Ajay Kochhar, PVSM, AVSM, NM, on Thursday assumed charge as the 48th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS), taking over one of the Indian Navy’s most senior leadership appointments after a distinguished career spanning more than 37 years. Upon assuming office, Vice Admiral Kochhar paid homage to the nation’s fallen heroes by laying a floral wreath at the National War Memorial.   An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Vice Admiral Kochhar was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1988. A specialist in Gunnery and Missile Systems,…

Researchers have developed a novel light-powered nano catalyst that offers a sustainable and cost-effective pathway for manufacturing medicines and industrial chemicals, paving the way for greener chemical production processes.   The newly developed catalyst harnesses light energy to drive chemical reactions that are essential for producing pharmaceutical compounds and value-added chemicals. By reducing dependence on expensive reagents and energy-intensive processes, the technology could significantly lower production costs while minimizing environmental impact.   Scientists said the nano catalyst efficiently utilizes visible light to accelerate chemical transformations under mild conditions, making the…

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh on Friday inaugurated India’s first SkyCast aviation weather intelligence system at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI), marking a major step towards fog-free and weather-smart aviation operations in the country.   Developed under the Centre’s Mission Mausam initiative, the SkyCast system integrates advanced atmospheric sensing technologies to provide real-time weather information critical for aviation safety and efficiency. The platform combines radar wind profilers, microwave radiometers, ceilometers, fog aerosol spectrometers and other remote-sensing instruments to monitor atmospheric conditions around…

In a major boost to India’s Industry 4.0 ambitions, the Technology Development Board (TDB), under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has signed an agreement with IDT Innovation Technologies Pvt. Ltd. to support the commercialization of indigenous Industrial AIoT (Artificial Intelligence + Internet of Things) solutions.   The project, titled “Industry 4.0: Development and Commercialization of Industrial AIoT Devices,” aims to deploy advanced AI-driven industrial monitoring and analytics technologies designed to improve:  Resource efficiency Energy optimization Predictive maintenance Operational productivity across manufacturing sectors   The Nagpur-based company’s indigenous SenseLive™…

In a landmark step towards sustainable transportation, Indian Railways is all set to launch the country’s first indigenous hydrogen-powered train, marking India’s entry into the elite league of nations using hydrogen fuel-cell technology for rail operations. The Railway Board has approved the introduction of the hydrogen train on the Jind–Sonipat section under Northern Railway in Haryana.   The 10-car trainset will be powered by a 1200 KW hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion system and is designed to operate at a maximum speed of 75 kmph. Unlike conventional diesel trains, the hydrogen-powered train…