2020 – Page 3 – Adamas University

#BrandCommPlus: Positive Brand Communication In The Present Scenario Of Covid-19

During this recent pandemic most organizations is dealing with an economic slowdown or trying to overcome the financial crisis happened during the shutdown. In regard to this, marketing strategy is need of the hour. A lot of creativity is also required for obligatory economic boost which should ensure the effective brand communication strategy that endures to the target audiences or consumers. This is probably the most testing time for most brands to connect with their audience. To cheer up the economic scenario, most brands have adapted the convergent media with effective communication which not only entails the business but to highlight the positive side of it. For this the strategy of brand communication has changed its phenomenon of ‘appeal’. The rational and emotional appeal has been blended together for effective communication.

Although COVID 19 has disrupted the way the world’s normalcy it has shown the power of communication especially in digital platform. One cannot go out but one can have all kind of services by sitting at home. The product list is endless and needless to mention here.

So the question comes how the different brands are building a connection with potential new customers and simultaneously maintaining its existing consumers.

Recent brands have adapted the following techniques:

By adapting sales model
Hash tag skills- engage in relevant hash tags
Supporting who are at major risk or are vulnerable
Digital communication to make your audience stick to
Entertainment quotient
Inform
Engagement
Compliments
Free trials
Communication Transparency
Coupons
Offers
Awareness

Attributes require for positive construction of messages-

Social Platform-

During this period, social media is the dominant channel of communication which is the main factor for people to engage in various things. They able to create distancing, their online activity has not only increased but has probably become the primary means of communication with others. With easy internet access especially Facebook, a number of different OTT platforms, and an estimated 380 million user in India are using social media. To increase the brand visibility through organic means and with each platform having a different style of content and catering to a different type of consumer, creativity will be required in creating content specific to the target platform.

Remote Customer Service-

Reaching to the potential customers with broader service facility should be adopted. The customer service at home is the new normal and need of the hour. Now a day various brands highlighting the aspect of home bound service with proper pre caution which eventually builds the trust among the audiences.

Redefine the as usual marketing approach-

The period of reassess the communication strategy is highly essential. The older method of connecting with the people through conventional marketing approach should be revamped and redesign the 360 degree convergent media techniques should be adopted to be at par with the digital communication integrated marketing phenomenon.

Empathetic approach-

In this uncertain time, the people are struggling with their own problem. In this time the best way to connect with the audience is to have empathetic approach. The brand could well connect with the people if the consumers feel that it cares for them. It could have rational approach by disseminating proper information which should be free of weasel claims or exaggerated content.

Deciphering Educational Content-

Now the brands are generally educating and informing the public. So by adapting new innovative approach with animation, humour it has become more focussing on educating the public.

Recent Example:

Brands	Newer Approach	Appeal
Lifebuoy	Spread Good Habits and Stay Protected	Rational
Dettol	Adapted Hash Tag (#covid19 wash your hand campaign)	Rational
Bajaj Anti Germ Fan	A fan which cleans germs!	Weasel Claim
Wipro	Hygienic Hand Sanitizer claims ‘our commitment to fight Covid-19’	Rational
‘Multani Kuka’- cough syrup	Get your immunity boosted with stay home stay safe campaign	Weasel Claim
Revital- Energy Tablet	Immunity booster that fights for Corona virus	Personal
Lizol- Disinfectent	Fights for viruses and makes healthy	Empathy
Dairy Milk from Cadbury	Empathy for ones service	Emotional
Zomato- home delivery	With all safety measures… that they work for you to be at home	Empathy
Urban Company	Safe Salon at home service	Personal

For any business in these times each and every action it will take could be have excellent or negative impact to the brand. However, by using empathy to dexterity an edifying social media campaign, it could reach its targeted audience eventually. The focus should not adapt the factual content rather it should entice the real pragmatic approach to deal with the audiences or consumers. There is an opportunity for reviving the image of the brand and to show that it genuinely cares about its potential consumers.

#TravelWritingNext: Evolution of Travel Writing and the Road Ahead

Like almost everything else, the genre of Travel Writing has also undergone significant changes over the time. In the past, travel to distant places was mostly a unique experience available to a select few. Gradually, travel has become relatively accessible and cheaper to a much wider section of the public. Earlier, travel writings were more about the writer/ traveller venturing into the “unknown” and “undiscovered” lands, encountering dangers and experiencing exotic places. From Herodotus’s Histories, to Zhang Qian and Ibn Battuta’s narratives, travel writing in the ancient eras has largely depended on reportage and on the ground enquiry to make sense of the places the writers visited. As the world continued to shrink, thanks to several scientific discoveries and revolutions in transportation, travel writing ceased to be primarily a source of information about faraway places. With almost no place waiting to be “explored”, readers no longer looked for ‘information’ in the travel books but rather sought to establish a sort of connection with the writer whereby both share the same journey and experience the same essence in the shared space of narratives. As a result, travel writings tended to become more and more personal in nature.

In the recent decades, media and technology have played a crucial role in shaping the nature of contemporary travel writings. In the era of social media where information is readily available, photos are shared instantly and videos are broadcasted and shared from all parts of the globe, travel writers are exploring ways to succeed and thrive in the changed environment. This has invariably resulted in the exploration of new media platforms. Travel writers can now publish their works online through websites, blogs or even social media accounts. Although the printed books still remain important medium, writers are no longer dependent on the print-publishers to reach out to their audiences. This has great implications; by dismantling the traditional writer-publisher-reader chain, the new process leads the writers to address those dimensions of the genre which were hitherto untouched or unexplored. Thus online platforms have brought in more variety, diversity and innovation in terms of both content and the technique of writing. With the advent and popularity of travel blogging, anyone can publish their travel experiences without the supervision or censorship of an editorial body. This has not only reduced the space between the writer and the reader but also led to the creation of a pool of online content of diverse themes, qualities and most significantly, divergent perspectives.

‘Amateur blogging’ has most certainly revolutionized the nature and market of travel writing thereby rendering the task of professional writers even more challenging. Several researches and surveys have shown that many professional writers now look for personal branding to solidify their credibility and to build a loyal ‘fan-base’ that help to sustain their appeal to the market. This ‘branding’ facilitates to develop a sort of power equation that distinguishes professional writers from the amateurs. However, this distinction also gets blurred quite often.

Travelling and travel industry is one of the worst affected areas by the onslaught of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. With unprecedented restrictions imposed on travel, travelling itself has become an issue of concern. Nobody is quite sure as to when travelling will return or whether at all it will return to its pre-COVID-19 form. With most countries closing their doors to foreign visitors until the situation gets back to ‘normal’, many are of the opinion that travelling will have changed by the humanity recovers from the shock, panic and fear. Some predict a less mobile future of travel which might witness an increased focus on local destinations in the near future. On a grimmer tone, some conjecture that travel might never return to the normalcy as we know it. With questions of safety and security looming large in the minds of people, the pandemic has radically altered the perceptions associated with travelling.

However, one interesting observation is that the lock-down days have witnessed a significant spike in the sale of travel books. Although this could be a temporary surge, this does testify to the collective wanderlust that characterizes human beings in general and have made travel writing as one of the most popular genre of literary writings.

Despite the changes and evolution in the genre discussed above, the essence of travel writing has remained the same and will perhaps stay that way in future as well. Soaking in the ambience, listening to people, relishing local foods, probing cultural nuances of a particular place and so on will always remain the common features of these narratives. From the ancient era, travel writing has also relied upon the most ancient art of storytelling. Stories, in any forms, have always appealed to human psyche and just recounting honest experience embedded in a form of story will always remain at the heart of travel writings. Experimentation with the form, medium and technique notwithstanding, these core essences will continue to breathe life into the travel accounts thereby keeping people hooked to the narratives.

#PositiveCorona: Towards a New Alternative in Macroeconomics

Every crisis has a silver lining. It challenges people to think out of the boxes, it forges solidarity in thought and action in the most precarious of times. This pandemic is no different. A silver lining of the pandemic is that pitfalls of globalization is entering popular discourse. Popular consensus is emerging that allowing free market to wreak havoc for profit motive can never stabilize the economy. This has been debated in niche theoretical circles…however the pandemic is offering profuse empirical evidences which is challenging the mainstream discourse. State institutions should be held accountable. Markets collapse in times of crisis. Health and education cannot be left to rot. Intervention in the economy is dire necessity if we want a dignified employment, standard of living for all. Economics, macroeconomics enters precisely at this moment.

This pandemic again has brought macroeconomics to forefront. The task of comprehending and formulating policies, learning from empirical data and building theoretical frameworks is the need of the hour. Frameworks that can explain the current crisis. Frameworks that can envision a radical new.

Let us understand with the help of an example, in Indian context. A guaranteed monthly income to all households called Universal Basic Income (UBI) has been championed by many economists earlier. This pandemic has thrown people out of their jobs, seeing mass exodus of migrant workers returning to their native places without a penny. So, in these moments of crisis people should be endowed with a basic sum to insure against these hard times. Inflation i.e. state of rising prices is not a concern now. People should have money so that they can afford to buy their necessities. So here again the accountability of the government, its institutions seep in. This has become a major mainstream debate now.

The 90’s were the time when globalization and liberalization were gradually becoming universal palliatives, prescribed by the leading think tanks across the globe. But history has it, we are witnessing a time when access to education, health is becoming a major concern, health or education cannot be for the few…rather they are the pillars on which the economy stands. The economics which is taught today stands on the hallmark of globalization and liberalization, society here is taught to be comprised of rational self- utility maximizing individuals. But if that was the case, we would have never seen so much social solidarity in this pandemic, so much relief work going on during Amphan or the teaching community coming forward to take into account the plight, distress of the under privileged children. All these purviews are entering economics, as it is so closely tied with society and politics. The niche school of thoughts are slowly gaining ground, the lines of Keynes, Kalecki are becoming all the more prominent.

A hopelessly hopeful like me can think of all these positivity in the times of Corona. What I have been trying to communicate through years of teaching to my students, has been rendered very commonsensical by the pandemic.

#BiochemistryPlus: Biochemistry and Medical Science-Two Mutually Linked Subjects

Contributors:

Subhendu Bandopadhayay (Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Biotechnology).
Srijan Haldar (Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Biotechnology).
Arnab K Ghosh (Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Biotechnology).

A career in medicine is always like a dream for a student after HS (10+2) results as it provides the opportunity to serve the society and at the same time brings huge financial stability and honor. At the same time, we all know that cracking the medical entrance is not easy at all and sometimes students with very good preparations falter. But what we don’t know is that there are several other options which are also good or even better in scope and opportunities. One such option is graduation in Biochemistry followed by a research career that is closely related to medical sciences. Even a graduate in Biochemistry can serve the healthcare industry with other roles i.e increasing in demand day by day. Let’s find out what is common between Biochemistry and Medical Science and why it is worth studying as an alternative option.

The total health care system starting from diagnostics, drug development, and prescribing medicines by a doctor heavily depends on medical research data. It is a fact that a battery of biomedical scientists is always working on these aspects of medical sciences and coming out with valuable inputs which are implemented by front line medical practitioners. As an example, we can simply think about the development of Covid-19 test kits which have been developed by research scientists working in different laboratories. Likewise, the total effort going on for the development of a Covid-19 vaccine is also undergoing in a laboratory set up performed by biomedical scientists. Therefore, it can be rightly said that medical research is the backbone of medical science. Here comes the scope of studying biochemistry and ensuring a career in medical research.

Biochemistry is the study of chemical aspects of life. Life on earth is nothing but a bunch of biochemical reactions and pathways. The goal of medical science indeed is not only to expand our knowledge of the nature of life but also it exists in the practical application in the clinical field. Biochemical analysis is the key thing to facilitate and understand the molecular phenomena and the data collected from these researches provide strong support to the health workers to serve mankind in a better way. The advancement occurred in the field of genomics like the discovery of artificial gene silencing techniques through RNA interference, artificial induction of pluripotent embryonic stem cells for the creation of transgenic animals opened up the strategies to treat diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes and many more. Shortly with the help of patient genetic data doctors will treat patients so that he or she can be supported with an individual specific medicine. The path of medicine in the upcoming years lies in the outcome provided by biochemists in the laboratory environment. The cumulative effect of scientific wisdom and practical application strategies help to increase the life span by understanding the molecular cause of different disease and potential treatment possibilities. Biochemistry students in their curriculum learn different papers like cell biology, immunology, microbiology, clinical biochemistry, cancer biology, etc. which give them wholesome knowledge to understand modern biological research. They perform hands-on practice using sophisticated instruments like microscopes, centrifuges, PCR machines, spectrophotometers, colorimeters, etc. which help them to grow the analytical mind. All these learning and training modules help them to become future medical scientists.

In developed countries, there is a greater focus on medical research which resulted in excellent medical expertise. Developing countries like India have now focused on this area and more funding is also available to develop our medical systems. The present pandemic situation has increased this aspect many folds and there is a greater need both in academic and professional terms of studying biochemistry as a stepping stone to become medical scientists. Apart from being a scientist, a biochemistry post-graduate and Ph.D. holder can also choose a career in academics where he/she can guide and encourage young minds.

Biochemistry postgraduates can also find a career in clinical diagnosis and pathology. In clinical diagnosis, they have to identify the disease based on the signs, symptoms, and medical history. A pathologist on the other hand works in hospital labs or pathology groups to analyze different samples and assist diagnosis and treatment for patients. A medical transcriptionist is another very upcoming career choice for biochemistry graduates nowadays. It is an allied health profession in which professionals transcribe voice messages dictated by health practitioners and make clinical reports. They not only write medical reports based on voice messages but also review and edit these messages to create new medical reports. Hence people with knowledge in biochemistry can opt for this profession which is related to medical science.

The clinical coordinator is another very promising career aspect for young biochemistry graduates where they have to oversee the daily operations of a healthcare program. Big healthcare groups are now hiring people from bioscience background for clinical coordinator post where they act as a liaison between patient families and healthcare professionals. These professionals also oversee budgets, hire people, and train staff to implement company policies.

Each year medical device manufacturing companies hire lots of people with bioscience background as marketing executives to market their products, they need people who understand the science behind instruments. All these marketing executives go to scientists or doctors to promote their products and maximize profit by developing sales strategies. In this way, they play an integral role in brand making and success.

A biochemistry graduate or postgraduate can also serve the healthcare system after getting into government health systems through different posts like pathologists, epidemiologists, medical officers, scientific officers, patent officers, etc. Post-COVID era will see an increase in all these jobs and a biochemistry degree will certainly help a student to acquire all these jobs easily as the knowledge of biochemistry will give them an extra edge over other bioscience people as it provides in-depth knowhow of all the life processes.

Adamas University, the best private university in eastern India, provides both graduation, post-graduation, and five-year Integrated (BSc. + MSc.) courses in Biochemistry. The department has an array of highly qualified faculties and state of the art lab infrastructure to guide young minds. Therefore, it is the right time to pursue Biochemistry for a better future in medical sciences.

#EnvironmentPlus: Environmental Science Offers a Career of being the Carrier of Change

The tragic Covid-19 outbreak has shaken the whole world with its superpower and life has come to a standstill. Nothing could have stopped the “superior to all the species on earth” like this before except this deadly virus. The death toll is increasing at an alarming rate, millions of people have been affected globally and new cases are emerging every day.

Undoubtedly, combating COVID-19 is the current biggest global crisis that humanity is encountering which is an annexation to the already existing global environmental crisis since decades including global warming, climate change, pollution, loss of biodiversity, land management and urban sprawl, deforestation to name a few. These problems became the major focus of scientists of various disciplines as these were discerned as the paramount threats to the life-supporting environment of the earth making our survival increasingly unsafe.

What is Environmental Science?

Environmental problems are highly complex and a holistic understanding of the dynamics of the problems became crucial which demanded an interdisciplinary effort. To fill in this gap, Environmental science evolved as a new academic discipline which is an interdisciplinary subject comprised of various branch of studies including chemistry, physics, geography, geology, life science, agriculture, public health and sanitary engineering, atmospheric science and social sciences. encompassing integrated approach of studying our environmental systems and finding the solutions to the problems. It is an integrated, quantitative and interdisciplinary approach to study the environmental systems and to understand causes, effects and solutions to the environmental problems.

Types of Environmental Science Degrees

Bachelors in Environmental Science: A Bachelor’s of Environmental Science is a three-year program offered at various universities worldwide. After completion of the degree the students may go for higher education or find entry-level positions in companies or research organizations.

Masters in Environmental Science: A Master’s Degree in Environmental Science can be obtained either by those who obtained a bachelor’s in the same subject or the bachelor degree holders of other science disciplines such as, chemistry, physics, life sciences. Post graduate are considered for higher level position in industries.

PhD/Doctorate in Environmental Science: If you are interested for research in the relevant field one can also obtain a PhD in Environmental Science after M.Sc. Ph.D. degree is now mandatory to get faculty position at college/university level.

We at Adamas University, Barasat, Kolkata are offering both BSc. And MSc. in Environmental Science from this current academic session August, 2020.

Career opportunities

Multidisciplinary nature of the subject and the transferable skills that are developed create wide range of career opportunities. The applicability of the subject is revolved around three key areas- (i) resource management, (ii) Environmental protection and (iii) Environmental Sustainability

Popular Environmental science career options:

Environmental Scientist: They are employed by management, scientific, technical consulting firms or government agencies where they help the organization to meet environmental compliances by adopting clean technologies, waste management and pollution prevention. They are involved in analyzing sample of soil, water, food to collect environmental data, assessing threats to environment and developing strategies to mitigate the problems through scientific analysis.

Environmental Engineer: Environmental engineers with their problem-solving abilities and scientific skills provide technological solutions to protect, restore and preserve our planet. Typical responsibilities of an environmental engineer involve designing of processes to protect environment, collection of data from range of sources through site assessment, environmental monitoring and third party report, evaluate the environmental impact of construction project.

Nature conservation officer: If you are passionate about environmental protection and dream to work in the conservation of nature directly, then this is where you should go after studying environmental science. Nature conservation officer are involved in preparation and implementation of management plans based on ecological survey and scientific observation for sustainable land use and resource management. They also take part to raise awareness of environmental issues and promote of concept of sustainability to all sectors of local community.

Environmental consultant: Environmental consultants are hired by the governments, private sectors or NGOs for providing expert advisory and assessment services with the aim of minimizing or eliminating environmental damage.

Environmental education Officer: If teaching is your passion and environment is your concern but you do not like to take a classic job in school, college or university then this alternative may be of your choice. Environmental education officer is typically involved in making people aware of environmental issues by promoting educational programs for school children, adults, community groups or visitors to visitors to site of special environmental interest.

Sustainability consultant: One of the most lucrative green job option after studying environmental science/engineering is sustainability consultant. Many of business operations are now focusing more on going green i.e. socially and environmentally responsible business practices which demanding the skilled professional like sustainability consultant. Sustainability consultants provide a wide variety of services including development and implementation of overall strategic sustainability plans focused on low carbon footprint, reduction of resources use i.e. energy, water, oil, renewable energy, zero waste, green building design.

Waste management officer: The responsibilities of waste management officer is primarily to organize and monitor the collection, transport, handling, disposal and often recycling of waste ensuring compliance with current legislation in transportation, handling and disposal facilities.

Water quality expert: Water quality experts are acquired with the skills of collection, testing and analysis statistical data of water quality parameters and protecting all aspects of water quality through setting targets and standards in response to specific legislation based on scientific analysis.

Environmental health safety manager: This career option is developing high demand in recent days. Environmental Health and Safety Managers are employed by private or public sector organizations where they are engaged in implementation of promoting safe working practices for employees to ensure that they comply with environmental legislation regarding safety in the workplace.

Geographic information systems specialist: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a software-based method for collecting, managing, analyzing, modeling, and presenting geographic or spatial data which is used in a wide range of areas, including health, city government, transportation, urban planning and many more. Market demand of GIS specialist is noticeably high.

Academician: Environmental Science is taught almost at every level from school to university. Therefore, the requirement of subject teacher is always there in demand.

Research Scientist: After completion of Master’s degree in Environmental Science students can apply for Ph.D. fellowship in national and international research organizations. They can also join as research assistant/officer in various Government and private Laboratories.

Environmental science professionals will be in high demand due to growing focus on environment friendly practices in the public and private sectors. The realization that environment friendly practices are overall cost effective, efficient and promote good growth of the organization is the driving force for increase in the recruitment of skilled knowledgeable environmental science personnel. Employment of environmental scientists and specialists is projected to grow 11% from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations according to The Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), UK.

Sources:

https://www.environmentalscience.org/careers

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/environmental-science

https://www.petersons.com/blog/environmental-science-jobs-on-the-rise/

#EnergyNext: Looking for an efficient alternative in the domain of Renewable Energy: the Solar-energy and Solar-cells

Introduction:

Discovery of electricity brought a revolution to human society. Since then the demand of electricity is escalating day by day. In 2004, the total world energy consumption was found roughly 14.5 terawatts (TW) per-day. This huge consumption of energy was first highlighted by Professor Richard E. Smalley as terawatts challenge (December 2004, Materials Research Society Fall Meeting in Boston). The Energy Information Administration (EIA) of United States regularly published survey reports on total world energy consumptions. According to EIA reports, the consumption was 104,426 TWh in 2012, increased to 113,009 TWh in 2017 (wikipedia.org/wiki/World energy consumption). The energy consumption is typically measured per year basis and it includes all possible energy harnessed from all possible energy resources; such as fossil fuels, hydrothermal power, nuclear power, and others (solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, known as renewable energy sources). To meet-up this ever-increasing energy needs, we need to develop and deploy technology to use renewable resources available to us alongwith the improvement of electrical grid and energy storage devices.[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Electricity Generation:

Electricity generated from different energy resources is given in the figure here (provided by International Energy Agency, 2019). We can see even today the electricity generation mostly (~70 %) depend on fossil fuels. Nearly 20 % is coming from hydrothermal power-plant and only 7 % is coming from solar energy and wind power. Hydropower is an excellent renewable energy source but it requires reserved water in reservoirs at high altitudes, therefore not suitable for every place in earth. Another choice is off-course geothermal energy. It can provide almost what we need at present but generation and extraction of electricity from geothermal-source into usable from is very difficult. Solar energy and wind power are very promising renewable energy resources. Future of electricity generation and supply will possibly depend on these two. I highlight the importance of solar energy as a renewable source and development of solar cells in the following sections.

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Why do we need solar energy?

The main concern is that we need huge amount of energy per-day (roughly 15 TW). At the moment most of the energy is coming from fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, natural-gases), non-renewable resources. These fossil fuels take millions of years to reform and if we consumed at the present rate then the available amount of reserved oil, natural gases and coal will end up soon. So, we need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and look for alternatives. In addition, burning of fossil fuels generates CO₂/CO gases causing environmental pollution. We are looking for some alternatives that are more environment friendly.

The Sun is a massive source of energy. Nuclear fusion reactions always go on inside the Sun, in which hydrogen atoms fused into helium atoms, realising energy into space in the form of radiation. Our Earth receives energy from the Sun in two forms : heat and light. Direct radiation from the Sun reaches almost every corners of earth. Total energy received by earth from Sun is roughly 1.75×10¹⁷ Watts. Here we need to consider loss of radiation due to atmospheric scattering and absorption of radiation in the upper atmosphere. Almost 30% of the incoming radiation is reflected back into space and rest portion is absorbed by clouds, oceans and land-masses (wikipedia.org/wiki/solar-energy). We consider the energy absorbed by the land-mass only, termed as technical potential of direct radiation; it is P_technical = 26,000 TW. We see that P_technical is several times larger than total energy consumption per day. It is really remarkable and makes solar energy a captivating source for generation of electricity. What we need is to develop an efficient device (solar cells) to produce electricity directly from sunlight. Solar technology it is quite expensive initially but in the last 5 to 10 year development in photovoltaics is promising and prices are coming down very fast. The following sections I will focus more about solar-cells and the three generations of solar-cells.

History of Solar cells:

The photovoltaic effect was discovered in 1839, by Alexandre Edmond Becquerel and with this the journey of solar cells began. In 1983, selenium solar cell with efficiency roughly 1% (fraction of incident power converted to electricity) was developed. However next significant breakthrough in this field came in 1954, with the discovery of modern silicon solar cells in Bell Laboratory, efficiency of 6%. After that in 1959, Hoffman Electronics manufactured commercial solar cells of 10 % efficiency. Initially solar devices were quite expensive and were used in space-applications mainly. As it is not possible to carry huge batteries into space, solar cells proved to be a good alternative although it is expensive. The silicon solar module was first installed in satellite Vanguard-1, in 1958. Thereafter solar cells have been regularly used as main power source for satellites.

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Figure 1: Use of solar cells in space applications; Vanguard-1, Explorer 6 and Telstar (source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanguard 1, Explorer 6, Telstar)

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Since 1990, solar technology has been shifted slowly from silicon to gallium arsenide (GaAs) based technology. Subsequently thin film solar-cells, polymer solar-cells, multi-junction devices are developed. In this long journey, since 1839 to 2020 several milestones have been reached. Different Companies in collaboration with International Labs have participated in the race of developing solar technology; in this way efficiency and stability of the solar devices are improving day by day.

Three Generations of Solar cells:

First generation: Silicon solar-cells belong to this group, are really dominating in the market at present. Either mono-crystalline or polycrystalline silicon are used to fabricate solar cells. Generally silicon cells are thick so materials cost is huge, they are efficient and stable with reasonably high energy payback time; it means more energy/cost has been spent in manufacturing the solar-cell than electricity gained from it.

Second generation: Thin films solar cells belong to this group. Main 3 candidates are copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS), cadmium-telluride (CdTe) and amorphous silicon solar cells. Materials used here are direct band-gap semiconductors and thickness of the absorbing layer varies from few nano-meters to micro-meters. The main advantages are; much thinner than silicon cells so material cost is minimized, can be prepared on flexible substrates and have much lower energy payback time. The main drawback is they are less efficient than conventional solar cells.

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Figure 2: 2^nd generation Photovoltaic solar-cells (wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin-film solar cell)

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Third generation: Actually various different types belong to this third generation. It includes polymers solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, multi-junction solar cells, quantum-dot solar cells, and perovskite solar cells (wikipedia.org/wiki/Third-generation photovoltaic cell).

Polymers cells come under organic solar-cells. Polymers cells can prepared directly from solutions, they can be printed or coated over a flexible substrate. The production time is less hence they have really low energy payback time.
Multi-junction cells consist of multiple p-n They are GaAs based solar-cells, are really very efficient and expansive, mainly used for space applications.
Quantum dot cells are basically nano-crystals of semiconducting materials like; cadmium sulphide (CdS), cadmium selenide (CdSe), lead sulphide (PbS). Main advantage here is one can tune the band-gap of these semiconductors by changing the size of nano-crystals.
Perovskites solar cells are very new and fastest developing technology. In 2009 the recorded efficiency was 3.8% and it increases to 22% in 2016. They can be made like polymer solar-cells but stability is the main challenge that is to be improved.

Conclusion:

Solar cells are capable of generating electricity from Sun light. They are environment friendly as they do not emit any greenhouse gases like fossil fuels or toxic wastes like nuclear energy. The main drawback is their efficiency and high cost. Lots of research is going on in this direction and we believe that in future many efficient and cost-effective photovoltaic devices will be available for us and would resolve our energy need.

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Reinforcing the “Green Tape” for better Environmental Regulation and Advocacy

Let us begin with a hypothetical situation wherein let’s say you are left to fend for yourself in a jungle and with no absolute skills to manoeuvre your survival instincts and thought process. The only company you have is solitude and fear which has overwhelmed your mind so much so that it plays only morbid ideas. The situation is so overpowering that you may not even give a chance to your mind of thinking rationally to overcome the situation. Hence, what is the solution? Do you give up or fight to the end?

The present pan world epidemic fits well with aforementioned problem. But instead we are all together in this and do not have the luxury of available vaccine for the pandemic. Nevertheless, we might ask ourselves, has this stopped us from making possible endeavours to combat the disease? In my view the answer is an absolute no. On the contrary, the world has come together like never before and has prioritised researching new vaccines for COVID-19. Having said this India too have been in the forefront of developing its own vaccine undertaken by India based Bharat Biotech International Ltd[1] and Zydas Cadila Health Care. What does this mean in the present context for India or for that matter the entire world?

This goes on to show that we have not yet given up on our common enemy and efforts are on to defeat this pandemic. We have chosen to fight this enemy with available knowledge in the field of medical science albeit we don’t have remedy for the same. A crisis is a good teacher, it teaches you to find ways explored never before with favourable results.

These difficult times among many things should teach us not to abandon the positive things in our life and be depressed. We need to adopt optimistic and holistic approach in our life like interdisciplinary education. Multiple specialised studies may be encouraged and should be the need of the hour to counter present crisis. This may also set a precedent for future endeavours and pre-empt, lest, any such crisis is encountered. All Academicians, Scholars, Industrialists, pharmacists, virologists and other stake holders should collaborate to design consolidated expertise to tackle such problem present at hand with future references. One such study that should be solicited is in the area of environmental law with robust environmental legislation biding upon all the nations to address such eventuality.

Presently with little improvement in the air and water quality even in urban areas, signifies that the pandemic has lessened the human encroachment on nature even if it is just momentarily. But the real question is what will happen after the pandemic subsides? As the global economy is facing severe challenges the best thing the Governments are expected to do is to stabilise the major setback in the economy. Now while doing so will they overlook all the necessary environmental regulation, or the “green tape” as it’s often called. The UNEP (United Nation Environment Program) is worried about achieving sustainable development goals[2] in post-pandemic era as there is a possibility of increasing threat to different sustainable development goals such as, climate action or responsible consumption or production.

Many corporations might ignore the environmental regulations and might tear off the ‘green tape’ to achieve the losses they suffered in past months. Even the governments may reduce budgets towards various environmental funds to meet the deficits. But the consequences would be severe and the future crisis might be more serious than the present pandemic.

One may think that why am I talking about this while discussing studying environmental law? well environmental law is not only studying about Climate and environment but also to scrutinize the legal issues ascending from matter involved thereto. One can choose a career as a lawyer or a policy maker, or non-profit leader and can make a change in existing policy and law, rather than enforcement. This discipline is so much more than just climate and ecology. It gives you the scope of gaining knowledge concerning advocacy skills which will help you to put the ‘green tape’ on the legal framework rather than tearing it off.

The local government machinery in collaboration with Universities, Government Institutions and other participants should play a pivotal role in developing practical solutions factoring in environmental consequences that may arise as result of any unknown pandemic. The aspiring students should not shy away from taking up environmental law as their mainstream courses and should come forward with great fervour in being responsible and valuable world citizens to address such crisis.

On a concluding note it may be said aptly that crisis comes with opportunities and open up avenues never treaded before. However, it depends on whether or not we want to move out of our comfort zone. Time is synonymous to change, a change we shall all be ready to adapt to cater to our present while looking forward for building a better future for the world. This is the time where we should focus more on returning back to the mother earth and think of maintaining the balance by fulfilling the goals of sustainable development.

It is the time where we should explore the route of environmental lawyering as a career and help the world with better environmental regulations and policies which never leads to tear the ‘green tape’ off.

[1] Available at https://thelogicalindian.com/fact-check/covaxin-bharat-biotech-vice-president-vk-srinivas-human-trial-22117, last visited on 27.07.2020

[2] Available at https://www.iucn.org/news/world-commission-environmental-law/202004/environmental-rule-law-pandemics-now-and-next-time-americas, last visited on 31.07.2020

#PositiveCorona: Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on the Air Quality of Three Megacities in India

Introduction: The megacities all over the world are vulnerable to air pollution with the rapidly increasing population and economic developmental activities. Uncontrolled urban growth and unplanned industrialization and automation play a key role to deteriorate the quality of air in the megacities of developing countries. Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata are three populous megacities in India which face the serious problem of air pollution. Air pollution can broadly be classified into two categories, i.e. (i) Visible air pollution and (2) Invisible air pollution. The smog is an example of visible pollution whereas the good examples of invisible air pollutant are Sulfur dioxide (SO₂), Carbon monoxide (CO), Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂₎, Volatile Organic Compound (VOCs), Ozone (O₃), Particulates (PM 2.5, PM 10), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Lead and heavy metals, Unburned hydrogen carbon, Gaseous ammonia (NH₃) etc. While all pollutants in the atmosphere cause harm to the planet there are some that are more dangerous than others. These dangerous air pollutants are PM 2.5, PM 10, NO₂, NH₃, SO₂, CO, O_3.The concentration of these pollutants is regularly monitored by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to assess air quality in different locations in India.

A nationwide lockdown was imposed in India from 24th March to 31st May 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Due to this lockdown, all industrial activities, public transport, and other economic and developmental activities were stopped, which played an important role to reduce the pollution level in the cities across the country. The air quality of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata also changed considerably from the pre-lockdown condition to the lockdown period. In the present study, the air quality parameters of these megacities in January (Pre-Lockdown) and April (During-Lockdown) have been studied from the CPCB data to understand the role of COVID-19 Lockdown on the air quality of these cities. Changing the concentration of the major pollutants have been discussed in the following section.

Particulates: Particle pollution -also called particulates matter (PM)-is made up of particles (tiny pieces) of liquid or solid that are in the air. Particulate matter can be released from different types of human activities such as vehicle emissions, smoke particles, dust particles, and ash from industries. The PM 10 is particulate matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter whereas, the PM 2.5 is particulate matter 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter. PM 2.5 is generally described as fine particles. During the Pre-Lockdown normal condition, the PM 2.5 concentration in air in Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata were 436 µg/m³, 236 µg/m³ and 246 µg/m³ respectively. Whereas, during the lockdown, the concentration of PM 2.5 in these three megacities became 89 µg/m³, 31 µg/m³ and 78 µg/m³. Similarly, PM 10 concentration during the pre-lockdown period were 334 µg/m³, 220 µg/m³ and 225 µg/m³, which dropped below 56 µg/m³, 70 µg/m³ and 81 µg/m³during the lockdown.[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”7729″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Nitrogen dioxide and Ammonia: Combustion of fossil fuels (coal, gas, and oil) especially fuel used in cars is the main source of nitrogen dioxide resulting from human activities. The Ammonia (NH₃) is a colourless gas which combines in the atmosphere with sulphate and nitrates to form secondary fine particulate matter (PM 2.5). During the Pre-Lockdown normal condition, the NO₂ concentration in air in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata were 77 µg/m³, 92 µg/m³ and 76 µg/m³ respectively. Whereas, during the lockdown, the concentration of NO₂ in these three megacities became 22 µg/m³, 14 µg/m³ and 31 µg/m³. Similarly, NH₃ concentration during the pre-lockdown period Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata were 7 µg/m³, 4 µg/m³ and 13 µg/m³, which dropped below 3 µg/m³, 3 µg/m³ and 8 µg/m³during the lockdown.

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Sulfur dioxide and Carbon monoxide: Fossil fuel combustion at power plants, other industries, and in mobile sources like locomotives, ships are the mail sources of Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emission. Harmful compounds, such as sulfuric acid, sulfurous acid and sulfate particles are formed from the reaction of SO₂with other substances. During the Pre-Lockdown normal condition, the SO₂ concentration in air in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata were 11 µg/m³, 21 µg/m³ and 22 µg/m³ respectively, which became below 13 µg/m³, 4 µg/m³ and 18 µg/m³during the lockdown. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odorless gas that can be harmful when inhaled in large amounts. CO is released when something is burned. The greatest sources of CO in outdoor air are cars, trucks and other vehicles or machinery that burn fossil fuels. During the Pre-Lockdown normal condition, the CO concentration in air in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata were 121 mg/m³, 91 mg/m³ and 30 mg/m³ respectively, which became below 47 mg/m³, 17 mg/m³ and 14 mg/m³during the lockdown.

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Not Only air pollution, the water of the rivers is less polluted now than what they were for decades. This lockdown has reduced pollution and an improvement in all environmental indicators across these cities. The CPCB calculates Air Quality Index (AQI) to assess the air quality of any location-based on some air quality parameters (PM 2.5, PM 10, NO₂, NH₃, SO₂, CO, O₃). AQI values are broadly classified into six categories, i.e. good (0 to 50), satisfactory (51 to 100), moderate (101 to 200), poor (201 to 300), very poor (301 to 400) and severe (401 to 500). According to CPCB, the AQI value in Delhi was 436 (severe) in January and became 89 (satisfactory) in April. During the Pre-Lockdown normal condition (January), the AQI values in Mumbai and Kolkata were 236 (poor) and 246 (poor) respectively, which changed to 70 (satisfactory) and 81 (satisfactory) during the Lockdown in April. The AQI values show, how the lockdown played a crucial role to purify the air of these megacities. Among the selected pollutants, the maximum reduction of concentration was observed for PM10 and PM2.5 have reduced followed by NO₂, CO. A negative trend was observed for SO₂ in Delhi.

The environmental benefits of this lockdown are exactly what were required in these cities without any proactive mitigation measure. But stopping or slowing down the industrial activities impose a big question on the growth of economy. However we hope for a better dealing with pollution in post lockdown period.

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#LitPlus: The Superhero and A Society in Fear – Films, Literature and Pandemic

The underbellies of the internet are frequently visited by anonymous users. Faceless hands slide over the glowing screen looking for leftover movies in the torrent sites. The site reports that its algorithm has witnessed a steady rise in search of movies dealing with virus outbreaks, disasters, and apocalypse. Like a stoic wanderer, the heartless machine language tempts the faceless man with a form of entertainment that can momentarily arrest his imagination. His fear finds resonance within the limited product that is the film. Only, this time it promises something elusive.

Why A Sudden Popularity of Disaster Movies?

The anxious inert existence within the four walls of our quarantined pockets breeds monotony. Any presence of hope threatens to give way to resignation. The movie intervenes to put an end to such a process. It transforms the paranoia of an endless pandemic within a 2.5 hours timespan. It is hardly surprising that people are drawn towards these types of films during these times.

Moreover, these movies transform the audience into passive observers, outside the scope of the disaster. He can witness it, feel the moist breath of immanent death over his shoulders, yet he remains beyond the grasp of such an apocalyptic event. He reclines back on his chair, lets out a sigh of relief, and declares – “thank god! My situation is better than this”.

How does Art do then?

Over the years, while writing an essay for college, or school, everyone has expressed this notion that art reflects life. However, literature dealing with disaster is the opposite. It preserves life, by capturing the inevitability of death. Literature becomes the candle that consumes itself, to offer a ray of light to its perceiver. He feels after going through it – “Phew! I am certainly doing better . . .”

It is infinitely mysterious to ever wonder how a despairing thought that germinates from the mind, is essentially an effort to preserve life. Perhaps, ‘disaster literature’ then symbolizes the life force that man always struggles to find.[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”7712″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]

Fig. 1

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Then, who is the Artist?

The artist then becomes the trickster, a suave conman, hell bent on deceiving his readers. He tries his best to delay the threat of reality. He is the superhero who tries to save his city, even though he is aware that everything is destined to end at some point in time. Unsurprisingly, Henri Matisse had said, “Creativity takes courage”.

It requires immense bravery to lie in order to comfort others, even in the face of certain doom. Artists working on themes such as apocalypse are, therefore, guardians of the societies in fear. They are aware that perhaps they cannot do anything to change the actual societal problems. They cannot go from door to door to provide everyday necessities to families in need. But what they can do, they do – they manufacture hope. As Rancho says in “Three Idiots” – “All is well” – saying such a slogan does not delay or reduce the problem, but it supplies the strength needed to face it, and perhaps overcome it.

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An Artists’ Rendition of Doctors as Superheroes

Doctors are being hailed as the contemporary superheroes in this battle against Covid 19 and quite rightly so. But my point is, Artists (not everyone who writes is an artist by the way) being the prophetic beings that they are has commented on this issue much earlier. It did not take the pandemic to arrive at our doorstep, for the artists, to appreciate the superpowers of the ‘healers’. Let me give you an example! I am a member of the ‘www’ generation – in other words, we are a generation thriving on webinars, web series and worry.

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Some years back, I was an ardent follower of the “House M.D.” series created by David Shore. Dr. Gregory House is a genius investigator of unique ailments of the human body – in other words, as he is popularly known across the internet, he is the medical equivalent of Sherlock Holmes. In one episode, titled, “A Pox in our House”, a seemingly unknown pox infects human beings after a jar obtained from a shipwreck is accidentally broken. People fear that some unknown medieval disease is running rampant across the American soil. However, Doctor House wears his superhero costume, jumps right into the heart of a deadly quarantined chamber, and identifies the disease-causing bacteria to save the day.

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Summing Up

The ‘apocalyptic and disaster’ genre serves a purpose that can be called cathartic in the Aristotelian terms. Artists are the healers of the soul; they construct an alternate reality that sucks us out of our despairing present reality. Momentarily, we come out quite willingly of the self-imposed quarantine of fear and hopelessness. We start to believe, that someday our reality too shall reach a resolution, a happy ending. Death is not the end, because as the saying goes –

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Fig. 5

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#JournalismPlus: Journalism Education Needs A Paradigm Shift In Approach And Strategy

When the first Covid-19 case emerged in the Hubei province in China in the later part of November 2013, very people could imagine that it had the potential to redraw the history of the world. Almost 10 months down the line, scientists are still grappling to contain the deadly disease that has affected more than 17.5 million people and terminated the lives of nearly 7 lakh people.

While governments the world over continue to adopt lockdown as the only viable means to contain the surge of the virus, our lives have drastically changed. Almost all the areas of human activities are being done online barring the essential services. In the given scenario, education has also witnessed a radical change in its delivery structure. From offline classroom delivery to online virtual interactions and from a pen-and-paper evaluation structure to online examinations; education isn’t the same anymore.

The larger trends have been the same across specializations and domains. However, like everything else, the approach and strategy to deal with different domains are evidently different. Journalism, as a field and as an academic discipline, needs a certain rigour that can be delivered online only if certain checks and balances are religiously followed.

In consonance with the spirit, journalism academics globally are resorting to some innovative means. This has resulted in some distinct changes in the structure and mode of educational delivery. Unless we are in denial, these changes that have cropped up due to the sudden onset of Covid-19 are here to stay even when the Coronavirus scare becomes history. Let us look at how academics are coping up to keep the flag of journalism education fluttering high:

The Purpose of Journalism Education Has Changed: Before the pandemic, teaching journalism was all about instilling the right skills. Now, it is not just about skills, it is about adaptability as well. From “how and what to cover the story”, it is now “what are the other means if a certain story can’t be covered according to the rules given in the book”. Covid-19 has taught journalists that skills and knowledge alone don’t suffice. Flexibility and alternative ideas are required when the going gets tough. Covid-19 has also shown the ugly side of the industry that has been brutal in evicting even good journalists from the system.
Technology Will be the Key Differentiator: From a domain that was largely content-driven, journalism has metamorphosed into a technology-driven field. This change that was setting in since the last two decades has been suddenly given a major push by the onset of the pandemic. Journalism academics are now increasingly focusing on building the technological skills of the students. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to note that a technology-deficient but content-proficient professional would be able to go nowhere. Not only now but even after the pandemic, academics would do well to keep this reality in mind and train the students accordingly.
A Deep Dive into the Field Has Become a Sine-Qua-Non: Today, more than ever, a deeper knowledge about the governing dynamics of the profession has become critically important. The fact that the industry is chucking out people by the hordes and slashing salaries are necessitating a deep introspection into what might have gone wrong. Covid-19 couldn’t have caused this big a jerk. The churning in the industry only illustrates the pre-existing maladies, which have only been intensified by the onset of the pandemic. This is exactly where the journalism academics should come in. They should reflect on what is wrong and how the same could be rectified. The resultant knowledge should be passed on to the students so that they become resilient professionals, who could change the rules of the game.
Journalism Students Need to Understand that News Is also a Business: All these while, the students of journalism were blissfully ignorant of the revenue structure followed by the news industry. The academics were partly responsible for this trend. However, Covid-19 and its impact on the industry have established the primordial nature of revenue in the news industry. The students need to understand that it is important to generate revenue in addition to churning out fantastic stories. One of the reasons the news organizations are shutting down the world over is falling profitability and lessened advertising revenues. The students need to be mindful of these shortfalls.
Journalism Education Needs to Adopt a More Humane Approach: With the Coronavirus having shown the rather hapless condition of humanity when confronted with nature, it is primordially important for journalism students to have a humane approach towards the profession. Even in terms of business, consumers are increasingly turning to human interest stories. In fact news organizations such as BBC News are churning out an increased number of human interest stories to keep in tune with the demands of time.
Industry Collaboration Holds the Future Key: Journalism education can’t happen in a vacuum. All these while, multiple institutions were conducting journalism courses sans any effective industry collaboration. Today, it is critically important for the students to learn from the key figures in the industry. Therefore, academic institutions need to forge meaningful ties with news organizations and reduce the gap between the industry and the academia.
Convergence and Mobile Journalism Will be the Twin Keywords in Journalism: Journalism academics need to increasingly teach the students about the importance of convergence in journalism. No longer will content be unidimensional. The industry will demand content that is multifaceted and multimedia. The sooner the students understand this, the better it is. Mobile Journalism or MoJo will continue to grow in significance. The Covid-19 tragedy will only quicken this process. Academics need to take stock of their own knowledge base and update it so that students are prepared for the post pandemic scenario.
The Importance of Skill-Based Education Will Only Grow: With Covid-19 having shown us the mirror, journalism academics should uncompromisingly emphasize on the importance of skill-based education. The intent is to create industry-ready professionals, who can take journalism to the next logical level.

The Kolkata-based Adamas University has more or less dabbled with all the above-mentioned points. The online educational structure adopted by the university after the pandemic set in has left an indelible mark on the students of journalism. These students are now only growing with each passing day and the day is not too far away when they can safely graduate into the industry ready to make a difference.