It was till recently the issue of CBSE 12th board exams were a cause for concern among students and parents.

The question that bothered students and parents was ‘will 12th class exams of CBSE be conducted or not?’ However, the answer for that question was obtained at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The meeting decided to cancel board exams of CBSE for class 12 this year. This has brought much relief to students.

Entrance exams 2021

There could be some decision in this regard at the earliest.

Sources point out that Education Ministry of Government of India will review the situation and look into the possibility of conducting entrance exams 2021.

Soon the decision is made, the better it is, says T.S. Gowrishankar, a physics teacher with a CBSE school.

The entrance exams 2021 like NEET UG 2021, JEE Mains 2021 have importance that is on par with the 12th class board exams, he says.

Students have to prove their mettle in these entrance exams 2021 if they are to enter into the higher education arena.

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The previous year saw competitive exams for higher education entrance being conducted beyond their schedule, reminds R. Srinivasan, who runs a tutorial for coaching NEET aspirants.

It remains to be seen as to when will the entrance exams 2021 be conducted this year, he says.

JEE Mains 2021 was to be conducted four times. Only two editions of this one among the entrance exams 2021 could be conducted and other two editions were postponed.

NEET UG 2021 is meant to be conducted on 1 August this year.

As the issue of 12th class exams of CBSE has been sorted out, some announcement is expected to be made at the earliest with regards to entrance exams 2021.

Sources say, JEE Mains 2021 April and May editions could be held in July and August.

G. Krishnakumar, a senior faculty at a JEE Mains coaching centre says, CBSE 12th class results may be declared first.

Post the declaration, entrance exams 2021 would be conducted, he says.

Also among the entrance exams 2021, JEE Advanced has a significant presence. There are questions awaiting answers about this one among the entrance exams 2021.

JEE Advanced for this year was to be conducted on July 3. However, the date for this one among the entrance exams-2021 is changed.

The new date would be announced soon. Sources tracking the education world say, soon after JEE Mains is conducted, there could be some development with regards to JEE Advanced 2021.

The registration for this one among the entrance exams-2021 begins after the JEE Mains exam process is over.

As of now there are only questions, soon one can expect clarity to prevail as far as entrance exams 2021 are concerned.

It is note that students appear to be divided as far as holding entrance exams 2021 are concerned. A few want the exams, while many are demanding cancellation.

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Why the divide in opinion? Not all feel the time is conducive to conduct entrance exams 2021 at present owing to COVID-19 situation.

Many students point out towards the last year when NEET UG and JEE Mains were conducted. They ask if the tests were conducted then, entrance exams in 2021 can be conducted.

Not all agree to this point. However, the government announcement with regards to entrance exams during this year may give a clear picture.

Educationists view that students must continue their preparation and keep visiting the official websites for information about entrance exams this year.

JEE Mains 2021 website is ‘https://jeemain.nta.nic.in/webinfo2021/Page/Page?PageId=1&LangId=P’
and ‘https://nta.ac.in/Engineeringexam’

Official website for JEE Advanced 2021 is ‘http://jeeadv.ac.in/’

Students can visit the above websites with regards to various entrance exams to get the latest information.

Designed to monitor the freshness of seafood in real-time by responding to pH changes, the film offers a practical solution for improving food safety and reducing waste.

This film detects the release of volatile amines, compounds typically associated with spoilage, and indicates food quality through visible color changes, say sources from NIT Rourkela.

These natural components make the film biodegradable, safe, and responsive, aligning with sustainability goals and offering a non-invasive way to assess seafood freshness.

Findings

The findings of this research have been published in the journal Food Packaging and Shelf Life in a paper co-authored by Prof. Preetam Sarkar (as the lead corresponding author), along with his research scholars, Mr. Rahul Thakur, Miss Harshi Singhi, Mr. Vedsagar Rajesh Suryavanshi, and Dr. Ravichandran Santhosh.

Other co-authors in this work include Dr. Khalid Gul from NIT Rourkela, Dr. Swarup Roy from Lovely Professional University, Dr. Srinivas Janaswamy from South Dakota State University, Brookings, USA and Dr. Kirtiraj K. Gaikwad from IIT Roorkee.

Fishing

India is the world’s second-largest fish-producing nation, contributing approximately 8% of global fish production, say NIT Rourkela researchers.

It also holds the distinction of being the top five producer of shrimp globally, with frozen shrimp being the top export commodity.

Given the scale and importance of seafood production, innovations that ensure freshness and reduce spoilage are of immense value, say NIT Rourkela researchers.

In this context, intelligent packaging systems, which preserve food while monitoring its quality, are rapidly gaining global interest.

Unlike conventional packaging that serves merely as a protective barrier, the intelligent packaging film developed by NIT Rourkela team offers visual cues about the product’s condition, making it a promising solution for enhancing food safety and reducing waste.

The beetroot peel extract was prepared separately, and then combined with the starch, gum tragacanth, and a small amount of glycerol to cast the films.

These were dried and tested for their pH-sensitivity and effectiveness in monitoring seafood freshness, said Prof Preetam of NIT Rourkela.

Pigments

Beetroot peels contain betalains, a group of pigments known for their bright colours and pH sensitivity, say NIT Rourkela researchers.

These pigments also offer antioxidant and antimicrobial benefits, making them suitable for food-related applications.

Incorporating these natural compounds into the starch-based film creates a biodegradable, safe, and responsive packaging material.

When the seafood begins to spoil and pH levels rise, the film changes colour, providing a clear visual indicator of freshness.

Starch

The choice of Kodo millet starch and gum tragacanth contributes to the film’s biodegradable and eco-friendly profile.

Kodo millet is an underutilised grain with excellent film-forming properties, while gum tragacanth enhances the mechanical strength and flexibility of the material.

The researchers believe that using such agricultural by-products not only supports sustainability but also adds value to food processing waste, such as beetroot peels.

At the laboratory scale, the cost of producing the film was estimated approximately Rs. 900 per kilogram.

When scaled up for industrial production, the cost is projected to range between Rs. 400 and Rs. 600 per kilogram, making it a potentially viable option for commercial use.

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