Author: Ram Kumar

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.

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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. 

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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.

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Professor S Sivakumar pens an article in The Hindu

Ram Kumar 0 Comment Faculty & Staff Spotlight

Professor S Sivakumar, Professor, Physics, SIAS and Dean – Research, Krea University has penned an article in The Hindu titled, Willow is a small chip for Google but a quantum leap for computing.

The article discusses Google’s latest quantum processor, Willow, its testing and results. It also deep dives into the power of quantum information processing and the hope that quantum computers may soon help us solve some of the biggest challenges in the world, all with deep societal impact.

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Citizen scientists from Krea participate in the  Pulicat Bird Atlas

Ram Kumar 0 Comment Faculty & Staff Spotlight

Citizen scientists from across India, including students and faculty members from Krea University participated in the Pulicat Bird Atlas, a three-day bird count survey. The event was a collaborative effort anchored by the newly formed Tirupati Nature Society, along with IISER Tirupati, IIT-Tirupati and Krea University. The survey took place in the ecologically rich areas of Pulicat Lake and Sri City, where the team had the opportunity to observe over 150 bird species.

This study was significant as it contributed to the ongoing efforts to monitor and conserve biodiversity in the region. The bird count provided valuable data on bird populations, distribution, and habitat preferences, which are crucial for understanding ecological trends and guiding conservation strategies.

The Pulicat Bird Atlas, or Pulicat Lake Bird Atlas is a citizen science initiative dedicated to systematically documenting bird species in and around the Pulicat Lake and the nearby industrial hub of Sri City. This project draws inspiration from the successful methodologies of the Tirupati Bird Atlas and aims to create a comprehensive database of avian diversity in the area.

IFMR GSB PhD Scholar Pratibha Jain presents case study co-authored by Dr Pallavi Pandey at Ivey Case Study conference in IIM Nagpur

Ram Kumar 0 Comment Faculty & Staff Spotlight

Pratibha Jain, IFMR GSB PhD scholar presented a case at the Ivey Case Study conference in IIM Nagpur.  The case was written under the guidance (co-author) of Dr Pallavi Pandey,  Assistant Professor, HR & OB & Area Chair – OB & HR, IFMR GSB. The case is titled, ‘Empowering Marginalized Communities through Sustainable Management: Lessons from a Grassroots NGO in Rajasthan.’ The conference was conducted from 21 – 22 December 2024.This case concerns a small non-governmental organisation in Rajasthan facing sustainability and strategic management issues due to operating in resource-scarce environments. The case raises a critical question: How can small NGOs balance community trust, operational sustainability, and scalability in resource-constrained environment? Case discussed the dilemma where the founder of the organization Kumar Bharat have to decide, should he focus on improving his communication skills to overcome the language barrier and unlock new funding sources? Or should he explore alternative strategies, like strengthening local partnerships or increasing reliance on community support?

Dr Rangachary Kommanduri presents research paper at CVIP 2024 held at IIITDM Kancheepuram

Ram Kumar 0 Comment Faculty & Staff Spotlight

Dr Rangachary Kommanduri, Visiting Professor of Data Science, SIAS presented a paper titled, ‘Enhanced Semantic-Driven Anomaly Detection: A Multi-Class Strategy for Video Data’ at the 9th International Conference on Computer Vision & Image Processing (CVIP 2024) held at IIITDM Kancheepuram from 19 – 21 December 2024.

The article is co-authored with Dr Mrinmoy Ghorai (Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Sri City) and proposes the Squeeze-Attentive Encoder Network (SAE-Net), a novel architecture integrating semantic-driven analysis and channel wise feature recalibrated attention for precise multi-class anomaly detection in videos.

Pratibha Jain, PhD student, IFMR GSB presents her paper at the 2nd International Conference (SEEDS 2024)

Ram Kumar 0 Comment Student Spotlight

Pratibha Jain, PhD student, IFMR GSB recently presented her paper titled ‘Exploring Employee Retention Dynamics in NPOs: A Descriptive Review’ at the 2nd International Conference (SEEDS 2024) organised by Middlesex University Dubai and Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India.

Abstract:
Due to the unique context and characteristics of the nonprofit sector, it differs from the for-profit sector in terms of the importance of values and employees’ willingness to accept lower wages and volunteer their time to meet community needs. This review paper explores employee retention in the nonprofit sector, focusing on the factors influencing employees’ decisions to stay with the organisation. Using a descriptive review approach, the study examines employee retention and turnover in the NPO context.

IFMR GSB PhD Scholar Soumyabrata Basu presents paper co-authored with IFMR GSB faculty at various conferences

Ram Kumar 0 Comment Faculty & Staff Spotlight

Soumyabrata Basu, PhD scholar, IFMR GSB presented a paper that looks into the impact of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code on Indian firms at the Cross Disciplinary Knowledge Data Research (XKDR) Forum’s Conference held in Mumbai on 10 December 2024. On 19 December he also presented the paper at the India Finance Conference (IFC) held in IIM Raipur. The paper is co-authored with Dr Praveen Bhagawan, Associate Professor, Finance, Accounting and Quantitative Finance & Area Chair – Finance, Accounting and Quantitative Finance, IFMR GSB and Dr Jyoti Prasad Mukhopadhyay, Associate Professor, Economics and Chairperson – PhD, IFMR GSB.

Dr Vijaya C presents a case study at IIM Nagpur IVEY Case Conference

Ram Kumar 0 Comment Faculty & Staff Spotlight

Dr Vijaya C, Assistant Professor, Finance, Accounting and Quantitative Finance, IFMR GSB recently presented a case study titled, ‘Sovereign Gold Bonds: To be or not to be’, at the IIM Nagpur IVEY Case Conference held at IIM Nagpur in December 2024. 

In November 2024, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was in a dilemma whether to continue or stop the issue of Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB). In November 2015, RBI, in consultation with the Government of India, had introduced the SGB scheme to reduce the widening current account deficit primarily due to the import of physical gold. It also enabled investors to divert their savings to digital gold which had the advantages of safety, low risk, regular interest income and tax benefits. With stable gold prices in the past, the Government had looked at SGB as a cheaper source of financing compared to traditional bonds. However, the COVID-19 pandemic had upset the SGB cart as the significant surge in gold prices meant redemption costs much higher than what the Government had estimated. There were no issues of SGB in the financial year 2024-25 and speculation was rife among investors and analysts as to whether RBI had decided to stop any more issues of SGB. The onus was now on RBI to take the correct decision on the future of SGB and propose the same to the Government with a detailed analysis. The question remained about SGB – to be or not to be!

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