The Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh Vardhan released the Special Edition of “Atlas for Visually Impaired (India)” in English Braille today in New Delhi. This Braille Atlas has been prepared by National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO) under Department of Science & Technology.

The Minister expressed happiness at the production of these Atlases. He said these atlases will be distributed to various schools across the country for educating the students with visual challenges.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that all departments of Government will work to implement this. Efforts are being made to make these atlases more cost effective than the current price of Rs.600/- per atlas with 20 maps now. Silk screen printing used to prepare these atlases is unique to India, he added.

In the Braille Atlas, maps are raised and embossed with simple lines and point symbols to facilitate its users to realize the location and area coverage easily distinguishable in terms of shapes and textures. The legend and reference is placed on the map in Braille script to navigate the map. About 20 maps on different themes of physical, socio-economic and cultural aspects such as river system, natural vegetation, Metropolitan cities, Roads and Railways, Food crops and cash crops have been incorporated in the atlas with write-ups on every map as ready reference. This Atlas has been bestowed with National award for S&T intervention in empowering the physically challenged by the Prime Minister on 3rd January, 2017 in Indian Science Congress held in Tirupati.

NATMO has recently walked ahead to prepare Braille atlases for visually impaired persons. NATMO’s long effort from metallic tactile maps to silk-screen printing technology to prepare a full volume of atlas is perhaps unique in the World. NATMO’s aim is to transmit scientific information in the form of maps and atlases in a cost-effective manner, as more than 50 lakh visually challenged citizens of our country are mainly from low-income group. Till date their knowledge is constrained within books and literatures. Enriched with this experience, they will be able to understand the Indian geographical contours and will be empowered with wealth of knowledge.

National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO) is the premier agency of applied Geo-Spatial technology and pioneer in Thematic Mapping and Atlas Cartography under Department of Science & Technology(Ministry of Science & Technology) engaged in preparing different thematic maps and atlases and other documents on national, state, district, block level and many other monograms. The contribution made by NATMO in developing the thematic maps/ data is being regularly used by the decision makers in the entire country at districts and sub-divisions levels for implementing the developmental schemes as well as by the researchers, students and common people.

The Union Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan has said that this Government is making every effort to take the science into the masses. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi today he give details on the 2nd India International Science Festival -2016 to be held on 07-11, Dec- 2016, at CSIR –National Physical Laboratory (NPL) Campus in New Delhi.

Emphasizing the importance of taking science into rural India the Minister said that, “We are a government that believes and supports in scientific research, including an appropriate balance between fundamental research to support new discoveries and the commercialization of ideas which would lead to good jobs and sustainable economic growth”. India has declared 2010-20 as the “Decade of Innovation”. In this context, the series of India International Science Festival (IISF) is an integral part of India’s long term vision in developing and widening the spectrum of scientific temper in India and abroad’ he added.

The Minister said that, the grand success of first IISF-2015 at IIT Delhi has set a unique example of inimitable festival in bridging the gap between Indian scientific innovations and practises. Highlighting the key aspects of the second edition of IISF, the S&T Minister viewed that “the planned ‘Science Village Program’ which is linked with ‘Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana’ will be a remarkable manoeuvre in taking the science to the rural masses. Under this event, Members of the parliament of both the houses can send five students from their adopted villages to the IISF-2016. “This is the first time in the history of India that the Members of the Parliament across party lines will be sending more than 3000 young children from their adopted villages to the science festival Dr Harsh Vardhan said.

This year the total figure of abstracts for Young Scientists Meet (YSM) that were received is 1769. After reviewing by the expert committee the total number of shortlisted final presentations is 241 for the oral presentation and 1329 for the poster presentations. Among all the papers this year, Talking Book and Agroboat-device to predict weather condition through smartphone for farmers, the wearable demon slayer for security of women, Mechanical Tap to treat sewage water, Solar marine monitor device for defense forces, extraction of diesel from the fruits waste will be some of the highlights.

Prominently this time, all the IIT’s showcasing various technologies developed under ‘Unnat Bharat Abhiyan’ would definitely provide professional technology support for rural development of India” the minister said.

The Industry –academia interaction where the industries get opportunities to develop competitive manufacturing capabilities and improve their services through collaborating with the academia would be adding further flavour to the event the minister stated. Further in the international science film festival segment, the nationally and internationally award winning films on various facets of science would be screened. ‘We are also having competition for the Professional and students who are making films on Science” the minister added.

The Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences has been organising India International Science Festival(IISF) in association with Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA) to promote the science & technology developed by the Indian research labs and to inculcate the scientific temper among masses. The theme of this year festival is “Science for the Masses''.

‘Ecology & Environment’ displaying advancements in the field was the focus at the CSIR ‘Platinum Jubilee Techno Fest’ at the India International Trade Fare (IITF) in New Delhi yesterday. The major highlight of ‘Ecology & Environment’ was free swimming robot ‘Maya’, an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle developed by CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), being used for coastal areas surveys and mapping salinity of water in reservoirs and dams. A multi-fuel domestic cook stove, ‘Neerdhur’, developed by CSIR- National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) for rural Indian households, can be fueled by cow dung cake, wood chips, wood logs and charcoal. “It is an amazing experience to see technologies dedicated to rural areas. Such initiative is always welcomed as it is guiding the future generation and the budding scientists in the country to contribute to the mankind.” said a Delhi-based engineer at the pavilion. 

Scientists and researchers across six distinguished laboratories of CSIR attended a seminar and a panel discussion on ecology and environment. Addressing the delegates at the seminar, Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Director CSIR- NEERI said, “The new inventions at CSIR are for better air, water and clean energy.”

The activity arena for school students carried science models demonstrations, idea competition for clean air and clean Ganga followed by quiz competitions.

The event wrapped up with CSIR signing MoUs with the Government of Maharashtra and Government of Jharkhand for water sanitation, followed by technology transfer to Carmel B&F Industries, Nagpur.

This Techno Fest will run till 27^th November. Each day has different themes-based activities.

The theme based seminars/workshops and presentations by eminent speakers today will be on CSIR Labs Contribution in Societal Interventions and NGOs Perspective of Technology Implementation

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In order to capture day light and concentrate the same inside a dark room, particularly in urban slum or rural areas which lack electricity supply, a low cost and energy efficient Micro Solar Dome has been tested and developed.

Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan today visited the dwelling units of Lalbagh clusters in Azadpur area of Delhi, where the PV Integrated Micro Solar Dome (MSD) – Surya Jyoti have been installed. The minister was pleased to notice how these lamps have improved the quality of life of the inhabitants especially of the women and children. Addressing the media, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that this will also increase the productivity of women who stay at home and are involved in small income generation activities.  The Micro Solar Dome (MSD) is a clear and green energy initiative of the Department of   Science and Technology. The Minister added that this project will also supplement the Green Energy initiatives.  

The Micro Solar Dome (MSD) is a day and night lighting single device unique in its features, that has a transparent semi-spherical upper dome made of acrylic material which captures the sunlight and the light passes through a sun-tube having a thin layer of highly reflective coating on the inner wall of the passage. It also contains a lower dome made of acrylic. There is a shutter in the bottom of the lower dome which can be closed, if light is not required in the daytime.  It is leak proof and works throughout the day and 4 hours continuously after sunset. The entire development activities were taken up by an R&D Organisation under the aegis of the Department of Science & Technology.

The potential users of this device are the 10 million off-grid households in urban and rural spaces and several folds more that do not have reliable access to electricity. When these Surya Jyoti lamps, giving an illumination equivalent of a 60W incandescent lamp, are installed in 10 million households it would lead to a saving of 1750 million units of energy. It would also lead to an Emission Reduction of about 12.5 million ton of CO₂.

About 1000 Micro Solar domes now working in the slums of Delhi, Kolkata, Agartala, Guwahati, Bhopal and Bengaluru.   However, demand of the product is increasing manifold as more and more people are becoming aware of the unique benefits of using the product.  There are about 130 number of Surya Jyoti at Lalbag and nearby areas. The latest Surya Jyoti operates in three modes, day light without any electricity, night time with solar PV and night time with conventional grid after 17 hours of operation.

In order to cater to this ever increasing demand, an entrepreneurship development programme for manufacturing and installation of Surya Jyoti was organised during 18-22 October, 2016 in which 25 entrepreneurs and 7 voluntary organisation from 11 States of different regions were trained. The manufacturing process of the device is labour intensive and is expected to generate huge job opportunities.  A monthly production of 6000 units is envisaged by December, 2016 which will go up to 20000 by March, 2017.

 The Department of Science & Technology along with Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) will take it up for larger distribution in bigger areas.  The Department is also training and giving licenses to young entrepreneurs to have their own start-ups.  Self-help groups have also been trained to make these lamps and have been given licenses.

The PV integrated Micro Solar Dome costs about Rs. 1200 and Non-PV integrated Micro Solar Dome about Rs. 500 which would further reduce to about Rs. 900 and Rs. 400 respectively, post the scaling up of the manufacturing process.  

The PV Integrated Micro Solar Dome has been included as a product for off grid solar lighting applications by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and is eligible for subsidy at par with other solar lighting products. Attempts are being made to integrate Surya Jyoti for subsidy in rural and urban housing schemes, MP Local Area Development Schemes and corporate social responsibility activities of public sector enterprises