Dr Sandeep Project

The Department of Mathematics is glad to announce that the project of Dr Sandeep Kumar Verma, Assistant Professor, titled “Investigation and development of wavelet transform and its applications in the framework of fractional Dunkl transform”, has been selected to be funded by DST, Govt. of India under SERB-SURE Scheme, securing an approved grant of 20.13 Lacs. Dr Sandeep Kumar Verma is the Principal Investigator of the project.

Title of the Project: Investigation and development of wavelet transform and its applications in the framework of fractional Dunkl transform

Approved Grant: 20.13 Lacs (As per university calculation)

Funded by: DST, Govt. of India under SERB-SURE Scheme

PI: Dr Sandeep Kumar Verma, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics

Project Summary: Dunkl operators are differential-difference operators associated with finite reflection groups in a Euclidean space. Dunkl transform is attracting widespread interest and giving us new perspectives on familiar topics from Harmonic Analysis and Partial Differential Equations. The fractional Dunkl transform (FRDT), which is introduced with one extra parameter, is the generalization of the well-known signal processing operations, such as the Fourier transform (FT), the fractional Fourier transform (FRFT), the Fresnel transform, Hankel transforms, fractional Hankel transforms, and the Dunkl transform. The FRDT will also find applications in the solution of optical systems, filter design, time-frequency analysis, and many others. The wavelet transforms (WT), which has had a growing importance in optics and signal processing, has been shown to be a successful tool for time-frequency analysis and image processing. It has found many applications in time-dependent frequency analysis of short-transient signals, data compression, optical correlators, sound analysis, representation of fractal aggregates, and many others.

The fractional wavelet transforms (FRWT) based on the fractional Fourier transform, which generalizes the classical wavelet transform, has proven potentially useful for signal processing, data compression, pattern recognition, and computer graphics. Thus, fractional wavelet transform gives more flexibility for time-frequency analysis than the usual wavelet transforms. As a generalization of the WT, a novel fractional Dunkl wavelet transform (FRDWT) can combine the advantages of the WT and the FRDT, i.e., it will be a linear transformation without cross-term interference and will be capable of providing multiresolution analysis and representing signals in the fractional domain. Simultaneously, compared to the Dunkl transforms, FRDT is more flexible for its one extra degree of freedom and can be used frequently in time-frequency analysis and non-stationary signal processing. Inspired by the fractional wavelet transform (FRWT), we introduce the concept of the (FRDWT), combining the idea of FRDT and WT. The proposed transform will not only inherit the advantages of multiresolution analysis of the WT, but also will have the capability of signal representations in the fractional Dunkl transform domain. Compared with the existing WT, the fractional Dunkl wavelet transform can offer signal representations in the time-fractional-frequency plane in the FRDT domain.

Dr Ramesh Kumar

Dr Manas Ranjan Tripathy

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Dr-Ghanshyam-Pandey

Dr Ghanshyam Kumar Pandey, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics has published a paper titled “Market Integration of Chickpea Crop: An Evidence of India”, in the esteemed Q1 Journal, Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies having an impact factor of 3.50. Through this paper, Dr Pandey analyses the integration and direction of causality of prices of chickpea produce in the markets of India.

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the market integration and direction of causality of wholesale and retail prices for chickpea legumes in major chickpea markets in India.

Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, the authors have employed the Johansen co-integration test, Granger causality test, vector autoregression (VAR), and vector error correction model (VECM) to examine the integration of markets. The authors use monthly wholesale and retail price data of the chickpea crop from select markets in India spanning January 2003–December 2020.

Findings – The results of this study strongly confirm the co-integration and interdependency of the selected chickpea markets in India. However, the speed of adjustment of prices in the wholesale market is weakest in Bikaner, followed by Daryapur and Narsinghpur; it is relatively moderate in Gulbarga. In contrast, the speed of adjustment is negative for Bhopal and Delhi, weak for Nasik, and moderate for retail market prices in Bangalore. The results of the causality test show that the Narsinghpur, Daryapur, and Gulbarga markets are the most influential, with bidirectional relations in the case of wholesale market prices. Meanwhile, the Bangalore market is the most connected and effective retail market among the selected retail markets. It has bidirectional price transmission with two other markets, i.e., Bhopal and Nasik.

Research limitations/implications – This paper calls for forthcoming studies to investigate the impact of external and internal factors, such as market infrastructure; government policy regarding self-reliant production; product physical characteristics; and rate of utilisation indicating market integration. They should also focus on strengthening information technology for the regular flow of market information to help farmers increase their incomes. Very few studies have explored market efficiency and direction of causality using both linear and nonlinear techniques for wholesale and retail prices of chickpeas in India.

chickpea-crop-research

finance-guest-talk

The B-School of SRM University-AP frequently organises invited lectures and guest talks by renowned industry experts that enlighten the students of the Paari School of Business on the evolving domains of business, finance and management. A recent guest talk featuring Dr Manish Jha, MD of Briisk Limited, founder and MD of Finkai and Myra Academy, as the keynote speaker was conducted on the topic “Digital Transformation in Financial Services: Challenges and Opportunities” on May 27, 2023.

Dr Manish Jha explicated the various nuances of the industry and advised the students on the specific skillsets that have to be mastered to survive in the rat race. He stated that improvisation skill is more important to survive in this dynamic field. Dr Jha explained the importance of an MBA and the difference in expectation and reality while pursuing a Master’s in Business. A detailed overview of different specialisations along with their scopes and opportunities was also discussed. He had also real-life examples from his own journey that deeply impressed and motivated the students and faculty of the school. Dr Jha also addressed Ms Sudha, who was also a guest at the talk and remarked that she is an inspiration for all the girl students who are interested in building up themselves.

raviteja-best paper-award

The Department of Civil Engineering is glad to announce that Dr Raviteja KVNS, Assistant Professor, has received the Best Paper Award for his paper titled “Compressibility Characteristics of Bentonite Amended Fly Ash Liners Exposed to Phosphate Contamination” at the 2nd International Conference RAISE 2023 (Recent Advances in Sustainable Environment) held on May 15-16, 2023. Dr Raviteja collaborated with Dr Janga Jagadeesh Kumar and Dr Krishna R Reddy, Civil, Materials and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago for the research paper. Their cutting-edge research focused on developing alternate liner materials for waste containment systems.

Abstract

Waste containment systems like landfills, and impoundments are often lined with low permeable clays of hydraulic conductivity less than 10-7 cm/s. However, it is often challenging to get large volumes of low permeable clays near the project site. Conveyance of large volumes of clay from distant locations can be unsustainable due to the associated carbon emissions and energy costs, and not viable financially. Hence, there is a need to identify alternative liner materials without compromising on the containment capabilities. This study proposes the use of fly ash, amended with bentonite, as an alternative to the traditional liner systems. From preliminary studies, it is understood that a mixture of 80% fly ash amended with 20% bentonite is optimal to function as an effective liner material. However, the hydro-mechanical stability of liners needs to be investigated under different contamination scenarios. The present study reports the compressibility behavior of the proposed liner system under phosphate contamination, typically found in landfill leachate, impoundments, and stormwater retention ponds. One-dimensional consolidation tests were conducted on pure bentonite and fly ash with water to study the compressibility characteristics of individual materials. The optimum mix (80-20) was then tested at three different solutions exposure: water, 3.2 mg/L PO4-3-P and 12 mg/L PO4-3-P. It is depicted that the addition of 20% bentonite to fly ash did not affect the compressibility significantly, while the presence of phosphate contamination did not compromise the hydro-mechanical stability of the proposed liner system.

mou-nitte

SRM University-AP inked an MoU with NITTE (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, on June 16, 2023, to promote academics and research in Biological Science. The MoU was signed at the NITTE Mangalore campus by Dr R Premkumar, Registrar, SRM University-AP and Prof. Dr Harsha Halahalli, Registrar, NITTE, in the presence of Prof. Dr MS Moodithaya, Vice-Chancellor, NITTE.

Prof. Dr MS Moodithaya termed this association a very important one for the university and expressed his confidence that the formal agreement will foster a mutually beneficial relationship through knowledge exchange, academic excellence, and research of societal relevance between the Universities. “I hope this collaboration can leverage both university’s strengths and complementary skills to undertake research projects that require a combination of expertise. I look forward to the synergy leading to more comprehensive and impactful research outcomes”, commented Prof. Manoj K Arora, Vice Chancellor, SRM University-AP, in response to the MoU.

Prof. Jayaseelan Murugaiyan, Head-Department of Biological Sciences, SRM University-AP and Dr Krishna Kumar, Associate Professor, NITTE University Centre for Science, Education and Research (NUCSER), have been collaborating for the last couple of years in the field of antimicrobial resistance. Prof. Anirban Chakraborty, Director- NUCSER and Prof. Jayaseelan Murugaiyan, SRM University-AP, are the authorised representatives from the respective universities. The Director, R&D; Director, Projects and DST-NUTEC; Director, Academia- Industry collaborations; Director, Institute Innovation Council; and Director, PG Studies and Clinical Research were among the others present on this occasion.

Dr Naresh Kumar Vemula

world-environment-day

The Department of Environmental Science and Engineering celebrated World Environment Day on June 05, 2023, initiating awareness of the need to combat the climate crisis posed by global plastic pollution. The department organised two invited lectures from industry experts to expound on the theme of World Environment Day 2023, “Solutions to Plastic Pollution”. Efficient ways to tackle plastic pollution in the country and local waste management systems and policies were key points of discussion. Prof. K V Jayakumar, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Warangal and Mr M V Chary, President, Jindal Urban Waste Management, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, were the invited speakers.

Prof. K V Jayakumar lent thought-provoking insights into the types of water and how marketing strategies sell water at high prices to consumers. He also shared his experience of his visits to other countries in Europe and Asia where water is utilised wisely. Apart from water and plastic pollution, he also addressed the pressing issue of climate change happening over the years and the consequent increase in temperature. Prof. Jayakumar also suggested the book “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson, which is often viewed as a landmark work of environmental writing, focusing on the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment.

Mr M V Chary shared in-depth information about the Jindal Urban Waste Management at Guntur, stating the various source of waste, collection points, transportation to the Jindal Waste – Energy Plant, and how waste is converted to energy (through incineration) at the plant. Unique aspects of the plant were also discussed at length, along with a video presentation demonstrating the complete working of the plant. The interactive session with Mr Chary, wherein he shared his expertise in the industrial sector, was beneficial for the students.

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A pledge was taken by all participants at the end of the seminar emphasising the importance of saving the environment, sustainable resource management and the need of awareness among all in reducing the pollution as well as global warming and climate change.

Dr Karthik Rajendran, HOD of the Department, delivered the welcome address and the event witnessed an active participation of 85 participants which constitutes Professors, Faculty, PhD Scholars, Undergraduate students from various departments. There were also faculty and scholars from neighbouring colleges such as Acharya Nagarjuna University, Sidhartha Mahila Kalasala and Ministry of Culture, New Delhi.

Dr Anirban Bhar