Center of Excellence for Human Factors and Safety Science @ RBG Labs at IIT Madras organized the workshop in coordination with National Health Mission.

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Ø Clear long term policies and strategies for moving towards an ‘accident-free Tamil Nadu’

Ø Short term strategies to improve road safety and minimize road traffic accidents during the next 3 months (November 2021 to January 2022)

Ø Action Points and Key Performance Indicators for each of the Stakeholder Departments, including Health, Police, Road owning agencies, Transport, Education and Local Bodies.

Ø Modalities for sharing and utilizing the data available with Stakeholder departments for collective action in ensuring road safety.

For example, Grid Analysis data available with Health Departments shall be used for enforcement, preventive action awareness creation, among others, by the stakeholder departments concerned.

The outcomes of this workshop will be used to help a focused action plan and be used as a policy advisory to help reduce road accidents and fatalities in Tamil Nadu, say IIT Madras researchers.

Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Minister Ma. Subramanian speaking at workshop said this workshop is the first of many such design-thinking based strategizing workshops for road safety.

Professor Venkatesh Balasubramanian, faculty-in-charge at Center of Excellence for Human Factors and Safety Science @ RBG Labs at IIT Madras said avoiding accidents and fatalities is an essential requirement to be a developed nation.

Roads are shared assets and the safety on them is a collective responsibility of all the stakeholders, he said. He further said they have been advocating a data-driven systems approach to road safety through their Transportation Safety Framework (TSF) to have a holistic improvement.

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While Tamil Nadu has been performing well on reducing the fatalities from road accidents, in 2021, after the lockdown there has been a steady increase in fatality. ‘Therefore, it is quintessential to develop a good strategy based on data to address this on a priority basis.’

It is, therefore, necessary to have a design thinking approach to solve the problem by not just identifying the issues but implementing changes that are sustainable in the local conditions, he said.

In 2020, Tamil Nadu became the first State in India and globally, the only administered territory to have achieved a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target of reducing deaths due to road accidents by 50 per cent.
However, there has been a steady increase in the number of road fatalities in 2021, say sources from IIT Madras.

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To curb the seasonal peak traffic crashes in the fourth quarter of 2021, a strategic team of TN stakeholders involved in road safety were identified to prepare a strategic short-term and long-term action plan for improving road safety in the State, say IIT Madras researchers.

The RBG Labs at IIT Madras conducts Research on four major streams under Innovation and Lean Operations, Medical Devices and Implants, Public Policy Initiatives and Human Factors in Transportation.

The primary focus was on working on various problems of disruptive innovations in product and process developments.

Members are actively involved in working with police and health departments of multiple States to develop innovative applications, products and process to improve the transportation safety systems of the State.

About IIT Madras

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) was established in 1959 by the Government of India as an ‘Institute of National Importance.’

The activities of the Institute in various fields of Science and Technology are carried out in 16 academic departments and several advanced interdisciplinary research academic centres.

The Institute offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes leading to B.Tech., M.Sc., M.B.A., M.Tech., M.S., and Ph.D., degrees in a variety of specialisations.

IITM is a residential institute with more than 600 faculty and 9,500 students. Students from 18 countries are enrolled here. IITM fosters an active entrepreneurial culture with strong curricular support and through the IITM Incubation Cell.

IITM has been ranked No.1 in the ‘Overall’ Category for the third consecutive year in India Ranking 2021 released by National Institutional Ranking Framework, Ministry of Education, Government of India.

It was also adjudged as the ‘Top innovative Institution’ in the country in Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) in 2019 and 2020. ARIIA Ranking was launched by the Innovation Cell of Ministry of Education.

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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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