Publications
Evaluation of the anticancer potential of secondary metabolites from Pseudevernia furfuracea based on epidermal growth factor receptor inhibition
Research Paper
| March 7, 2022
UHPLC/ESI/MS/MS profiling followed by bioactivity guided isolation of Pseudevernia furfuracea (P. furfuracea) extract yielded two polyphenolic molecules, Methyl haematommate (PF-1) and Atraric acid (PF-2). These molecules were evaluated for bioactivity against five cancerous cell lines. The results revealed that atraric acid showed significant activity against ovarian cancer cell line (PA-1) having GI50 at 16.42 mg/mL and moderate activity against the breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), having GI50 at 64.35 mg/mL.
Biosurfactant: A Next-Generation Tool for Sustainable Remediation of Organic Pollutants
Research Paper
| February 28, 2022
Petroleum hydrocarbons are energy resources that majorly contribute pollutants to the environment. These pollutants may cause serious health issues, and hence, for the regulation of these contaminants, the development of sustainable alternative technologies has been considered, without causing further harm to the environment. One such alternative is biosurfactants (having low toxicity and being biodegradable) produced by numerous microbial species that have a tendency to remediate organic pollutants.
India's Mining Sector: Towards a Sustainable and Equitable Future
Article
| February 21, 2022
Mining is an important activity for India. With 3527 mining leases for 40 major minerals, extending a total lease area of roughly 315,986 hectares, India is a major producer of crucial minerals. The mineral resource sector has the potential to impact environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and economic development.
Moving towards Aggregation: Freight Forwarder Scheme of Railways
Policy brief
| February 15, 2022
One of the key strategies in the Union Budget 2022 for increasing rail freight market share, aims at facilitating the integration of smaller goods through seamless solutions and multimodal logistics facilities at cargo terminals. Despite an increase in railways' market share to 45% by 2030, a key transport decarbonization strategy for India, it continues to exhibit a gradual decline due to a variety of reasons.
Developing Rail Freight Terminals: Energizing Private Partnerships
Policy brief
| February 15, 2022
Railways has often been termed as the "backbone of the economy", facilitating passenger and freight transportation to the length and breadth of the country. In recent years, railways has experienced a constant decline in the freight business, resulting in a growing concern for railway finances and National Decarbonisation Targets.
Library transformation: Entering the new normal
Research Paper
| January 24, 2022
The main objective of this study is to examine the importance of digital libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic in dissemination of information services, to know the users’ perspectives towards its success and also examines the challenges faced by the libraries during this pandemic and also about how the librarians cope up with the challenges and function in the new normal situation.
स्थिरता और लाभप्रदता के लिए भारतीय कृषि को कुशल बनाना
Article
| January 10, 2022
भारत को खाद्य और पोषण सुरक्षा सुनिश्चित करने के साथ साथ अपने विविध कृषि क्षेत्रों में प्राकृतिक संसाधनों के कुशल उपयोग और भूमि उपयोग प्रणालियों की स्थिरता सुनिश्चित करना भी ज़रूरी है। इसे प्राप्त करने का अर्थ होगा नवाचार, विविधीकरण, व्यावसायीकरण, स्थिरता और मूल्य श्रृंखला में वृद्धि की दक्षता को आगे बढ़ाने के लिए क्षमताओं और कौशल का निर्माण करना।
Critically Endangered Forest Owlet: Under Threat from Habitat Loss
Article
| January 5, 2022
Forest owlets are an endemic species to India. They are found only in small pockets of forest patches in India, and nowhere else in the world. The species were thought to be extinct, until a group of scientists rediscovered the species, and then started working on them. The forest owlets are threatened by severe habitat loss and development projects, apart from changes in climate. Sharada Balasubramanian writes about the birds, their rediscovery and how their habitat is threatened by ancient climate change and landscape modification.
कृषि क्षेत्र में ट्रांजीशन - भारत में वर्षा आधारित खेती की संभावना
Article
| December 23, 2021
फसल उत्पादकता बढ़ाने के अलावा, वर्षा सिंचित क्षेत्र के विकास की रणनीति को कृषि परिवर्तन और आर्थिक विकास के लिए आधुनिक उपकरणों का उपयोग करके गरीबों को अपनी क्षमताओं, आत्मविश्वास और आत्मनिर्भरता का निर्माण करने के लिए सशक्त बनाने के साथ और अधिक करना होगा। उपयुक्त प्रौद्योगिकी इन क्षेत्रों में सतत खाद्य सुरक्षा और गरीबी उन्मूलन की कुंजी है
Managing Heat Stress during the COVID-19 Lockdown in 2020
Article
| December 22, 2021
Due to the increase in anthropogenic activities, global temperatures have shown a warming trend of approximately 1°C (likely between 0.8°C and 1.2°C) above pre-industrial levels. Annual surface air temperatures over India also have shown increasing trends of similar magnitude during the period 1901–2014. The Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released in 2021 has predicted heat waves and heat stress to be more intense and frequent during the 21st century in South Asian region including India.