Category: Learn

Categories
Learn

Coming soon: Pre-approved energy efficient buildings

TERI and UTC’s Center of Excellence for Energy Efficient Buildings in India will work on reporting frameworks and evaluate existing buildings.
by TERI News Features

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and United Technologies Corporation (UTC) recently launched the Center of Excellence for Energy Efficient Buildings in India. The Center has been establishled at a time when the Government of India has introduced the Smart City Programme to address the challenge of rapid urbanisation and the efficient use of energy resources.

The Center of Excellence will work towards the development of an energy-use reporting framework for existing buildings, evaluation of the existing building energy rating systems, derivation of tool and techniques for energy management, real time reporting of consumption, and identification and cost benefit analysis of conservation measures.

Dr RK Pachauri, Director General, TERI, said: “I am extremely happy that we are launching this initiative. We hope that this will be a model not only for this country but for other countries as well. With UTC, we can work together in bringing about a smarter world and a more sustainable world, particularly as it relates to buildings and habitat design.”

Zubin Irani, President, Building and Industrial Systems India, UTC, said: “Given the energy challenges faced by the nation, energy efficiency in the buildings sector is an important priority. World over, there has been a rapid pace of innovation when it comes to technologies and systems that go into making a building more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. It is important to note that not only do many of these technologies reduce the energy footprint of a building or infrastructure project but they also pay back for themselves in a matter of few years.”

“The Center of Excellence shall have a core research agenda on enabling energy efficiency in existing buildings in India. The collaboration between TERI and UTC in this endeavour shall help unlock the potential of energy saving in this sector,“ said Mili Majumdar, Director, Sustainable Habitat, TERI.

Globally, buildings account for 40 per cent of the total energy consumption. By using energy efficient technologies, energy consumption could be reduced by up to 60 per cent. In India, the building sector accounts for approximately 35 per cent of the total energy consumption and is growing at a rate of eight percent annually.

“One of the primary objectives of the UTC-TERI Centre of Excellence is to evaluate energy efficiency and ascertain energy requirements in existing buildings. The findings of the study have the potential of facilitating the new Government’s ambitious plan of building 100 smart cities as it will involve upgrading existing cities, expanding and building around them,“ Irani added.

The Center will first conduct a Pan-India study of 100 buildings and is scheduled to cover a wide range of climatic zones, covering cities such as Allahabad, Ajmer, Vishakhapatnam, Varanasi, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata,Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat, Jaipur etc. These have been selected as per the Smart Cities Programme recently initiated by the Centre.

The study will include an energy survey, derivation of tools and techniques for identification and cost benefit analysis of Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs), calibration and validation of simulation tools, development of Measurement and Verification (M&V) protocol for implementation of ECMs, development of financial mechanism, development of remote monitoring protocol and review and revision of existing building energy standards/codes/rating systems. The initiative is expected to deliver the proposed results within the next five years.

Talking about the future plans of the Centre of Excellence, Irani said: “The ultimate aim of the Centre of Excellence is to enhance the energy efficiency quotient in all buildings across the country. Staying true to this goal, the initial plan of the Centre of Excellence is to identify existing buildings and assess energy use and consumption patterns which would eventually help in base lining the energy performance of buildings with a solid roadmap to make them more energy-efficient.“

(Picture courtesy sustentabilidade.allianz.com.b. Image shows the CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre in Hyderabad.)

Categories
Learn

Tata Group to sponsor education of 1 crore children

The State Government of Maharashtra has also pledged its partnership and support for the project aimed at teaching job skills.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

As far as new initiatives go, this one’s a sure hit.

Today, December 3, 2014, Cyrus Mistry, Chairman of Tata Group met with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and discussed the company’s proposal to sponsor the education of 1 crore children in the State. The Tata Group is soon launching its ambitious education plan aimed at providing scholarships and job-oriented learning to Maharashtra’s children.

The duo met to discuss the scope of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives by companies, and Mistry is said to have appraised the CM about his company’s plans, as also asking the Government to provide support for the same. On his part, the CM is learnt to have shown an interest in the State Government partnering with the Tata Group for the project.

This project is envisioned to include children studying in the primary grades as well. “The idea is to provide skills training, so that children are better equipped to face the job market,” Mistry said during the meeting.

As per a July 2014 report in The Times of India, the Tata Group spent Rs 1,000 crore on CSR initiatives in 2013-14. This was the highest CSR spend by any Indian company. A larger amount of the CSR spend went into skill development, health and education. The Group seems to be extending its plans for the education sector this year as well.

Categories
Learn

Doctors will become teachers for World Diabetes Day

The Indian Diabetic Foundation (IDF) launches nationwide campaign to curb the spread of early onset of diabetes among school children.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

In probably the largest initiative of its kind, aimed at creating awareness on childhood obesity and diabetes, The Indian Diabetic Federation (IDF) in collaboration with Fortis Raheja Hospital has initiated a nationwide campaign to curb the spread of early development of diabetes among school children.In its initial phase, the campaign would cover city-based schools with diabetologists and nutritionists delivering guest lecture’s in schools on health benefits associated with the intake of healthy breakfast.

Diabetes in Indian childrenThe launch of this nationwide campaign will happen today, November 14, which is World Diabetes Day and is also observed as Children’s Day in India.

“The focus is on motivating children to consume a healthy breakfast. When awareness is inculcated in children, it easily reaches their parents. When children start advising adults on the harmful effects of fast food accumulation, it can easily bring about a solution. Our effort is to create awareness among the students and teachers about the value of nutrition and healthy food, the difference between junk and poisonous food and inculcating the values of consuming homemade food,” said Dr Anil Bhoraskar, Diabetologist, Fortis Raheja Hospital and the Chair Elect of South East Asia – Indian Diabetic Federation.

Dr Bhoraskar added, “Through the series of lectures, we strongly recommend that people should avoid sugar and fats in their daily intake, as it contains high Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids. If people do not take proper breakfast in the morning, they tend to munch more of fatty foods, which are high on salts and detrimental to the body. The disease normally seen in adults because of obesity is now being seen with an increasing frequency in children, particularly Type 2 Diabetes. Today, more number of children below 12 years are susceptible to type 2 Diabetes and the complications worsen post the age of 20 years.”

The IDF hopes that the programme will sensitise children and parents about the serious problem of childhood obesity caused due to the intake of unhealthy breakfast. In an effort to educate parents about feeding their children with healthy breakfast, IDF has decided to distribute booklets on nutrition and its positive effects on their child’s health.

(Pictures courtesy www.niticentral.com, www.thehealthsite.com. Images are used for representational purpose only)

Categories
Learn

J&K school students meet Maharashtra Governor

The students were very excited about their maiden Mumbai visit; most had seen the sea for the very first time.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The State of Maharashtra hosts children from Jammu & Kashmir every year. However, the joy of the experience doesn’t seem to dim for everyone involved – for the children themselves, or the Government officials who meet them on their visit.

A group of 22 children belonging to the border area of Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir met the Governor of Maharashtra C Vidyasagar Rao at Raj Bhavan, Mumbai on Saturday, October 4, 2014. The children came from various villages located in areas closer to the Line of Control and are currently studying in Government schools. They shared their joy and excitement of visiting the city of Mumbai with the Governor. Many of the children said that they had seen a train and the sea for the first time in their life. The Governor enquired about the children and advised them to educate and to serve the nation.

The visit of the children to Mumbai and Pune was organised by the Maratha Light Infantry of Indian Army, under Operation Sadbhavana. The children were accompanied by three teachers and representatives of the 6 Maratha Light Infantry.

Categories
Learn

Who wants to learn Marathi?

Learning Marathi is now fun and simple with the introduction of ‘My Marathi 1’, an interactive textbook that teaches communicative Marathi.
by Shubha Khandekar

Marathi, a language slated to become the sixth classical language of India shortly, after Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam acquired this status, has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India. It is now possible to learn this language through a tried and tested communicative approach used highly successfully to teach German. My Marathi 1, a textbook for communicative Marathi brought out by reputed publisher Granthali, in collaboration with the Department of German, University of Mumbai, addresses the long-felt need of teaching Indian languages through the use of innovative, integrated, modern multi-media tools and methods.

The book was released at a recent function presided over by Dr Rajan Welukar, Vice Chancellor, University of Mumbai and the guest of honour was Michael Siebert, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany. This event was also the celebration of the centenary of the Department of German as the University of Mumbai is the oldest Centre for German Studies in India.

MYMarathiRather than teaching by rote, as has been traditionally done, the book, which comes together with a workbook and a DVD, uses contemporary scenarios to facilitate learning through familiar concepts and imagery.

My Marathi 1 also makes beautiful use of the word ‘My’ which in some Marathi dialects means Mother, and is symbolic of the mother tongue, and strikes a deep chord in the learner right from the first lesson.

A collaborative effort between the Marathi Department of the University of Mumbai, the Marathi Abhyas Kendra of Mumbai and the Marathi Abhyas Parishad of Pune, the work has renowned actor Aamir Khan as its chief patron and financer.

Focused on proficiency in understanding, speaking, reading and writing skills, the book is targeted at a wide range of learners with different difficulty levels, such as teen and adult learners, Indian and foreign individuals and those with or without the knowledge of the Devnagari script. Pattern drills, audio and visual exercises, learning games, songs and poems, cartoons and conversations for oral practice form the backbone of the learning experience. Grammar and vocabulary are introduced in a user-friendly manner and the use of International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) lends a global perspective of accuracy in pronunciation. Regular tests, answer keys and a comprehensive chapter-wise glossary reinforce learning through all the stages. The work is suitable for both classroom and self-learning.

Editor Vibha Surana, whose brainchild the textbook is, hopes to replicate the experiment for the teaching of Hindi too.

With this, the teaching of Indian languages in multilingual India is set to be revolutionised. This project facilitates learning of Marathi globally, bringing Marathi Language Teaching on par with European languages like German, Spanish, French etc., a consistent team of highly specialised experts from various knowledge domains like Marathi grammar, Marathi creative writers, Marathi linguists, German experts trained in the integrated communicative methods and techniques, graphic designers, photographers for topic specific original photo shoots, digital experts, multimedia experts for audio-visual DVDs etc. shall be required who commit their next five years entirely to this content generation work.

In view of the incursion of English over all regional languages, this is a welcome endeavour for giving a much needed boost to a language rich in literary tradition.

To know more, contact project coordinators Dr Vibha Surana and Dr Deepak Pawar, coordinators of the Innovative Marathi Language Teaching Project at the Department of German, University of Mumbai. Write to them at head@german.mu.ac.in, santhadeep@gmail.com, or call 9820595850 / 9820437665.

Categories
Learn

It really is getting hotter in here

It’s often said that human activity has caused gradual warming of the atmosphere during the last century. Here’s some proof.
by TERI Features

The Sun influences the Earth’s climate, and during the last century there has been a gradual warming of the atmosphere related to human activity. The present solar models predict that the early Sun was about 30 per cent fainter than it is now. In about three billion years, the outer atmosphere of the Sun will begin to swell so much that our own atmosphere will heat up. Eventually the Sun’s outer layers will envelop Mercury, Venus and probably our planet as well, says Dr Siraj Hasan, Distinguished Professor and Former Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.

In a recent lecture titled, ‘Journey to the Sun: A Gateway to the Stars and the Universe’, the focus was on the importance of the Sun, our main star in the solar system and the source of energy that provides sustenance to the Earth and humanity. Dr Hasan said the Sun is a cosmic powerhouse that has a profound impact on our planet and its future. Its stormy atmosphere displays rich phenomena ranging from sunspots to powerful explosions that strongly influence the Earth and the space environment. The Sun’s activity is fundamentally due to solar magnetism and its emission changes with the sunspot cycle as well as on longer time scales of centuries to millions of years.

He added, “Major studies by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have carefully examined over 100 years of measurements and concluded that the average global temperature has risen about 0.8 degree Celsius.  The years 1983– 2012 have likely been the warmest 30 years in the last 1400. The gradual temperature increase is related to the emission of greenhouse gases such as CO2 and most likely human activity.”

Talking about the National Large Solar Telescope (aperture 2 m) that will be installed in Ladakh, he says, “It will be one of the world’s most powerful solar telescopes to address a multitude of crucial, well-posed problems in astrophysics and critical issues in the Sun’s important influences on the Earth (“space weather”), and understanding the release of solar energy into the solar system on a gigantic scale. It is ready to go into construction and become operational within five years.”

(Picture courtesy www.juancole.com)

Exit mobile version