&ldquo;IIT Jodhpur is committed to impart quality education to facilitate the creation of qualified, competent and responsible human resources to meet the emerging technological challenges of the world. It is working towards creating an equitable learning platform that is positive, accessible and effective in the face of the modern societal and scientific advancements.

Flexibility in curriculum, in all its academic programs, encompassing elements of teaching, research, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship is the most unique feature of IIT Jodhpur. The Department of Science and Technology (DST), under the National Mission on Cyber Physical Systems, has identified IIT Jodhpur as a Technology &amp; Innovation Hub in the area of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. The institute has also been nominated as the coordinator for the Jodhpur City and Knowledge Cluster by the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India.

The sprawling 852-acre IIT Jodhpur campus is a majestic tribute to the deep-rooted diverse cultural heritage of the region. The campus is an architectural masterpiece, which is slated to become an international exemplar of sustainability with net-zero energy, and advanced water and waste management strategies.&rdquo;

IIT Jodhpur

Center for Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Development (CETSD)

Fungal spores in ambient particulate matter (PM) is one of the major constituents which can adversely affect human health. For the first time, an investigation was conducted for 1 year at a residential region in north-east India to study the seasonal variation of PM 10 -associated fungal spore concentration and their diversity. Using fine particulate sampler, samples were collected at 12 h intervals for 1 week of every month during July 2016–June 2017. Twelve-hour averaged PM 10 concentration was 79.74 μg/m 3 and 103.47 μg/m 3 during day and night time, respectively. Fungal spore concentration was 126 (54–294) CFU/m 3 during day time and 107 (55 to 161) CFU/m 3 during night time. Seven individual genera of fungal spores, namely Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Curvularia, Rhizopus, and Non-sporing isolates, were identified. Strong correlations between the Cladosporium and Penicillium (R = 0.83) and Cladosporium and Aspergillus (R = 0.82) were observed, which are well-known asthma allergens. Penicillium (30%), Fusarium (41%), and Aspergillus (25%) were the dominant fungi species in winter, monsoon, and summer seasons, respectively. Fungal spore concentrations peaked during summer and were least during monsoon. Fungal concentrations were negatively correlated with precipitation (R = − 0.25). Fungal counts had more significant positive correlation with temperature in non-rainy samples (R = 0.80), compared to negligible correlation (R = − 0.16) in all samples. © 2018, Springer Nature B.V.

World University root node

Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health

Seasonal variation of airborne allergenic fungal spores in ambient PM 10 —a study in Guwahati, the largest city of north-east India

Developing countries like India require proper control strategies for reducing the enormous premature mortality associated with air pollution. Air quality models, in addition to helping to understand the severity of air pollution by providing the pollutant concentrations, also give knowledge of the sources. Previous local and regional air quality modeling studies carried out in India are reviewed in this current study with a goal of understanding the current gaps and exploring future directions. Studies carried out in different parts of India during past decade were precisely documented in this study using methodical Scopus, Web of Science, and Google searches. Majority of the air quality studies are concentrated in megacities leaving behind the small cities which require greater attention in future. While most of the modeling studies were carried out in northern India, very few studies concentrated on central region of the country. Review of both local and regional numerical models showed the need for better emission inputs, while the statistical models inferred the need for proper selection of key tracers for source allocation. Irrespective of emission inventory and models used, particulate matter concentrations are under predicted in Delhi, which faces huge air pollution-related issues. Dust and traffic emissions are the major sources of particulate matter in India. © 2018, Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature.

Current Pollution Reports

A Review of Air Quality Modeling Studies in India: Local and Regional Scale

Severe pollution events occur frequently in India but few studies have investigated the characteristics, sources, and control strategies for the whole country. A year-long simulation was carried out in India to provide detailed information of spatial and temporal distribution of gas species and particulate matter (PM). The concentrations of O3, NO2, SO2, CO, as well as PM2.5 and its components in 2015 were predicted using Weather Research Forecasting (WRF) and the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) models. Model performance was validated against available observations from ground based national ambient air quality monitoring stations in major cities. Model performance of O3 does not always meet the criteria suggested by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) but that of PM2.5 meets suggested criteria by previous studies. The performance of model was better on days with high O3 and PM2.5 levels. Concentrations of PM2.5, NO2, CO and SO2 were highest in the Indo-Gangetic region, including northern and eastern India. PM2.5 concentrations were higher during winter and lower during monsoon season. Winter nitrate concentrations were 160–230% higher than yearly average. In contrast, the fraction of sulfate in total PM2.5 was maximum in monsoon and least in winter, due to decrease in temperature and solar radiation intensity in winter. Except in southern India, where sulfate was the major component of PM2.5, primary organic aerosol (POA) fraction in PM2.5 was highest in all regions of the country. Fractions of secondary components were higher on bad days than on good days in these cities, indicating the importance of control of precursors for secondary pollutants in India. Capsule abstract: Predicted gaseous and particulate air pollutants in India using WRF/CMAQ in 2015 were validated and the variations were analyzed for future source and health analysis. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd

Atmospheric Environment

Year-long simulation of gaseous and particulate air pollutants in India

Background. Diwali is a Hindu holiday observed each autumn in India, where it is known as the 'celebration of lights'. Burning of fireworks on this day leads to air and noise pollution, causing adverse effects to human health. Objectives. To monitor and analyze air quality and noise levels in a residential college campus in northeast India over Diwali 2015. Methods. Components of PM10, including metals (cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and nickel (Ni)), ions (calcium (Ca2+), ammonium (NH4+), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), chloride (Cl-), nitrate (NO3-) and sulfate (SO4 2-)) and bacterial counts were studied for a period of ten days in November 2015. In addition, a health-based survey of patients attending the institute's hospital during those days was conducted to evaluate the risk level due to fireworks burning. Results. The mean PM10 concentration during Diwali, 311 μg/m3, was 81% higher than other days and 3.1-times higher the Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standards. While noise levels were increased by 65%, the concentration of bacteria in PM10 was reduced by 39% during Diwali compared to other days. The concentrations of metals, cations and anions were increased by 51%, 72% and 77%, respectively. A health study conducted during the analysis period revealed an increase in hospital admissions in the campus due to respiratory symptoms. The higher concentrations of metals during the Diwali period resulted in a 0.5% increase in the hazard index. Conclusions. The present study suggests that reducing fireworks during Diwali could reduce pollutant concentrations and result in potential health benefits. Participant Consent. Obtained Ethics Approval. The study and survey design were approved by the Institutional Bioethics Committee of the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests. © Pure Earth.