Karnataka govt. laying greater emphasis on Nanotechnology research, says Minister N S Boseraju
Bengaluru (PTI): Minister of Science and Technology N S Boseraju on Tuesday said significant steps are being taken to position Karnataka as a leading state in nanotechnology research and this will be achieved through the Karnataka State Research Foundation (KSRF) and Karnataka R&D Innovation Platform (e-KRDIP).
Speaking at the "Bengaluru India Nano 2024" curtain raiser press meet here, he highlighted Bengaluru's status as one of the world's leading cities for innovation, and Karnataka's reputation as an industrially-friendly state.
He emphasised the state government's robust support for startups and the establishment of new enterprises, and said that "revolutionary'' state schemes have attracted leading global companies to Karnataka. The state boasts a conducive environment for research and ample human resources.
The 13th edition of Bengaluru India Nano, a three-day event which is set to take place from August 1 and 3, is being organised by the Department of Science and Technology of Government of Karnataka, Karnataka Science and Technology Promotion Society and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research.
The KSRF has been established to foster a supportive environment for startups and enterprises to conduct research and manufacture new products, according to officials. This initiative is a pivotal step towards transforming Karnataka into a research hub, they said. Additionally, the e-KRDIP is being established to disseminate the results of new research to the general public, startups, and enterprises. Nanotechnology research will be given high priority through these two institutions.
Bengaluru India Nano 2024 will focus on the theme "Nanotechnology for Sustainable Climate, Energy, and Healthcare."
The summit will witness participation of more than 700 registered delegates and 75 expert speakers in over 25 conference sessions. Pre-conference tutorials, which will also be organised as part of the summit, will offer in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience in various aspects of nanotechnology, catering to both beginners and seasoned professionals, it was stated.
The pre-conference tutorial will delve into key topics including Nano-Fabrication, Nano Characterisation and Nano Biology. The event will also feature a poster showcase which will give an opportunity to more than 175 young researchers from academia and research institutions to display their innovative research posters.
Boseraju said necessary grants for research are already being provided by the department, and additional programmes are being developed at the government level to further advance research in this field.
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England sticking with Key, McCullum and Stokes despite Ashes humbling
London (AP): England is not sacking anybody following the 4-1 Ashes loss in Australia.
A review of the tour by the England and Wales Cricket Board, announced within hours of the final match in January, was concluded on Monday. Firing people would “be the easy thing to do,” ECB chief executive Richard Gould said but he insisted, "This is not the time to throw everything out."
Managing director Rob Key, coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes kept their jobs after the best England side to go to Australia in 14 years lost the Ashes in 11 days with two games to spare.
“Moving people on can sometimes be the easy thing to do. That's not the route that we're going to take,” Gould said. “I've seen the driving ambition and determination that we're lucky enough to have within our leadership group to take the lessons from the Ashes and move forward.”
Gould previously was the chief executive of Bristol City soccer club and said the ECB would not follow the same route as soccer's hire-and-fire culture.
“Cricket is a very unique sport in that it takes a team of leadership ... it's not like football where there's a single point of failure or success with a manager," he said. He added the ECB would not “select or deselect management based on a popularity campaign.”
The main criticisms of England's tour were poor preparation, player misbehavior, and selection mistakes.
At a press conference at Lord's, Gould and Key said McCullum and Stokes have not had a “bust up,” they did not want McCullum to “completely change” but “to evolve,” the behavior of some players was “unprofessional,” there will be more consequences for underperforming, and a commitment to “better long-term planning” ahead of major test series.
Some changes were already implemented for the Twenty20 World Cup, where England reached the semifinals. Gould implied that performance saved McCullum.
Key acknowledged that England supporters would be disappointed to see the management team go unpunished.
“I know people want punishment and that people then should be sacked for that,” Key said. “That doesn't mean we don't feel like we've gone through some serious pain: Brendon, myself, Ben. It's been as tough a time as I think I've had.”
