Khagol Bulletin # 131

Innovate to Transform: Prosperity through Science and Technology The Thirty-Fifth Foundation Day Lecture The 35th Foundation Day lecture was delivered on Friday, December 29, 2023, by Padma Bhushan Dr. Jyeshtharaj B. Joshi, DAE-Homi Bhabha Chair Professor, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar Mumbai, President, Marathi Vidnyan Parishad, Mumbai and Emeritus Professor of Eminence, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai. Dr Joshi, a renowned chemical engineer, is well known for developing novel processes, designs, and products implemented in large, medium and small-scale industries, including designing more than 1000 reactors for commercial operations. He received accolades for his outstanding contribution to multiphase reactors. Dr. Joshi has developed efficient designs of cookers and stoves and has conducted more than 300 workshops to promote science awareness among school children. As the President of the Marathi Vidnyan Parishad, Dr Joshi has actively driven the task of improving the scientific temper of the society through different activities. Dr. Jo s h i ' s a c h i e v eme n t s h a v e b e e n r e c o g n i s e d b o t h n a t i o n a l l y a n d internationally, and, amongst other accolades, he is the recipient of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Engineering Sciences (1991) and the Eminent Engineer Award by the Engineering Council of India (2018). An eminent academician, Dr Joshi Dr Joshi's lecture was titled, 'Innovate to Transform (Prosperity Through Science and Technology)'. Dr Joshi expressed his happiness at the outset and said he was honoured and privileged to deliver the prestigious Foundation Day lecture at IUCAA. Dr Joshi informed the audience that the principal subject of this talk would focus on one of the objectives of the Marathi Vidnyan Parishad, which he headed to promote science and technology for societal improvement. He lauded the founders' efforts, including Professor Udgaonkar and Professor Narlikar, towards popularising, strengthening, and activating the organisation. has supervised 91 PhD and 60 master's students, published 600 papers in international journals and has more than 17000 citationswith an h-index of 64. Dr Joshi explained that theMarathi Vidnyan Parishad aimed to explore how science and technology could be used to solve societal problems and enhance the nation's wealth. The methodology involved collaboration with the Institute of Chemical Technology, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, JB Joshi Foundation, Vidyan Ashram, Pabal, Dist. Pune, and various industries. Prof. Joshi presented data on India's GDP ranking, innovation ranking, and per capita income, highlighting the country's low position in GDP and innovation. He discussed the potential of technology in increasing agricultural productivity and generating income, using the example of biomass pyrolysis. The findings demonstrated that i mp l eme n t i n g b i oma s s p y r o l y s i s technology in a cluster of five villages could significantly increase income, potentially generating 161 crores—the importance of leveraging science and technology for societal and economic development. In the third example, Dr. Joshi discussed the development and implementation of technology to recover titanium and p r o d u c e c a r b o n n a n o t u b e s . T h e background of the research was the high The second example was to develop and implement efficient cookstove technology in India to address the inefficiencies and health hazards associated with traditional cookstoves. The research problem focused on the low efficiency (12%) and high p o l l u t i o n l e v e l s o f c o n v e n t i o n a l cookstoves, which led to health issues and economic burdens. The aimwas to improve the efficiency to 42%, develop affordable hardware, and address the practical challenges women faced in using improved cook stoves. The research design involved computational fluid dynamics to analyse the cook stoves' oxygen distribution and volatile release. Hardware was developed based on the findings, and workshops were conducted withwomen to understand their needs and challenges. The context of the study included rural areas in India, with a focus on Maharashtra and Gujarat. The efficiency of the cook stoves was successfully improved to 52%, leading to reduced pollution levels. Women were willing to pay between 700 and 1000 rupees for the improved cookstoves, indicating the potential for acceptance and adoption. The implementation of efficient cookstove technology has the potential to significantly reduce indoor pollution, improve health outcomes, and create economic opportunities. The study attracted international attention, with researchers from MIT expressing interest in similarwork. | 02 | KHAG L | No. 131 - JANUARY 2024