Author: Ram Kumar

Sayantan Datta pens an article in The Hindu

Ram Kumar 0 Comment Faculty & Staff Spotlight

Sayantan Datta, Assistant Professor of Practice, Centre for Writing and Pedagogy recently penned an article in The Hindu titled, In breakthrough, scientists find pressure sensor in fat tissue. 
The article discusses PIEZO mechanosensitive channel – a class of proteins that helps us sense pressure. PIEZO channels have been implicated in our ability to sense touch and pain, to understand how our bodies are positioned in space (proprioception), to perceive our body’s internal state (interoception), and to respire, urinate, form blood vessels, regulate bone density, and heal skin wounds. Two new studies have now expanded the ambit of PIEZO channels’ functions.

Know More

Malyaj Jain, MBA Cohort of 2025, IFMR GSB wins TAPMI’s Young Business Leader Competition 2025

Ram Kumar 0 Comment Student Spotlight

Malyaj Jain, MBA Cohort of 2025, IFMR GSB has won the Young Business Leader competition, the flagship event at T. A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), held on 18 and 19 January 2025. This remarkable achievement comes with a cash prize of Rs 60,000.

The two-day competition featured multiple challenging rounds. On the first day, participants solved puzzles to earn points, followed by a case-solving round and an auction. The second day concluded with a rigorous stress interview, after which Malyaj was declared the winner.

This accomplishment is a significant milestone in his MBA journey, and he takes pride in representing IFMR GSB on such a prestigious platform. Congratulations, Malyaj Jain! 

Dr Chirag Dhara presents research talks at TISS and IIT Bombay

Ram Kumar 0 Comment Faculty & Staff Spotlight

Dr Chirag Dhara, Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies, SIAS was recently invited to  The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and IIT Bombay to deliver research talks. Dr Dhara delivered a talk on, ‘The role of historic global inequality in avoided climate destabilisation’ at TISS and two talks titled, ‘What levels of development can humanity sustainably aspire to?’ and  ‘An interpretational lens to understand climate performance indices’ at IIT Bombay.

Dr Chirag Dhara at IIT Bombay

Kaustav Mehta, Teaching Fellow, Data Science, SIAS recently presented a poster at Netscix2025, IIT Indore

Ram Kumar 0 Comment Student Spotlight

Kaustav Mehta, Teaching Fellow, Data Science, SIAS recently presented a poster at NetsciX 2025, IIT Indore. This work stems from Kaustav’s third-year undergraduate capstone project at Krea University, conducted under the supervision of Dr Shyam Kumar Sudhakar, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, SIAS. Their research, titled “Exploring Comorbidity Networks in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Subjects through Graph Theory: A Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Study”, has been developed into a journal paper and poster. The paper is currently under editorial review.

Abstract:
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are characterised by myriad comorbidities that affect the functioning of the affected individuals. The comorbidities that TBI subjects experience span a wide range, ranging from psychiatric diseases to those that affect the various systems of the body. This is compounded by the fact that the problems that TBI subjects face could span over an extended period post-primary injury.

Further, no drug exists to prevent the spread of secondary injuries after a primary impact. In this study, the researchers employed graph theory to understand the patterns of comorbidities after mild TBIs. Upon application of network analysis and a novel clustering algorithm, they discovered interesting associations between comorbidities in young and old subjects with the condition. Specifically, bipolar disorder was seen as related to cardiovascular comorbidities, a pattern that was observed only in the young subjects. Similar associations between obsessive-compulsive disorder and rheumatoid arthritis were observed in young subjects. Psychiatric comorbidities exhibited differential associations with non-psychiatric comorbidities depending on the age of the cohort. The study results might have implications for effective surveillance and the management of comorbidities post-mild TBIs.

The pre-print is available at:https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.02.601618v1.full

For more details: https://netscix2025.iiti.ac.in/

Sibling: SIAS students’ mental health start-up shines at Udyamotsav 2025

Ram Kumar 0 Comment Student Spotlight

Sibling, a mental health and wellness start-up founded by SIAS students Mitansh Aggarwal, Adwitiya Roy, and Viney Jain, was among 400 start-ups nationwide selected to present at Udyamotsav 2025. Held on 16 January 2025 (National Start-up Day) at BMS College of Engineering in Bangalore, the event is an initiative by the MoE-AICTE Investor Network and serves as a prominent fundraising platform for early-stage startups. Organised as part of the National Startup Day celebrations, Udyamotsav highlights innovation and entrepreneurship across India.  

The start-up also received a grant of Rs 1.5 lakh from the Centre For Entrepreneurship (CFE) at Krea University last year.  The team was mentored by Professor Anil Srinivasan, Visiting Professor of Practice, Literature and the Arts, SIAS whose guidance strengthens their mission to make mental health support accessible to students nationwide. Through their transformative vision, Sibling is paving the way for meaningful change in mental health care. 

QALAM-E-TARIKH – Celebrating Deccani Art, Literature and History

Ram Kumar 0 Comment News

On 8 January 2025, the Global Arts discipline, in collaboration with the Office of Student Life (OSL) and initiated by Arts of the Deccan Course ARTS229/HIST235/LITT235, presented an immersive evening about Deccani Art, Literature, and History.

There were two workshops, one of which focused on Qalamkari textiles. This intricate art involves creating detailed designs on fabric using a pen with mordant chemical catalysts to ensure the dye is colourfast. The fabric is then painted or dyed using a resist technique. In this workshop, taught by traditional Masulipatnam Qalamkari artist Pitambar, we learnt about the preparation of fabric and dyes and the process of block printing. We even had the opportunity to try our hand at block printing ourselves.

The other workshop was an introduction to the style of Nasta’liq calligraphy and was taught by artist Shaikh Ahsaanuddin of Gulbarga, who works with many styles of Perso-Arabic calligraphy, including the beautiful Nasta’liq style. These workshops not only introduced us to these art forms and allowed us to experience them firsthand; but they also showed us the skill and hard work required to create things we usually take for granted, such as fabric dyeing and beautiful calligraphy. It served as a reminder to support and learn the arts that come from communities around us.

These workshops were accompanied by Deccani music, samasya-puranas and a brief walkthrough on the history of Deccan by the students of the Arts of the Deccan Course. It was a great experience to learn from such established and experienced artists and I look forward to more such insightful and exciting events on campus!

A report by Pranvi Khare, Cohort of 2027, SIAS

A project co-led by Dr Suresh Govindapuram sanctioned under ICSSR Collaborative Empirical Research Project on Solar Energy and Sustainability 2024-25

Ram Kumar 0 Comment Research Spotlight
A project co-led by Dr Suresh Govindapuram sanctioned under ICSSR Collaborative Empirical Research Project on Solar Energy and Sustainability 2024-25

Dr Suresh Govindapuram, Assistant Professor of Economics, IFMR GSB is one of the Co-PIs (Co-Project Directors) for the project “Drivers and Barriers of Rooftop Solar Power: An Analysis of Micro and Small Size Hotels in India” sanctioned under Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) Collaborative Empirical Research Project on Solar Energy and Sustainability 2024-25. 
Other collaborators include Dr Salman Haider (VIT Vellore), Dr Shadab Danish (IIM Raipur), Professor Arup Mitra (SAU Dehli) and Professor Prabakar S (VIT Vellore).

Know more

Research article by Dr Randhir Rai published in Elsevier journal

Ram Kumar 0 Comment Research Spotlight

A research article by Dr Randhir Rai, Visiting Faculty, Chemistry, SIAS titled, Catalytic application of second cycle copper-based laboratory waste forsynthesis of beta-keto-1,2,3-triazole: A micro circular economy approach has been published in the Elsevier journal.

This study follows the circular economy principle to explore the catalytic potential of second-cycle cuprous oxide laboratory waste. Undergraduate students generated cuprous oxide as a second cycle waste during a practicalsession, where they used an aqueous solution of recycled copper sulfate pentahydrate as a Fehling’s reagent A.

The cuprous oxide waste was isolated by a simple filtration method and characterized using infrared spectros-copy, powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron microscopic techniques. The isolated material was used as an active click catalyst to synthesize beta-keto-1,2,3-triazole in an aqueous medium via a one-pot, three-component click reaction. The catalytic activity of the second-cycled cuprous oxide waste was compared with first-cycled cuprous oxide waste and commercial cuprous oxide. They observed that the catalyst was recycled and reused for up to two cycles without significant yield loss. Also, the synthesized beta- keto-1,2,3-triazole was found to show chelating properties towards copper.

Read More

Dr Chirag Dhara co-leads a study published in Frontiers in Climate invited by World Climate Research Program

Ram Kumar 0 Comment Research Spotlight

Dr Chirag Dhara, Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies, SIAS has co-led a study published in Frontiers in Climate which was invited by the World Climate Research Program (WCRP). This collaborative effort involved researchers from leading institutions across Asia and lays out a roadmap for future climate research in the continent. Notably, the findings from this work are expected to inform the next Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.

The study focuses on “compound weather and climate extremes” and identifies three critical types impacting Asia:

    • Compound Flooding: Highlighted by the devastating 2022 Pakistan floods, driven by monsoon rains, glacier melt, and climate variability.

    • Heatwave-Drought Events: Examining their severe impacts on agriculture and water resources in South and East Asia.

    • Marine Extremes: Addressing risks from ocean warming, tropical cyclones, and rising sea levels in the Indian Ocean.

The paper also underscores knowledge gaps and recommends improving early warning systems, forecasting capabilities, and data sharing to mitigate rising risks. 

Read more

Dr Soumya Dey organised Symposium on Geometry and Topology as part of the 39th Annual Conference of the Ramanujan Mathematical Society, held at Christ (Deemed to be University)

Ram Kumar 0 Comment Faculty & Staff Spotlight

Dr Soumya Dey, Assistant Professor, Mathematics, SIAS, organised the Symposium on Geometry and Topology as part of the 39th Annual Conference of the Ramanujan Mathematical Society, held at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Kengeri campus, Bengaluru, from 27 to 29 December 2024. Dr Dey invited 16 mathematicians from across the country as invited speakers for the symposium, including two faculty members from Krea University — Dr C P Anil Kumar, Assistant Professor, Mathematics, SIAS and Dr Gangotryi Sorcar, Assistant Professor, Mathematics, SIAS.

Read More

Krea University