Latest news with #CochinUniversityofScienceandTechnology
Time of India
4 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Reading Week events in Kochi begin today
Kochi: As Kerala is set to celebrate Vayanadhinam (National Reading Day) on Thursday to commemorate the legacy of K N Panicker, who is known as the father of library movement in India, educational institutions in the city have decided to conduct a series of activities to mark the day and subsequent Reading Week activities. Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) will organize Reading Week from June 19 to 25. The function will be inaugurated by writer Vijayarajamallika at Cusat Senate Hall at 1.30pm on Thursday. At St Teresa's College, a seminar on the topic 'Pennezhuthum Vayanayum' will be inaugurated by writer Thanuja Bhattathiri on Thursday. Several schools in the city are also celebrating National Reading Day. Global Public School, Thiruvaniyoor, hosted a Reader's Day session led by author Vinitha Ramchandani on Wednesday. District-level inauguration of Vayanadhinam, organized jointly by district library council, department of information and public relations and PN Panicker Foundation, will be held at Ernakulam Govt Girls High School at 9.30am on Thursday. District collector NSK Umesh will preside over the event.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Subhash Park's trees save Kochi lakhs a year, finds Cusat study
Kochi: The 339 trees at Subhash Bose Park in the heart of Kochi, play a crucial role in improving air quality by removing nearly 124.8kg of air pollutants annually. Without these trees, residents would require air purifiers in at least 150 homes, according to a recent study. While air purifiers can remove allergens, dust, pollen, smoke, and other pollutants, they are expensive and require regular maintenance — unlike trees, which provide long-term environmental benefits for ages. The study, titled "A Comprehensive Study of Subhash Park and Projected Benefits for Queen's Way Urban Expansion," was conducted by the School of Environmental Studies at Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) in collaboration with the Nansen (India). It stresses the importance of enhancing green cover in the few remaining open spaces in Kochi. The study quantifies the many environmental benefits trees offer, including air purification, carbon sequestration, stormwater mitigation, energy savings, and health cost reduction. According to the findings, residents in and around the park can save nearly Rs 3.74 lakh annually in healthcare costs due to improved air quality and lower exposure to pollutants. The study also highlights how trees mitigate the urban heat island effect by cooling the surrounding area. This cooling reduces the energy needed for indoor air conditioning in nearby buildings, especially during summer months. The park's canopy helps nearby buildings save about 13,400 kWh of electricity annually by lowering indoor temperatures. In addition, the park's dense tree cover acts as a natural barrier during heavy rainfall, reducing runoff and helping prevent urban flooding. This benefit translates to savings of nearly Rs 1.80 lakh per year in drainage infrastructure costs for the local authorities. "Given the multifaceted benefits, including public health, carbon sequestration, flood risk mitigation and groundwater recharge as pointed out in the study, urban planners must prioritise the integration of green cover in high-risk zones like hospitals, clinics, and schools. Green corridors and trees in these zones can strengthen health resilience, especially in climate-vulnerable regions like Kochi, which is facing intense heat in summer and flooding in monsoon," said Sravan Shaji, the author of the study. Dr Giby Kuriakose, assistant professor of Botany department in SH college Thevara said trees play multiple roles for ecosystem. "Trees reduce pollutants and there are a lot of native species the leaves of which even traps dust in the air. In the case of Subash Park, authorities can utilise it to raise native species to create awareness on it." The study was conducted jointly by Sravan Shaji of Cusat and Dr Bindu G of Nansen Environmental Research Centre. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
The Hindu
14-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Neo-fascist regimes divert attention from crisis by targeting minorities: Prabhat Patnaik
Economist Prabhat Patnaik has said that neo-fascist regimes are systematically turning public anger against minorities and immigrants to deflect attention from deepening economic crises. He was speaking on the second day of the EMS Smrithi event held at the Sangeetha Nataka Akademi hall here on Saturday on the topic 'Neoliberalism and Neo-Fascism.' 'These governments deliberately create public resentment against religious minorities and migrant communities, scapegoating them for all national problems,' Prof. Patnaik said. 'It is a strategic diversion to hide their failure in addressing economic distress.' On violent groups He further observed that such regimes not only misuse state institutions for repression, but also rely on violent majoritarian groups to carry out attacks on minorities, creating an atmosphere of fear and division. Pointing to a broader global trend, Prof. Patnaik noted that many nations, including India, are drifting toward neo-fascist rule. A key feature of this shift, he argued, is the growing nexus between corporate capital and authoritarian power. Prof. Patnaik further elaborated on how global arms corporations are actively supported and promoted by neo-fascist powers, who attempt to forge arms trade alliances worldwide. 'Even when they fail to protect their own economy, they resort to imposing steep tariffs on other nations as a desperate measure to overcome economic turmoil,' he added, criticising the emerging tendency to disregard international trade agreements, particularly by the U.S. 'To counter this dangerous rise of neoliberal and neo-fascist forces, it is imperative to implement strong alternative economic policies,' he said. These alternatives, he pointed out, must challenge inequality, protect labour rights, and constitutionally guarantee essential needs such as food, shelter, clothing, and employment. Prof. Patnaik called for progressive reforms like wealth taxes on the ultra-rich and inheritance taxes on passed-down assets, stressing that only a radical rethinking of the economic order can curb the rising tide of authoritarianism. 'Political struggle' 'Ultimately, this is not just an economic struggle—it is a political one,' he concluded. 'And the working class must lead the charge.' Addressing a session on 'Global Warming and Climate Change' S. Abhilash, director, Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research, Cochin University of Science and Technology, said the extreme weather events the world is facing today are not just natural calamities, they are the direct outcome of capitalist patterns of consumption. Dr. Abhilash traced the roots of the climate crisis to the post-1860 Industrial Revolution, which triggered an unprecedented rise in fossil fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions. 'This shift has significantly accelerated climate change,' he noted. China currently leads the world in total greenhouse gas emissions, but when measured per capita, the U.S. tops the chart, he pointed out. In response to the mounting crisis, global climate summits are convened under the banner of Conference of Parties (COP). However, geopolitical setbacks like the U.S. withdrawal from the climate accord during Donald Trump's presidency have undermined the collective action, he remarked. 'Climate change is a global phenomenon but its impacts are felt at the local level,' said Dr. Abhilash, emphasising the need for grassroots-level interventions. The crisis, he warned, affects people's livelihoods, public health, and habitat systems, cutting across all aspects of life. Excessive consumption Highlighting the role of excessive consumption in worsening the crisis, he asserted that 'scientific solutions alone are not enough. What we urgently need are political solutions.' CPI general secretary Binoy Viswam, who addressed the valedictory, spoke about the 'Growth of Communal Politics in Kerala.'
The Hindu
14-06-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Cusat publishes results of BTech, LLB, PG programmes
The Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) has published the final semester results for various postgraduate (PG), BTech and LLB programmes. The results are available on the student portals: and https:// according to a release. The pass percentage for the BTech final examinations is 78.38. For the five-year LLB programme, the pass percentage is 76.4. The results for nine BTech programmes—Civil Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Safety and Fire Engineering, Information Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Polymer Science and Engineering, Instrumentation and Control Engineering and Naval Architecture and Ship Building—were released on June 12, 2025, the release said.
The Hindu
09-06-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Automatic weather stations to detect landslides in Meenachil river basin
Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), and Environmental Resources Research Centre (ERRC) in Thiruvananthapuram have joined hands for a social responsibility project titled 'Creating an automated warning system for landslides in the landslide susceptible zones of the Meenachil river basin, Kerala'. As part of the multi-institutional project, three automatic weather stations (AWS) have been installed with the support of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), Indian Space Research Organisation in Theekoy, Poonjar Thekkekara, and Munnilavu panchayats in the Meenachil river basin, according to a communication S. Abhilash, Director of the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at Cusat, said that the overall objective of the pilot project was to develop and test the concept of a reliable and robust monitoring and alerting system for detecting landslides. The release said that a proof-of-concept project would be implemented in the selected study area in the Western Ghats region, which is vulnerable to landslides during the monsoon season. In the context of increasing landslides and localised floods caused by extreme rainfall, the pilot project aims to develop and test the operational feasibility of a reliable and robust observation and early warning system with community participation. The project is being implemented in collaboration with Meenachil River Protection Committee, a people's collective in the Meenachil river basin, it said.
