Check out this blog about Researchers in IIT Madras enhancing great wearable assistive devices

The Madras university is established on 11-11-1839. It was originally constituted in 1840 in January and when Mr George Norton was appointed as its President. But, all these years until 1857, the university wasn’t functioning as per the education policy of India.

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The University of Madras is a collegiate research university that has 6 campuses in the whole city. The campuses are in Chetpet, Chepauk, Marina, Taramani, Maduravoyal, and Guindy. They have 87 academic departments of post-graduate teaching and research grouped under 18 schools and they offer around 230 courses altogether. 

PhD Programmes

Madras University offers M. PHIL and PhD degrees in full-time and part-time modes. Both of these programmes are offered for 2 years. The admission mode for both of these courses is different. To pursue PhD from Madras University, the candidates must have an M.Phil degree from any recognised university. 

News about PhD admissions 

The online application forms have been rolled out on the official website of Madras University. The application forms started on 1st December 2021 and will be available for the whole of December month. The last date to fill out the application form is 31st December 2021. 

Eligibility For The Course 

The general category students who have applied for the course must have a minimum of 50% marks. The SC/ST students who have opted for the course must have obtained a minimum of 60% marks in TANCET (Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Exam). Also, the UGC /CSIR NET scores are taken into consideration for the selection process at Madras University. 

The entire information about the PhD courses is available on their official website. The university commences the M.Phil application process in June every year. 

Conclusion

This was all the information needed to know for the students who are going to do PhD from Madras University. If the candidates wish to know more about the course and the university, they can directly visit the website of university and get full information.

Madras university is one of the best for pursuing PhD or M.Phil courses. The placements after these from this university are amazing. The alumni of the university in PhD are having an excelling and safe professional life.

One can also do PhD and M.Phil through distance education from Madras University. Interested candidates can also visit the website and get the details on the same.

Good luck with your career!

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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