Zeal Academy

Transforming Public Transport in India With rapid growth of population in the cities and increase in motor vehicles, the urban space in India for creation of the necessary infrastructure is shrinking every year. An average of 60,000 vehicles is sold every day in India. On the other hand, the consistent growth of population is further widening the gap between demand and supply of public transport needs. An effective public transport system like Metro Rail has become the core priority of urban administrations to ease the urban commutation Metro rail is operated on non-pollutant energy and is most preferable in densely populated urban spaces. Undoubtedly, the Mass Transit System is by far the most remarkable invention in public transport The Metros across the world have undoubtedly smoothened the public transport wherever they were introduced. Besides offering the best public transport, cities like Hong Kong and Tokyo are running Metros with operational profit. Delhi Metro too

Improving Governance in Public Systems Innovations which exist in the public domain are often overlapping and are not restricted to a particular category. However, for a better understanding, innovations in public systems may be broadly categorized. Types of Innovation: Service Innovations : intend to introduce a new service, product or improvement in the quality of an existing service or product. Bhart Interface for Money (BHIM) is a mobile application developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) which enables e-payments directly through banks. Service Delivery Innovations:  create a new or improved way of delivering specific public service to the citizens that aim at improving accessibility, targeting user needs more accurately, bringing in simplification of procedures etc. Common Service Centers (CSCs)  are the access points for delivery of essential public utility services, social welfare schemes, healthcare, financial, education and agriculture

Innovation Oriented Initiatives in Higher Education The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence. -Rabindranath Tagore Successful pursuit in science, engineering and technology yields discovery invention and innovation respectively. Therefore, engineering education must build on relevant scientific theories and principles to address the issues of ‘need’ of the society MHRD Initiatives on Promotion of Innovation: In recent times, the Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) has launched several new and innovation programs to make higher education more pervasive and effective and usher in significant positive changes in the higher education system, particularly in engineering and technology. Some of the notable initiatives are summarized below: Research and Innovation: Start up India Initiative for HEIs To promote the culture of ‘innovation’ in tune with

Contributing to a Knowledge-Based Revolution India got left behind in the Industrial Revolution that swept the world in the last century. But India does have a unique opportunity to contribute in the knowledge based revolution that is sweeping the world today. Towards this end a strategic national flagship initiative Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) has been set up under the auspices of the NITI Aayog.  AIM’s focus is to create and promote a world class innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem  throughout the length and breadth of our country and to provide such an innovation ecosystem that will also transform our job seekers to job creators of the future. A Holistic Framework : The Atal Innovation Mission has adopted a holistic framework to achieve its objectives. At the school level there is a tremendous need  for creation of an innovative, problem solving mindset in the students of the high schools. At the university and industry levels, there are a growing number of startup

Space Programmes: Spin-offs for Humanity Though the Indian space program started nearly 20 years later than in developed countries, today it has emerged as one among six nations i.e. USA, Russia, Europa, China and Japan having total indigenous capability in building satellites for earth observation communication and scientific research as well as launch them into orbits around Earth and even taken them to Moon or Mars. Indian launch vehicles like PSLV, GSLV have proven track record and cost-effectiveness such that even developed countries are approaching ISRO for launching their satellites. What should be the focus for future space programmes? Important developments related to the human space flight are the Crew module, life support system, Crew escape system and improvement in the overall reliability of the launch vehicle. Once in orbit, the capsule will be in almost zero G condition and hard vacuum and will be subjected to heavy radiation. Creating living conditions inside

Capitalizing on Technology for Farmers’ Welfare Farming is both a way of life and means to livelihood for nearly 60 per cent of our population, a majority of whom are women and youth. The basic difficulties of farmers can be overcome only if integrated attention is given to pricing, procurement and public distribution. Technology can play a major role in transforming agriculture and meeting the government’s vision of doubling farmers’ income by 2020. Major issue areas: Compounding the difficulties of today, farmers are facing serious problems from climate change. The support extended to farmers should be according to the requirements of those cultivating in arid zone sem-arid dry farming, irrigated areas, groundwater farming and plantation crops in hilly areas. Progress in agriculture with the use of technology: The progress made by our farmers in improving production and productivity is illustrated by the fact that wheat production in India has gone up from 7 million tonne

Scientific Innovations in the Service of Society Technology forms the subtext of human development. History is loaded with instances of technology serving as catalyst in the grand narrative of human development. From basic necessities like food, air, water, clothing and shelter, to structural requirements like security technology has played a tremendous role in every field of human growth and survival. Invention of the transistor: Around the year 1948 the invention of the transistor, a device with potential to have numerous applications in radio technology by replacing the vacuum tube, took place. The transistor is a resister or semi-conductor device which helps amplify electoral signals as they get transferred through it. The presence of the transistor enables all kinds of binary logic operations and has brought a revolution to the field of electronics and computing. Historical Perspective: Manifestations of various technological developments have resulted in various in