All Management Events

  • A Blockchain and IoT-Driven Solution for Farmers December 19, 2024

    Farming is often regarded as an occupation that is challenging and has become a sobriquet for hardship and unpredictability, leaving farmers financially vulnerable and many a times at the brink of poverty. Insuring crops can, however, minimise the risk of loss, making it a viable option as long as the process doesn’t get bogged down by excessive bureaucracy and cumbersome paperwork. Dr Naga Sravanthi Puppala, Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering has come up with a game-changing solution of utilising blockchain technology and real time IoT data for automatic and quick coverage of crops by simplifying the insurance process thereby helping reshaping the future of agriculture, just when it’s needed most.

    Abstract

    The invention is a groundbreaking design patent that employs a single, sophisticated smart contract policy to autonomously manage the entire crop insurance process. This system innovatively combines blockchain technology with real-time IoT data collection to create an efficient, transparent, and reliable insurance solution for farmers. Central to this invention is a singular smart contract policy designed to oversee every stage of the insurance lifecycle, from policy issuance and dynamic risk assessment to claims processing and payout disbursement. This smart contract policy is meticulously programmed with specific conditions and thresholds, including weather patterns, soil moisture levels, and crop health indicators, all monitored by IoT devices in the field. As these conditions are tracked in real-time, the smart contract policy autonomously adjusts coverage and triggers payouts when necessary, eliminating the need for human intervention. This system not only enhances efficiency by reducing administrative costs but also ensures prompt and accurate payouts. By relying on tamper-proof data and predefined conditions, the invention offers a secure and transparent approach to crop insurance, providing farmers with a dependable safety net against crop losses.
    In short, this invention makes crop insurance smarter, simpler, and fairer, giving farmers the support they need when they need it most.

    Practical Implementation and Social Implications of the Research

    Practical Implementation

    • Blockchain: Secure platform for immutable records.
    • Smart Contracts: Automate insurance claims based on predefined triggers.
    • IoT Devices: Monitor crop and environmental data in real-time.
    • Oracles: Fetch external data (e.g., weather reports).
    • Workflow: Farmers enroll, pay premiums digitally, and receive automatic payouts if crop damage is detected.

    Social Implications

    • Transparency: Eliminates fraud and delays in claims.
    • Inclusivity: Provides insurance access to small-scale farmers.
    • Economic Stability: Reduces financial strain on farmers after disasters.
    • Sustainability: Encourages data-driven, risk-resilient agriculture.

    Future Research Plans:

    Building upon the foundation of this invention, my future research will focus on advancing and expanding its applications to maximize impact in agriculture and beyond. Key areas of exploration include:

    1. Enhancing IoT Integration for Precision Agriculture

    Aimed to develop more advanced IoT devices and sensors that can collect highly specific data on soil quality, weather patterns, and crop health. This data will improve the system’s ability to predict risks and tailor insurance policies to individual farms. Research will also involve optimizing sensor networks for affordability and accessibility to smallholder farmers.

    2. Developing Dynamic Risk Assessment Models

    By incorporating machine learning and predictive analytics, I plan to create dynamic risk assessment models. These models will continuously learn from real-time data and historical trends, allowing the system to provide proactive alerts to farmers about potential risks and automatically adjust insurance terms to reflect current conditions.

    3. Expanding Blockchain Applications Beyond Crop Insurance

    While the current focus is on crop insurance, blockchain’s secure and transparent nature offers opportunities for broader agricultural applications. I intend to explore its use for supply chain traceability, ensuring that crops reach markets efficiently and without tampering, and for facilitating peer-to-peer lending among farmers.

    4. Testing and Scaling in Diverse Agricultural Environments

    Field trials will be conducted in various regions and farming contexts to test the system’s adaptability and scalability. This includes:

    • Testing in regions prone to extreme weather conditions.
    • Evaluating the system’s performance in specialized farming industries, such as vineyards or organic farming.
    • Collaborating with agricultural cooperatives to implement the system across multiple farms simultaneously.

    5. Social and Economic Impact Assessment

    A critical part of my research will involve studying the socioeconomic impact of this invention on farmers, particularly smallholder farmers. I aim to assess how it influences their livelihoods, productivity, and financial security. This will guide future improvements to make the system more inclusive and equitable.

    6. Exploring Policy and Regulatory Frameworks

    For widespread adoption, I plan to engage with policymakers to align the system with existing agricultural and insurance regulations. The research will focus on creating policy frameworks that encourage adoption, particularly in developing regions and addressing potential legal challenges related to blockchain and data privacy.

    7. Collaborating for Multi-Sectoral Impact

    Partnerships with financial institutions, agritech companies, and government agencies to co-develop solutions that integrate blockchain-based insurance with other agricultural services, such as microloans, subsidies, and educational programs.

    By addressing these areas, my research will contribute to creating a more resilient and sustainable agricultural ecosystem, empowering farmers with cutting-edge technology while enhancing food security and economic stability globally.

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  • Bhartiya Bhasha Divas Observed December 18, 2024

    Languages have evolved well beyond their original purpose of simple message transmission; they now serve as vibrant reflections of cultural identity, culinary traditions, and the unique characteristics of various communities.

    On the occasion of “Bhartiya Bhasha Divas,” the Directorate of Student Affairs at SRM University-AP organised an engaging exhibition aimed at promoting regional languages and highlighting their significance in individuals’ lives. This day is commemorated in honour of the esteemed Tamil poet, Mahakavi Subramanya Bharati.

    The exhibition featured informative posters showcasing 22 languages spoken across India. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Manoj K Arora, inaugurated the event and actively engaged with students by quizzing them on the diverse languages of the country. During his address, he cited the National Education Policy, which advocates for education in regional languages as a key component of fostering linguistic diversity.

    Ms Revathi Balakrishnan, Associate Director of Student Affairs, highlighted the importance of the day, further enriching the audience’s understanding of linguistic heritage. The event was attended by faculty, staff, and students, including  Registrar, Dr R Premkumar ; Dean-Easwari School of Liberal Arts,  Prof. Vishnupad,  and Dr Vinayak Kalluri, Dean – Academic Affairs and Controller of Examinations.

    In addition to the exhibition, the Directorate of Student Affairs organised a thought-provoking faculty talk featuring Dr Manaswini Sen, an Assistant Professor in the Department of History. In her talk, Dr Sen quoted Dr Jayashree Subramanian’s research paper, in which she emphasised the need to teach students concepts in mathematics in their regional language rather than a foreign language to help them understand the concepts better.

    The session sparked engaging discussions led by Dr Johannes Kirscher, Associate Professor in the Department of Physics, who stressed the necessity of teaching students in their native languages. Acknowledging that some students struggle with English as the medium of instruction, faculty members proposed a collective effort to learn Telugu, thereby enhancing their ability to support students more effectively.

    The suggestions put forth emphasised the importance of personalised support, such as one-on-one tutoring for students encountering challenges with English. Additionally, there was a call to action for proactive measures to enhance English literacy among these learners. This event served as a significant reminder of the critical role that language plays in both education and community development.Through such initiatives, SRM University-AP reinforces its commitment to preserving linguistic diversity and empowering students to flourish in a multilingual environment.

     

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  • SRM University-AP Inaugurates Free Tuition Centre for School Students at Neerukonda December 18, 2024

    The Pioneer

    Eenadu

    Andhra Jyoti

    Paalana Daily

    Seema Ratnam

    Andhra Prabha

    Visalaandhra

    Andhra Patrika

    Mangalagiri Times

    Vartha

    Surya

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  • SRM University-AP Secured First Place for Flag Day Fund Collection December 12, 2024

    Surya

    Mangalagiri Times

    Visalaandhra

    Andhra Prabha

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  • Reforms in the Indian Banking Sector: A Need of the Day for Better Governance December 11, 2024

    RD Times

    Republic News India

    The Indian Bulletin

    Daily Hunt

    Indian Sentinel

    Abhyudhay Times

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  • Reskilling for the Future: Driving Career Growth Through Skill-Based L&D Programmes December 11, 2024

    The Indian Bulletin

    Daily Hunt

    Amaravati Today

    Republic News India

    Abhyudhay Times

    Indian Sentinel

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  • SRM University-AP Organises ‘Bharat Anveshan’: National-Level Short Video Competition for School Students December 11, 2024
  • Industry 4.0 Readiness: Transforming the Future of Manufacturing December 11, 2024

    The Department of Mechanical Engineering concluded its 5-day intense Faculty Development Programme on Smart Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 organised with the objective of highlighting Smart Manufacturing to boost efficiency and sustainability, fostering collaboration among researchers, academicians, and industry experts and improving manufacturing practices and sustainability through innovation.

    The FDP kick-started with a plenary lecture on Smart Manufacturing/Industry 4.0, followed by interactive sessions led by eminent speakers. The FDP witnessed industrial and academic stalwarts such as Prof. Ramesh Babu, IIT Chennai; Mr Amit Baddi, Samprama Digitech, Pune; Dr Rishi Relan, Siemens, Delhi; Prof. Kaushal Desai, IIT Jodhpur to name a few. The resource persons, experts in their specific realms, primed over 100+ participants from both in and around the varsity.

    The participants had the opportunity to learn about big data analytics and machine-to-machine communication, real-time data collection and processing using IoT, and seamless integration of manufacturing system components. The FDP encouraged extensive discussions and knowledge sharing sessions, bestowing a pivotal opportunity for participants, educators and industry practitioners to immerse themselves in the future of manufacturing.

    The FDP also offered the participants significant opportunities to contribute to the evolving manufacturing landscape, ultimately enhancing productivity, efficiency, and sustainability in their respective fields. Academic colloquiums such as these prove to be significant in readying the next cohort of engineers and technology enthusiasts to tackle the problems of tomorrow.

     

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  • Student-Teacher Collaboration Culminates in IEEE Transactions December 10, 2024

    The increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions has led to the development of hybrid energy systems that integrate renewable sources like solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and fuel cells (FC).  The practical applications of the research in sectors such as electric vehicles and residential power systems, contribute to a more reliable and sustainable energy future contributing to a more reliable and sustainable future.

    Abstract of the research.

    This paper introduces novel high-gain tertiary port boost converter (HGTPBC) designed for hybrid energy sources such as solar photovoltaic (PV) and fuel cells (FC). The converter is employed with dual input sources by facilitating modular converters and accomplishes a high step-up voltage gain by virtue of a voltage multiplier in a DC microgrid, where the prosumers can have an islanded operation. The proposed topology allows home appliances to be powered by multiple energy source without the need for a large storage unit. Key features include continuous input current, reduced normalized voltage stress on switches, expandability for multiple input sources and independent source control. The independent control facilitates the standalone operation with single source during source failure or absence. To evaluate the converter performance, a thorough steady-state analysis, both with and without consideration of nonidealities is carried out. Detailed comparisons with existing converter topologies highlight the advantages of the proposed converter. Moreover, the loss distribution and efficiency analysis of proposed converter are presented and found to be 91.59% efficiency at rated power. Theoretical aspects are validated through hardware testing on a 100W laboratory prototype.

    Explanation of the Research in layperson’s terms.

    The proposed converter is a 100W DC-DC converter topology used in hybrid energy systems applications and electric vehicular applications in DC microgrid. The converter can accept two sources like fuel cell and solar PV system to supply the load and even can be extended for a greater number of sources. Thus, it is suitable for various applications of traction vehicles, household electrifications etc. It exhibits a lower switch stress and higher step-up conversion gain.

    Practical Implementation and Social implications

    The features include high step-up conversion gain, independent control possible, reduced normalised switch voltage stress. And flexible operation based on PV availability. It is most suitable for electric vehicles, Unmanned ariel vehicles, and hybrid energy systems etc. It improves the reliability of the renewable energy source by the incorporation of the second fixed source, fuel cell. It can be used in various on-grid and off-grid applications like home, hospitals, offices, and educational institutions, especially where source reliability is necessary. The major advantage is the reduction in the size of the source due to higher step-up gain and ease of control between the sources.

    Future Research Plans

    We are working towards the development of efficient and ultra-high gain bidirectional converters for various applications on DC microgrids. That should be able of reducing the source ratings and to integrate multiple sources to improve the grid reliability. Design and implementation of bidirectional multi-port converters for various applications of DC microgrids, such as renewable and hybrid storage integration are the scope of our research.

    The link to the article- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10772206

     

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  • Dr Pankaj Pathak Honoured with the prestigious CII Award December 6, 2024

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    Seemaratnam

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    Andhra Prabha

    Andhra Patrika

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