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Silent Casualties: Languages in the Wake of Skill Subjects
Full text linkSkill training has been fervently promoted as one of the primary means to prepare for work at increasingly earlier stages of the compulsory formal education system. In a state such as Karnataka, where diverse linguistic cultures exist in schools, skill-based subjects have encroached upon the space of language subjects and teaching
Experimental Study on the Adsorption Behaviour of Molecular Sieve-3A at Various Charging Temperatures
No full textThermochemical energy storage (TCES) systems are an effective solution for long-term energy storage, offering high energy density and minimal energy losses, particularly for space heating applications. However, the practical application of inorganic salt hydrates as thermochemical materials is limited by cycling instability, agglomeration, and deliquescence during charging and discharging processes. Porous matrices, such as molecular sieve-3A, provide a promising alternative to overcome these challenges. This study evaluates the adsorption behavior of molecular sieve-3A in an open TCES system under varying charging temperatures. Experimental investigations are conducted in a rectangular reactor at an airflow velocity of 1.4 m/s and controlled inlet conditions, considering five different charging temperatures (80 °C, 90 °C, 100 °C, 110 °C, and 120 °C). Results reveal that molecular sieve-3A achieves optimal performance at a charging temperature of 120 °C, with a ~13 °C rise in the outlet air temperature and a maximum discharging efficiency of 22.86%. These findings demonstrate the potential for deploying molecular sieve-3A toward efficient energy storage in open TCES systems to ensure thermal comfort within living spaces
What’s traditional about traditional medicine? Contemporary notions of “tradition” and “modernity” among vaidya-s of rural Bengaluru
No full textThis paper discusses two apparently conflicting notions of “tradition” and “modernity” among “traditional” healers (pāraṃparika vaidya-s) in rural Bengaluru, India. On the one hand, notions of “tradition” among healers pertain to a pristine past, reconstituted from the unfavorable conditions of the present that is limited by the constraints of modernity. On the other hand, “tradition” is also dynamic, adaptive and evolving in the here and now, and is therefore an essentially “modern” and transformable contention. The paper begins with a brief discussion on the complex and ambiguous framing of “traditional medicine” and goes on to explore the situation of pāraṃparika vaidya-s within this complex medical space. It then explores pāraṃparika vaidya-s’ pragmatic and internalized notions of tradition and modernity using two lenses, (a) healers’ narratives and (b) modernizing traditions, and concludes with a discussion on healer–plant engagements
Novel multiscale model for grain-packed inorganic salt hydrate-based open thermochemical storage for low-temperature space heating applications
No full textThis study presents the development, validation, and application of a multiscale numerical model for an open thermochemical energy storage (TCES) reactor using SrBr2·6H2O as the representative reactive medium. The objective is to accurately capture and predict the coupled phenomena of heat and mass transfer occurring across two physical scales—the reactor bed and individual salt grains—during hydration and dehydration cycles. Experiments are conducted on a rectangular stainless-steel reactor filled with SrBr2·6H2O under controlled inlet air conditions. SEM images are used to estimate grain-level porosity and the particle size distribution. Grain diameters range from 0.2 mm to 4.0 mm, and porosities vary from 0.13 to 0.22 across cycles. The multiscale model is developed in MATLAB, where the bed-level routine solves conservation equations using Darcy's law and volume-averaged properties. Conversely, the grain-level routine solves unsteady diffusion-reaction equations inside the spherical salt grains. Reaction advancement modifies the grain size and the porosity dynamically, and volume-averaged source terms aid in coupling the two scales. A representative grain approach is adopted for better computational efficiency without compromising the accuracy of the results. The developed model is validated against in-house experiments and prominent literature with outlet temperature predictions, achieving R2 values of 0.93 and 0.98 for hydration and dehydration, respectively. A parametric study reveals that smaller grain sizes (0.2 mm) reduce reaction time by 47 % but increase pressure drop up to 2843 Pa. Higher energy densities (∼1.6 GJ/m3) enhance storage while increasing flow resistance. The novel framework helps evaluate TCES reactor performance with evolving material properties across different scales, and enables performance optimisation by balancing energy density, thermal output, and auxiliary power demand
Sustainable Development Goals and Vocational Skill Policy: India vis-a-vis Global Scenario
Full text linkEstimation of above ground biomass of mangrove forest plot using terrestrial laser scanner
Full text linkAbove-Ground Biomass (AGB) is an important parameter in the conservation of mangrove ecosystem owing to their ecological and economic benefits. LiDAR technologies in forest studies have become popular, due to its highly accurate 3D spatial data acquisition. In this study, we propose an end-to-end framework for estimating AGB of mangroves from Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) point clouds. The framework includes pre-processing of data, segmenting the wood and foliage at tree level using Weighted Random Forest (WRF) classifier and constructing Quantitative Structure Model (QSM) of the wooden components to estimate its biomass. The flow was extended to AGB estimation of 33 x 33 m plot by integrating tree level framework. The study also finds a unique solution to estimate the contribution of pneumatophores in the AGB. Segmentation of wood/foliage of tree point cloud using WRF yielded better results with an increment of 15.27 % in Balanced accuracy, 0.2 of Cohen’s Kappa coefficient, and 7.45 % in F1score than RF classifier. AGB estimation of mangroves using our approach using TLS data is 47.54 T/ha which has a mean bias of 0.0044 T/ha and RMS variation of 0.026 T/ ha when compared with the allometric methods. A Breadth-first graph-search segmentation approach was used to count the pneumatophores, aerial roots seen in few mangrove species (R2 = 0.94 with manual counting) and estimate its contribution to AGB of mangroves which is first of its kind using TLS point cloud. This outcome could also aid future studies in modeling the underlying root network and estimating the below-ground biomass