Chief Minister of Tamilnadu Edappadi K Palaniswami has made an announcement in this regard on 9 June. This year really stood unique as far as education is concerned.

CBSE Board exams had to be stopped owing to the protests. Though schedule was worked lateron, CBSE 10th and 12th exams did not move ahead as per the schedule.

Tamilnadu SSLC Exam 2020 was not an exemption. Ever since then many students have been wondering over their future amidst this uncertainity.

Taking into view the COVID-19 situation in the state and also the representations from the parents of the students the exams for class 10 and also class 11 stand to be cancelled and students are promoted, said Chief Minister Palaniswami.

The corona virus cases are on rise in Tamilnadu, Chennai in particular along with few other districts in Tamilnadu have registered good number of cases.

The experts have opined that the chances for reduction for the cases appears to be minimal as of now. So taking all these into account the decision was taken to cancel Tamilnadu SSLC Exam 2020, said Tamilnadu Chief Minister.

The Tamilnadu SSLC Exam 2020 was supposed to be conducted from 15 to 26 June. The process to evaluate the papers was supposed to witness completion by August this year.

Also, over nine lakh students across Tamilnadu was supposed to be appearing for the Tamilnadu SSLC Exam 2020.

Even host of other safety measures were said to have been taken by state government to ensure things go all well with regards to conducting of Tamilnadu SSLC Exam 2020.

Safety measures included providing sanitizers, following social distancing. Following social distancing was ensured at all exam centres for Tamilnadu SSLC Exam 2020.

To ensure the social distancing doesn’t go for a toss establishing more than 10,000 exam centres across the state for conducting Tamilnadu SSLC Exam 2020 was thought over.

Each room would have only a fewer number of students than their usual strength. And a good deal of gap was to be left between each student.

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News did rounds that even elaborate transport arrangements were to be made to ensure students writing Tamilnadu SSLC Exam 2020 did not have any difficulties in reaching the exam centres.

It is also worth recollecting that Madras Highcourt is said to have asked the state government to take a look into the aspect of conducting exams as of now.

Since the exams are cancelled, state government is said to have formed a new way to promote students. Marks will be provided based on performance of students in quarterly, half-yearly exams and attendance.

It is even worth noting that the Tamilnadu SSLC Exam 2020 was meant to be conducted from 1 to 15 July. This was later on postponed to 15 to 26 July.

Even the hostels were supposed to be made open to allow students coming from outer locations to reside while writing Tamilnadu SSLC Exam 2020.

However, all these will never bother students and their parents as of now for the 10th state board exams have been cancelled.

As far as students are concerned their prime focus as of now must be on preparing to move to next stage of education.

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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