in the district showcased more than 35,000 experiments and working models at 119 cluster centres.

[caption id="attachment_85895" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Students understanding respiratory systems functioning

Students demonstrating functioning of the respiratory system[/caption] While the science fair was a one-day event, the Bastar Science Experiment that made the feat possible, was a long-term process which was carefully carried out by the hundreds of people involved in it.

“It all started in June 2015. A science fair was organised by the state education department at five divisional headquarters in the state. The fair focused on training teachers to make different scientific experiments and to use those while teaching. After the fair ended, the administration in Bastar decided to take the project forward and proceeded to make a long term plan,” says Nikhilesh Hari, a PMRDF fellow, who has been working with the district authorities since June 2014.

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A training programme was organised where teachers from across the district were mentored by Suresh Agrawal, secretary of the Association for Research and Training in Basic Science Education (ARTBSE), Nagpur. A team of 24 experienced and enthusiastic teachers was then selected by the district administration to spearhead the program. The team of these “Special 24” teachers, as they are referred to among their peers, monitored and supervised the training of teachers in the district in conducting hands-on science experiments in classroom bypassing the requirement of a well-built laboratory.

“A vast network of teachers was formed over email, social media and WhatsApp. In this digital space, they shared, debated and improved on their ideas and formed a peer review group. The idea was simple- to develop experiments using household or easily accessible materials to better explain the scientific and mathematical concepts from the curriculum. The teachers were enthusiastic and because of the networking, the ideas and experiments spread through the district quickly,” says Nikhilesh.

During the Vigyan Mela (Science Fair) that took place in January, all the installations were either created out of household objects or were sourced from the local markets.

The event was organised simultaneously in 119 educational clusters that involved 697 teachers in the district.

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Experiment demonstrating that light travels in straight line path[/caption] The experiments that were presented by the students cover different concepts like how the lightning is formed, the human physiology, working of windmills, identifying acids and bases, working of vacuum cleaner and many others from Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics.

The District Collector of Bastar Amit Kataria took to Facebook to share his joy after the event concluded. He shared the pictures of the event on his FB page and wrote, “Beyond anybody's expectations 637 upper primary schools and 160 higher secondary schools of Bastar district demonstrated more than 35,000 experiments and working models at 116 different locations to create a new record in the field of India's science education. This event will be registered in LIMCA book of records. It was truly India's largest science exhibition.”

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To know more about Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Bastar, visit the Facebook page here.

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Given the increase in air pollution across all cities and towns in India, it's a common sight to see people wearing masks while riding or even walking down the streets during heavy traffic hours. However such masks can also become suffocating for the wearer. But there is now an alternate solution thanks to a dedicated team from IIT Delhi. Debayan Saha and Shashi Ranjan, a research team at the institute, have developed a unique product to have everyone breathing easier just by a little bit more - they have developed a nasal aid that can actually filter pollutants in the air and will only allow clean air to flow thus ensuring the wearer is breathing air that is purer than his/her surroundings.

Unlike masks that aren't always effective and are large in size, the nasal aid, which has been dubbed Nosacle, is tiny and reusable. Similar to the nose plugs that are used to treat sleep apnea, the device is able to keep 90% of the pollutants away from the nasal chamber.

Image for representation. Image source: Flickr

The idea of the nasal aid was born when the team did the Stanford-India Biodesign fellowship. This idea was then further developed into the fully realised product under the Pfizer IIT-Delhi Innovation and IP Programme. Debayan Saha spoke to Times of India and said that this device will be far more comfortable for users than regular face masks. He said, "Face masks have membranes with smaller pores that can attract bigger particles. But the small pores pose greater resistance for breathing and carbon dioxide retention. In our device, we do not have a membrane. This makes it comfortable for the user to wear it most of the time."

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The filters in the device are cartridges and have to be replaced every eight hours to ensure that the device is running to its full efficiency. And it also happens to be cheaper. While it is only slated to hit the market by the end of 2017, the researchers say that the market price for this mask won't be more than a third of that of a reusable mask.

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In November 1997, Kalpana Chawla became the first woman of Indian origin to travel in space as the mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator aboard the US space shuttle Columbia. In December 2006, Sunita Williams became the second woman of Indian origin to venture into space when the US shuttle Discovery rose into the night sky on a 12-day repair mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

And in 2018, Indian-origin Shawna Pandya will become only the third woman of Indian origin to go to space.

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Shawna Pandya[/caption]

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A general physician, 32-year-old Shawna Pandya is one of two candidates shortlisted from 3,200 people enrolled in the Citizen Science Astronaut (CSA) program. She will fly with eight other astronauts in space missions slated to take off by 2018. Shawna, who was born in Alberta in Canada and has roots in Mumbai, is a woman of many talents. Apart from being an astronaut currently preparing for two space missions, she is a neurosurgeon (who works at Alberta University hospital), an opera singer, an author, an international taekwondo champion and has trained in Muay Thai with a Navy SEAL.

Fluent in French, Spanish and Russian, this multitasker has even been a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, walked the runway as a model and given a TEDx talk about resilience!

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Shawna Pandya[/caption]

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Deeply passionate about both space and medical science, Shawna decided to study neuroscience because the first Canadian woman in space, Roberta Bondar, was a neuro-opthalmologist. This branch of medicine investigates the effects of spaceflight on the central nervous system of humans to establish countermeasures that will mitigate effects like space motion sickness.

"Since I was a kid, I loved space, I loved the stars. When I was 10, I became obsessed with astronomy," Shawna told CBC. "All my junior high science projects or reports, they were all space related...I think the idea of doing something that's so adventurous and really pushes the bounds of exploration, and the fact that you'd get to space really, really resonated with me."

After completing her B.Sc in neuroscience at University of Alberta, Shawna did her M.Sc. in space sciences at International Space University. Thereafter, she got her MD in Medicine from University of Alberta.

Interestingly, she had applied for medical school and the space program at the same time, aiming to build her career in space neuroscience, a field she finds exciting and immensely fascinating.

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Shawna is an avid adventure enthusiast[/caption]

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In the 2018 space mission, Shawna will be working under a project called Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere (PoSSUM), which will study the effects of climate change. While training for this project at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in US, she wore spacesuits, rode on aerobatic flights and experienced changing gravity environments as part of the the Scientist-Astronaut course. Other than conducting experiments in space-specific bio-medicine, she will also be working on Physiological, Health, and Environmental Observations in Microgravity (PHEnOM). This is a microgravity human research program that will conduct cross-disciplinary research into commercial human spaceflight.

Shawna is also a prime crew member of Project Poseidon, a 100-day underwater mission at the Aquarius Space Research Facility in Florida, the world’s only undersea laboratory dedicated to science and education.

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Shawna Pandya[/caption]

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If successful, Project Poseidon will surpass the world record for the longest mission conducted from an undersea habitat. The vision behind this research initiative is to facilitate a greater understanding of the link and synergy that exists between sea and space, and to use the mission as a catalyst to strengthen that connection. Recently, Shawna has been visiting family in Mumbai and addressing students in schools and educational institutes about citizen-science, technology, leadership and innovation. In an interview to Hindustan Times, she said,

"There is tremendous potential in India. When I talk to students and undergraduates, I realise they have the zeal to venture out, but aren’t always aware of the ways in which they can. All we need is to get acquainted with everyday developments in science, be resilient and always try to achieve something bigger."

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Shawna addressing students at the Lilavatibai Podar High School in Mumbai[/caption]

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An adventure seeking go-getter who has been reaching for stars, figuratively as well as literally, Shawna sees an opportunity in every challenge thrown at her. This is what she writes about herself in her LinkedIn profile: "Passionate about the two 'extremes' of humanity - surviving and thriving - namely furthering technological innovation and human knowledge and tackling humanity's grandest challenges to effect positive social change." Clearly, Shawna's achievements show that she has assiduously lived up to these words by working to excel in every field she chooses. As she says,

"If you prioritise your passions and commitments, it’s wonderful how much you can achieve."

Also Read: 6 Things to Know About Kalpana Chawla: The First Indian Woman in Space

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on the morning of February 15, 2017, India scripted a new chapter in the history of space exploration with the successful launch of a record 104 satellites by ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in a single mission. The space agency's workhorse launcher, PSLV-C37, carrying the 104 satellites, lifted off from the first launch pad for its 39th flight at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 9.28 am.

Seventeen minutes later, the rocket started placing the satellites into orbit, one by one within a time-frame of about 11 minutes.

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This includes 101 nano-satellites (weighing below 10 kg each) from five countries — the United States, Netherlands, Israel, Kazakhstan and Switzerland — along with a trio of Indian satellites (Cartosat 2 and two nano-satellites). All satellites will be placed in the lower orbit of the earth for monitoring the planet and its ongoing activities. ISRO's mammoth launch will not only deploy the largest number of satellites but also will take the space agency ahead of the current record holder, Russia, for setting off the largest number of satellites into space in one move. Russia achieved this milestone on June 19, 2014, by launching 37 satellites from a single space-launch vehicle.

However, what’s striking is that ISRO will recover nearly half of the cost of Indian satellites by launching foreign satellites!

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This is yet another one of ISRO's ingenious improvisations to cope with resource constraints. In a country that has too few patents and globally path-breaking inventions for its size, ISRO's efforts clearly show how world class products can be made in the resource-constrained environment of an emerging economy. Ten months after its flawless launch on November 5, 2013, when India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) successfully entered orbit around Mars in 2014, most of the Western world greeted the event with astonishment. The country's technological feat, accomplished two days after National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) project MAVEN orbiter reached the Red Planet, was completed on a shoestring budget: ISRO spent only $74 million on MOM as compared to NASA’s $671 million for the MAVEN project!

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So, what made it possible for India to become the first Asian nation to accomplish a Mars mission on its maiden attempt? The well-documented story of the parallel launching of MOM and MAVEN is a case in point for a fundamental aspect of the Indian way of thinking, superbly captured by the colloquial Indian phrase: jugaad. Jugaad has come to refer to a habit of mind, born out of resource-scarcity and an environment of uncertainty, which emphasises ad hoc improvisation and flexibility as a way of getting things done. It means different things in different contexts, but at its core, it is fundamentally the art of "making things work" even when conventional wisdom says it isn't possible.

It is also the philosophy that is at the heart of Indian entrepreneurial energy and optimism.

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ISRO scientists and other officials celebrate the success of Mars Orbiter Mission at MARS Orbiter Command Network complex in Bengaluru[/caption]

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Jugaad represents a triumph of Indian ingenuity against incredible odds, and India's Mars orbiter, Mangalyaan, is perhaps the country's most audacious and successful example of jugaad so far. ISRO's 'space venture on a shoestring' was made possible not only by less expensive engineering talent willing to work around the clock but also by using ingenious improvisation to cope successfully with resource constraints and exceptionally tight timelines. The world's most cost-effective programme, ISRO built the final model of the orbiter from the start instead of building a series of iterative models, as NASA does. They carried out fewer but more efficient ground tests and used components, modules and building blocks from earlier missions.

ISRO also intelligently circumvented the lack of a rocket powerful enough to launch the satellite directly out of the Earth’s gravitational pull by having the satellite orbit the Earth for a month. This longer but cheaper route built up enough speed for the satellite to break free from the Earth’s gravitational pull.

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Documents stating the audited expenditure of all the projects ISRO has launched or begun work on in the past few years reveal that MOM isn't the only mega project for which the space agency has managed to save taxpayers' money. For instance, of the ₹830.88 crore allotted to launch the GSAT-15 communication satellite, ISRO used only ₹806.4 crore, saving ₹ 24.48 crore.

Incredibly, ISRO has been leapfrogging the scientific world through frugal innovations since its very birth. India's first rocket was transported on a bicycle and launched from an old church in a small fishing village!

ISRO's research towards building an indigenous winged Reusable Launch Vehicle is also an attempt to bring down the cost of space missions. It costs roughly $20,000 per kg to send instruments or people up into space, with 50% of the cost of a launch going into the vehicle. After the rocket is launched, the launch vehicle falls into the sea and is lost. So, the space agency needs a new vehicle for every launch.

If the launch vehicle can be recovered, refurbished and reused, the total cost will come down from $20,000 per kg to $5,000 per kg.

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Interestingly, ISRO's annual budget for a fiscal year is around $1.2 billion (₹120 crore), while NASA has a budget of around $17.5 billion (₹1,750 crore). Despite the large disparity in total spending, India actually devotes a similar share of its total budget to its space agency - around 0.4% - as USA. However, despite its frugal way of operation, ISRO has mastered different space technologies: Inter-planetary, flight testing of the cryogenic engine and testing its heaviest rocket for stability during flight (which will be the first major step towards a human space mission). It also continues to work on Chandrayaan 2 (which proposes to soft land a wheeled robotic vehicle on the surface of the moon) and has recently announced its plans for two bold interplanetary sojourns to Venus and Mars. In the Union Budget 2017, funds for the department of space have been increased by 23%. Under the space sciences section, the Budget mentions provisions "for Mars Orbiter Mission II and mission to Venus." The mission to Mars is tentatively slated for 2021-22 and as per existing plans it may well involve putting a robot on the Martian surface. On the other hand, India's maiden mission to Venus is in all probability going to be a modest orbiter mission.

The application of satellites for human welfare has also been quite impressive. For instance, INSAT-3D played an important role in tracking Cyclone Hudhud, which hit the east coast of India in October 2014. During Cyclone Phailin, images from ISRO's Kalpana weather satellite played a vital role.

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Images of a cyclone from ISRO's weather satellites[/caption]

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In September 2016, ISRO launched SCATSAT-1, a new miniature satellite that will help in improved cyclone forecasting and weather prediction. The space agency has also developed apps to assess crop damage through hailstorms, to give satellite data on fish availability to fishermen and forecast crop harvests for farmers. Set up in 1969, ISRO has had to face the same constraints as other institutions as well as the fact that it functions under overall government control. Yet, by incorporating the national trait of jugaad, it has managed to break the stereotype of a public sector company and utilised minimal resources to emerge as an institution that is world class. In another two years, ISRO will celebrate its golden jubilee — given its amazing track record and equally amazing plans for the future, this will be an anniversary to look forward to.

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As India claimed its place in history by successfully launching a record 104 satellites by ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in a single mission, the world sat up and noticed the country's incredible accomplishment. From the New York Times to Al Jazeera, most of the top news media houses across the globe wrote about ISRO's tryst with destiny.

Here's a round-up of what some of the biggest media houses are saying about this historic mission:

Photo source: Twitter The New York Times It was only two years ago when the New York Times printed and then subsequently apologised for publishing a cartoon that seemingly mocked ISRO's then mission to Mars. But yesterday, the iconoclast said that with this mission, India had become a "significant player." It wrote, "India’s space agency launched a flock of 104 satellites into space over the course of 18 minutes on Wednesday, nearly tripling the previous record for single-day satellite launches and establishing India as a key player in a growing commercial market for space-based surveillance and communication." BBC The BBC focused on the fact that India has now positioned itself staunchly as a reliable low-cost alternative in the space game. It noted, "The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says the successful launch is yet another feather in the cap of India's ambitious space programme that has earned a reputation of offering a reliable low-cost alternative to existing international players." CNN CNN deemed that unlike the space race that took place between the United States and Russia during the Cold War, the race has now officially shifted to Asia with countries like India and China heating up the game. Al Jazeera As with most international media, Al Jazeera also highlighted how cost effective India's programme is on a global scale. "India is competing with other international players for a greater share of that launch market and is known for its low-cost space programme.

Global Times (China) The Chinese news media perhaps unsurprisingly was guarded with its reportage of the event. Global Times wrote, "On the whole, India’s space technology still lags behind the US’ and China’s. It has not yet formed a complete system"

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On April 2 in 1984, an elderly couple, Tripta and Devendranath, sat on a carpeted floor and watched the live telecast of Soyuz T-11 in Russia taking off into space. In the spacecraft was a young man who would soon become the first Indian in space. Earlier that day they had gone to the gurdwara to offer their prayers to ensure a safe return for this man. They were his parents after all. But on that day as millions of Indians looked towards the sky, for a brief moment, Rakesh Sharma was the country's favourite son. Given the sheer breadth of Sharma's incredible achievements, it is no wonder that it has been announced that Bollywood actor Aamir Khan would be essaying him in an upcoming biopic.

With the industry already abuzz with expectations, we decided to take a look back on the celebrated cosmonaut who made the country proud over three decades ago.

Photo source: Wikimedia

Rakesh started his career in the Indian Air Force Born on January 13, 1949 in Punjab, he is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and joined the Indian Air Force in 1970. In the next few years, he swiftly climbed the ranks and by the time he was taking off in space, he was a squadron leader. The mission was a joint programme between India and Russia On September 20, 1982, he was chosen to fly to space as part of a joint mission between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Soviet Intercosmos space program. During his time in Russia, he and wife learnt to speak Russian.

You may also like: More Than Just a Space Agency: How ISRO Is Saving Lives

He conducted life sciences experiments and did yoga in space While in space, he along with the rest of the crew slept for 9 hours and then spent the rest of the time working. He spent a total of 7 days and 21 hours in space during which time he conducted a number of experiments, including silicium fusing tests. He also did yoga to see if that form of exercise affected the body in space. His conversations with Indira Gandhi will leave you beaming with pride The then-Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi in a telecast, noted to Rakesh Sharma, "Yours is a historic endeavour and I hope it will make our country space conscious and make young people more adventurous."

During the mission, when Gandhi asked him how India looked like from space, he succinctly noted, "Saare Jahan se achcha."

[embedvideo id="PjvfsGyfjZQ" website="youtube"] He helped map areas of India with his photography When he was in space, whenever the craft would pass by India, he would take pictures. Given the powerful nature of the cameras, the pictures he took would be equivalent to two years' worth of aerial photography that needed to be taken for the same area. In fact, during his tryst in space, he even spotted people trying to summit the Mount Everest!

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With every passing year it has become increasingly clear that there is an urgent need to address the challenges posed by climate change in the world. And one of the main ways to do so is by educating the public of its implications and urging them to make better choices for themselves and the planet. To do just that, the government of India has flagged off a "Science Express" that will spend seven months traveling across the country and raising awareness. A collaborative effort by the ministries of Railways, Environment and Science and Technology, the Science Express Climate Action Special has already begun its journey and will end it on September 8, 2017.

With 16 coaches, it will cover a total of 19,000 km across India.

Photo source: Twitter

Scroll quoted Minister of State for Environment Anil Dave as saying, “Unless we involve the common people in creating awareness about climate change, it will remain confined to seminars." Anyone who will be attending the exhibition will be able to gauge how they can make conscious lifestyle efforts across the board in order to reduce their own carbon footprint. There is also a section for kids where they will be taught how they too can go "green" in school and at home. There are also coaches dedicated to various activities that people can do while learning about climate change.

A science exhibition on the move, this isn't the first journey by the Science Express. It was originally flagged off in 2007 and has embarked on similar journeys eight times since. The train, which has been custom-built by the Indian railways specifically for the department of science and technology, will now make stops at 68 stations across 20 states in India. So, make sure you board the train on climate change before it's too late!

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In 2012, NASA space probe Voyager 1, travelling at more than 40,000 miles per hour, became the first man-made object to enter interstellar space, leaving the solar system behind and ushering mankind into the interstellar age. Launched on September 5, 1977, as a probe to Saturn and Jupiter, the nuclear-powered spacecraft took advantage of a once-in-176-years planetary alignment to extend its mission and travel beyond the four outer planets of the solar system.

Four decades later, humanity’s most distant space outpost has travelled more than 13 billion miles, sending back unprecedented images and data from its pioneering journey.

Photo Source

Voyager 1 is special for one other reason. On board the spacecraft is a 12-inch gold-plated copper disc with music that aims to encapsulate 5,000 years of human culture. Compiled by American astronomer Carl Sagan, the songs of Sounds Of Earth (as the album is named) echo through outer space, billions of miles from Earth. While most Indians have heard about this, few know that the album also includes a Hindustani classical music composition – ‘Jaat Kahan Ho.’ A hauntingly beautiful song by Kesarbai Kerkar, the legendary singer of Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, it is the only song from India that has been immortalised alongside the music of Beethoven, Bach and Mozart on the record.

Born in 1893 in the hilly village of Keri in Goa, Kesarbai was one of the most celebrated artists of her time. Revered by the public and royalty alike, she was awarded the title of 'Surshri' (Queen of Music) in 1938 by Rabindranath Tagore on behalf of Sangeet Pravin Sangitanuragi Sajjan Saman Samiti of Calcutta (now Kolkata).

Kesarbai Kerkar

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During her childhood years, Kesarbai trained under the tutelage of music maestros like Abdul Karim Khan of Kirana gharana, Ramakrishnabuva Vaze of Gwalior gharana, Barkatulla Khan of Senia gharana and Bhaskarbua Bakhle of Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. However, this training periods were short-lived and she thirsted for more. Kesarbai’s hunt for a teacher who would teach her the deepest depths of Hindustani classical music ended when she was accepted as a disciple by the legendary Alladiya Khan in 1920. Also known as "Gauri-Shankar" (Mount Everest of the Indian Classical Music) and “Gaan Samrat,” Khan founded the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana and is famous for the many rare ragas he created. Interestingly, as Kesarbai had been initially unable to master his style of gayaki during a trial period of three months, Khan had initially refused to take her on as disciple. It was only when Kesarbai got the ruler of Kolhapur, Shahu Maharaj, to intervene on her behalf that he agreed!

Kesarbai Kerkar receiving Sangeet Natak Akademi Award from Indian President Rajendra Prasad in March 1953

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She trained under him for the next 25 years, during which she performed across the country. Her immense success as a khyal singer, along with that of Hirabai Barodekar, Gangubai Hangal and Mogubai Kurdikar (mother of Kishori Amonkar) paved the way for the next generation of female vocalists. In 1953, Kesarbai was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. In 1969, the government of India honoured her with Padma Bhushan while Maharashta government conferred upon her the title of Rajya Gayika. Over the years, Kesarbai’s magical voice won her countless fans across the world. One of these fans was ethnomusicologist Robert E. Brown, who believed her rendition of raga Bhairavi to be the finest recorded example of Indian classical music. He was the one who recommended it for inclusion on the Voyager record.

In 1977, the year Kesarbai passed away, the Voyager spacecraft carried her recorded voice to celestial heights. The poignant piece in raga Bhairavi asks the eternal question, Jaat kahan ho akeli gori (Where are you going alone, girl). Listen to it below.

[embedvideo id="97763225" website="vimeo"]

A producer of the Voyager record, Timothy Ferris, once wrote about the Indian contribution to the mission in Murmurs of Earth, a 1978 book about the record. He says: "One of my favourite musical transitions on the Voyager record comes when 'Flowing Stream' ends and we are transported, quick as a curtsy, across the Himalayas to the north of India and from the sound of one musical genius, Kuan Ping-hu to another, Surshri Kesar Bai Kerkar. This raga is formally designated for morning performance, but its popularity has led to its use as a closing number, a kind of encore, for concerts day and night."

It has been over five decades since Kesarbai last sang in a concert (she stopped performing in 1965), yet her music lives on, wandering through the unexplored terrains of outer space till perhaps the end of time. Recently, Voyager 1 has been in the news once again: As the world's fastest spacecraft, it will take 1, 17,000 years to travel to TRAPPIST-1 System.

Named after NASA's Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope (TRAPPIST), which made the initial discovery, this is a system of seven earth-sized exoplanets revolving around an ultra-cool star.

[caption id="attachment_88664" align="aligncenter" width="650"]

A NASA supplied artists' representation of the TRAPPIST-1 solar system[/caption] On Wednesday, NASA held a special press conference announcing the discovery of this star system, which is located 39 light years away in the Aquarius constellation of the Milky Way Galaxy. What has space scientist excited is the fact that three of the seven planets fall within the star's "habitable zone," a range of distances from the star that would create the right temperatures for liquid water and conditions right for extraterrestrial life. With this discovery, outer space is shaping up to be a more tantalizing target than ever - and this makes the Voyager 1 probe, which is still sending back data and making discoveries from the edge of interstellar space, probably mankind's best chance of reaching it.

Also Read: To Space and Back: Things You Might Not Know About India’s Legendary Cosmonaut, Rakesh Sharma

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If you thought the successful launch of a record 104 satellites by ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in a single mission would be the single scientific highlight for India in 2017, prepare yourself for yet another chapter for the history books. Soon, the country will be unveiling its most powerful supercomputer.

In fact, once it is functional, it will be one of ten fastest supercomputers in the whole world!

Image for representation. Photo source

According to a report in The Hindu, the supercomputer will be a million times faster than even the fastest of consumer laptops. The project has been sanctioned by the government to the tune of ₹400 crore and it will most likely come to fruition in a matter of just months.

Speaking to the publication, Madhavan Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, said, “The tender [to select the company that will build the machine] is ready and we hope to have it [the computer] by June." The system will be mostly used for weather updates, specifically when it comes to forecasting the monsoons. The supercomputer, which has not been given a moniker yet, will be able to forecast the likely outcomes months in advance with accuracy. What makes this supercomputer so special is that while India has been home to some terribly fast computers, none have been able to go past cracking the top 200 or 100 in the list of supercomputers across the world. For instance, the fastest supercomputer in India called Aaditya (iDataPlex DX360M4) is currently at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and is ranked at 139. There is also one in the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi called HP Apollo 6000 Xl230/250 ranked at 217. While details are still being finalised, it has been decided that this particular system will be hosted by both National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting at Noida in Uttar Pradesh and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, which is in Pune.

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“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” ― Carl Sagan

A complex, fascinating, and ever-evolving subject, astronomy encompasses mathematics and physical science, culture and history, myth and imagination, and more. It has been studied by humans for millennia, yet continues to be rich with exploration opportunities and unanswered questions. As exploration reaches farther into space, as technology for telescopes and space travel develops, and as the search for life beyond our own planet accelerates, astronomy can be a lifelong passion and hobby, a fascinating career possibility and it is always a continuing education.

This is why a couple has been working tirelessly for over two years to make the knowledge of celestial objects accessible to all kids in India. Founders of Enscitec Production, science enthusiasts Rakesh and Sonam Rao are the brains behind Astroproject, an initiative to develop a documentary series on Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space-related research in India.

Rakesh (left) and Sonam Rao

Rakesh and Sonam came up with the idea of Astroproject when they were still in college.

“We were able to get detailed facts about what was happening in NASA and ESA but when it came to space research by ISRO and IIA, we were rarely able to get any information from their websites. It was to address this issue that we decided to develop a series of documentary films that would highlight Indian research in astronomy and would be easily accessible to youngsters,” says Rakesh.

Born and raised in Goa, Rakesh is a filmmaker who believes in promoting science through innovative, educative and well-researched motion pictures and photographs. A postgraduate in physics, he has been a part of several documentary-making projects for premier science organisations like the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Department of Science and Technology, Goa Pollution Control Board, the Centre for Environment Education, and the Forest Department. Recently, he spent 16 months (over a span of 3 years) in the icy continent of Antarctica to document the construction of India’s third research station, Bharati. Apart from pursuing photography and filmmaking, he has also been actively working with Association of Friends of Astronomy (a Goa-based NGO that works to encourage amateur astronomy) for the last 15 year.

Rakesh and Sonam (left) with a team member.

Rakesh’s efforts are well supported by those of his wife, Sonam Arora Rao. After completing her Masters in Applied Physics from Punjab University, she worked as a research trainee at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics(IIA) in Bengaluru for two years. She is currently pursuing her M. Tech in Space and Atmospheric Science through a programme funded by the United Nations and organised by Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific (CSSTEAP) along with Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad.

“We had always been fascinated by astronomy and would often visit the websites of Indian scientific institutions working in this field for more information about ongoing research. That’s when we realised that these websites were not very user-friendly and provided very less first-hand information about what was happening in astronomy in India,” adds Rakesh.

In 2014, Rakesh and Sonam sent their proposal to Office of Astronomical Development (OAD) under the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the international governing body for all astronomical research institutes in the world. Out of the 230 proposals OAD received from across the world, they shortlisted only 7 proposals for public outreach and the Raos’ proposal was one of them.

The Astroproject team.

Delighted that their proposal had been accepted, Rakesh and Sonam immediately got to work.

“The first observatory we visited was the one in Kodaikanal. There are only two places in the world that have 100 years of solar data. One is in USA and the other is in Kodaikanal in India. Located on the southern tip of the Palni Hills in Tamil Nadu state, this observatory has an immense historical importance and yet Indians have hardly heard about it. So, we started our journey from here.”

Travelling across the length and breadth of the country, the dedicated couple visited all astronomical research institutes and observatories in India. Asked about any memorable experiences from this sojourn, Rakesh recounts two special moments.

“We were visiting the Vainu Bappu Observatory in Kavalur, which has the largest optical telescope in Asia. Nestled amidst the verdant wilderness of Javadi hills, this observatory’s telescope is so powerful that it can easily resolve a 25 paise coin kept forty kilometres away. While doing time lapse photography of the night sky from the forest surrounding the observatory, we felt something slithering around our legs. We looked down to see a bunch of scorpions and a really long snake moving in the grass around our feet!
Vainu Bappu Observatory
"Another great experience was when we camped at Ladakh with scientists from ISRO, NASA, ESA, Italy and Australia as a part of NASA’s Spaceward Bound India project. These were people studying everything from the origin of life on Earth to Martian topography. Visiting remote schools in the region and watching such notable scientist interacting with students was really special. Also, the night sky from the observatory at Ladakh, one of the world’s highest, is absolutely stunning and seeing it is an experience I will treasure for life,” he says.

With kids in Ladakh.

Rakesh and Sonam also interacted with students from schools and colleges across Indian to understand what they thought about astronomy and what were the questions they wanted answered. This is when they realised that providing information about research in astronomy without explaining the basics of space science would defeat the very purpose of their initiative.

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So, in addition to their films about astronomical research happening in India, they decided to make four movies that would explain fundamental concepts of space science. The first one in their documentary series, ‘From Dust to Stars’ is being launched today at the Goa Science Centre. Other than being uploaded on Youtube and Vimeo for public viewing, it will be converted into several regional languages to increase its outreach in rural areas.

“We don’t want language to be a barrier that stops any Indian child from knowing about this fascinating subject. We will also be putting this entire not-for-profit series in public domain so that anyone who is interested can access it, learn from it, and share it with others,” explains Rakesh.

[caption id="attachment_89352" align="aligncenter" width="859"] Indian Astronomical Observatory in Ladakh[/caption]

Apart from documentaries, Rakesh and Sonam now plan to create a stand-alone website that provides all information about astronomical research in India in one place. They are planning to tie-up with educational institutions and research organisations for this project. They also hope and want science enthusiasts in India to come forward and contribute through ideas and information to make this project a success.

“When it comes to science, if you talk about quantum mechanics, people tend to get bored soon. But if you talk about stars, planets and black holes, the same people want to know more about the subject. So, by encouraging interest in astronomy, we ultimately hope to make people curious about science as a whole."

"Also, with such exciting things happening in the world of astronomy, from Chandrayaan’s launch next year to Team Indus’s lunar mission, we want our films to take the knowledge of this fascinating world to people in the remotest of Indian villages. That is our ultimate goal,” Rakesh concludes.

Here’s the interesting trailer of Rakesh and Sonam Rao’s documentary series, Astroproject.

[embedvideo id="-SUeqUqDpcA" website="youtube"] To contact Rakesh Rao, click here.

Also Read: The Interstellar Journey of an Indian Raga That Has Been Playing for 39 Years Aboard the Voyager 1

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If you thought the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was having a banner year in 2017, then 2018 promises to be an even better one. The agency has just announced that Chandrayaan-2 India's second lunar exploration mission will be literally heading to the Moon in the first quarter of 2018. It will be following in the space steps of Chandrayaan-1, which was launched in 2008. But it is far more advanced and comprehensive than the first mission.

Here's everything we know about India's second tryst on the Moon.

Image for representation. Photo source: Facebook

1) According to ISRO chairperson AS Kiran Kumar, the agency is currently in the process of developing an engine that will enable the controlled landing of the mission for next year. 2) Chandrayaan 2 will be taken to the moon by a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle called GSLV-Mk II. 3) The agency is developing nearly every single facet of the mission objectives. This includes the Lunar Lander, the Lunar Rover (that will navigate on the satellite's surface) and a lunar orbiter.

4) The Lunar Rover is about 20kg in weight and will function solely on solar power. Outfitted with six wheels, it will navigate across the Moon collecting various rock and soil samples that will be analysed. The data would then be transmitted back to Earth. 5) The mission will conduct a series of experiments that will help scientists across the world understand the Moon a little bit better. If it goes according to plan, then it will provide additional proof of the existence of water ice. It will also help map specific parts of the lunar surface and study the atmosphere. The Indian space agency is currently riding high having made history by successfully launching 104 satellites in one go and is also working towards a mission to study the atmosphere of Venus. Meanwhile, there are still dreams on the Moon.

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"From our home on Earth, we look out into the distances and strive to imagine the sort of world into which we were born.” - Edwin Hubble

In the recent decades, mankind’s understanding of outer space has grown by leaps and bounds as the technology used to explore the celestial world has consistently and dramatically improved. Modern observatories across the world have combined the classical knowledge of astronomy with cutting-edge technology to unlock the secrets of a universe both weird and wonderful. India too has devoted significant time and effort to building observatories that are helping create an entire new generation of astronomers through experiences that will define human interaction with space for decades to come. Not only this, these facilities also give the public an opportunity to experience the breathtaking brilliance of a starry night sky.

Here are 7 of India’s most spectacular observatories. So if you are travelling and find yourself near one of these unbeatable stargazing spots, don’t miss the opportunity to pay them a visit!

1. Indian Astronomical Observatory, Hanle

Perched at almost 15,000 feet, the Indian Astronomical Observatory at Hanle (in Ladakh) has always made Indian scientists proud. Remotely operated by the astronomers from Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) in Bangalore, it is the second-highest observatory in the world and has the 2m class Chandra telescope. Clear, cloudless skies throughout the year and very little artificial light makes this an ideal location for astronomical observation. No wonder the outputs of this observatory have been used by Indian scientists to publish over 120 papers that have helped astronomers all over the world.

2. Vainu Bappu Observatory, Kavalur

Another astronomical observatory owned and operated by Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Vainu Bappu Observatory is home to the Vainu Bappu Telescope, which was the largest telescope in Asia until a 3.6 meter telescope was set up at Nainital’s ARIES observatory in 2016. Named in honour of M.K. Vainu Bappu, (famous astronomer and former director of the Kodaikanal Observatory), this thimble-shaped observatory is located at Kavalur, a small village nestled within the verdant sandalwood forests of Javadi Hills in Tamil Nadu.

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3. Kodaikanal Solar Observatory

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The Kodai Solar Observatory, run by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Tamil Nadu, is located on the southern tip of the Palni Hills in Tamil Nadu. It’s among the only two observatories in the world (the other one is in USA) that has over 100 years of data on the sun and its influence on Earth and surrounding space. Interestingly, the job of preserving daily records at the observatory has been performed by the same family for generations. Every day, 55-year-old Devendra P walks uphill to the observatory to position the telescope and take photographs, just like his father and his grandfather used to in their time.

4. Ooty Radio Telescope, Ooty

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Designed and made completely in India, Ooty Radio telescope continues to be one of the most sensitive radio telescopes in the world. A 1,740-foot-long and 98-foot-wide cylindrical paraboloid telescope, it is a part of the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), under the ambit of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). The observatory is perched on a natural slope of 11 degrees, which allows the telescope to track celestial sources for nearly ten hours in the east-west direction. As a result, the discoveries made here have been particularly useful in explaining various celestial phenomena.

5. Udaipur Solar Observatory

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Situated on a tiny island at the centre of Fatehsagar Lake, Udaipur Solar Observatory was designed as per the model of solar observatory at the Big Bear Lake in Southern California. One of the six GONG (Global Oscillations Network Group) sites in the world, this observatory is second in the world (after China) to have the unique multi-application solar telescope (MAST) for the detailed study of solar activities such as solar flares and eruptions. Interestingly, the observatory's location is strategic, as well as scenic - the large water body surrounding the telescope decreases the amount of heating of the surface layers, reducing the turbulence in the air mass and thereby improving the image quality.

6. ARIES Observatory, Nainital

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In 2016, in a major technological advancement for astronomy in India, Asia's largest and first-of-its-kind optical telescope was unveiled at Devasthal near Nainital. Called the Aryabhatta Research Institute for Observational Sciences (Aries) telescope, it is a joint effort by Indian, Belgian and Russian scientists. The optical telescope's primary mirror is 3.6 m in diameter, helping in further research of star structures, high energy radiations, exoplanets and properties of star clusters. A project that has been long in the making, the results of this outstanding telescope is eagerly awaited by Indian scientists.

7. Mount Abu InfraRed Observatory (MIRO)

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Perched on the 5,000-foot-high craggy peak of Mt Gurushikhar (the highest peak in the Aravalli range), Mount Abu InfraRed Observatory is the first major facility in India to be specifically designed for ground-based infrared observations of celestial objects. Despite the rather modest astronomical facilities at this observatory, the data obtained from the observations made from the MIRO have resulted in more than 200 peer reviewed research publications. MIRO is in the process of acquiring a larger, 2.5m telescope that will give a boost to the observatory’s research programmes in atmospheric and space science.

Also Read: #TravelTales: We’ve Found the Best Places to Stargaze in India. And They’ll Leave You Spellbound!

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If you thought that the Indian Space Research Organisation was going to spend its 2017 resting on its considerable achievements of its space programme, you would be wrong.

The agency is also on a quest to ensure the safety of Indian fishermen.

Image for representation. Photo source Every once in a while Indian fishermen tend to accidentally cross borders and enter international territory while out in the sea. This has been especially a problem for fishermen who accidentally cross into Sri Lankan territory. In fact, the prime minister of the country, Ranil Wickremesinghe, in 2015 went as far as to warn that Indian fishermen may be shot if they breached the borders. In order to save fishermen, ISRO is developing a navigational app that will provide all the information that fishermen would need to make sure they stay well within Indian borders. The app will use information from the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) whose operational name is NAVIC. Speaking to the Times of India, Rakesh Sasibhushan, chairman and managing director of Antrix Corporation Ltd (which is a commercial leg of ISRO), noted: "Now, NAVIC based mobile devices which give information to fishermen, are being planned to be developed in regional languages to help fishermen navigate to the PFZ. It also gives information on international boundaries to help them prevent getting caught for crossing international boundaries, which is a big issue today."

ISRO notes that the app is still in the developmental stage and will be released in the coming months. Earlier this year, ISRO made history by successfully launching 104 satellites in one day. The organisation is also working towards ensuring that the launch of Chandrayaan-2 happens in the first quarter of 2018.

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