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Challenges and Solutions in Implementing NEP 2020 in Engineering Education
The implementation of educational best practices in the current scenario of demand for progressive, futuristic education with employable skills expected from formal education, especially engineering is examined here. The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) introduced by the Ministry of Human Resource Development Government of India intended to align education with the changing employment landscape with demand for skill sets, and the conducive global ecosystem for emergence of startups and entrepreneurship, thus imparting the essence of lifelong learning. The NEP 2020 aims to employ more learning with increased practice through real-time problem skills with critical thinking, creative thinking capability and interdisciplinary approach to adapt to the ever-evolving technological development. The paper provides a broad overview on how an Institution has evolved innovative practices in curriculum that ticks most checkboxes of progressive engineering education and delves into a model for embodying the underlying policy ideas of NEP 2020 too, in the realm of undergraduate engineering programmes. The intertwining of the initiatives taken by the progressive introduction of the model in an engineering Institution incidentally serves to meet the aspirational objectives of NEP 2020. Further, the thrust areas at the progressive Institution over years are seen to blend synergistically with many thrust areas propounded in NEP 2020. 2025 selection and editorial matter, Kennedy Andrew Thomas, Joseph Chacko Chennattuserry and Joseph Varghese Kureethara; individual chapters, the contributors. -
Sustainable fabrication of arecanut waste-based polymer blend adsorbents for enhanced lead(ii) ion removal from water
Heavy metal contamination in water systems leads to critical environmental and health challenges, necessitating sustainable remediation technologies. This study presents a unique approach utilising arecanut organic residue, an abundant agricultural waste, for the removal of lead from water. A bioadsorbent composite film was synthesised using chitosanpolyvinyl alcohol (PVA) incorporated with arecanut organic residue by solvent casting. The physicochemical properties of the films were characterised by XRD, FTIR, optical profilometry, BET surface area and SEM analyses. The adsorption efficiency of the synthesised films was tested by examining the removal of Pb(ii) from water. The bioadsorbent films demonstrated a Pb(ii) removal efficiency of 94.6% from 5 ppm solutions at pH 6 within 60 minutes at 70 C using 0.5 g of the film. Optimisation studies revealed the critical role of functional group availability and film porosity of the polymer blends, along with experimental conditions that enhanced the adsorption capacity. Kinetic studies also confirmed the results obtained from the optimisation studies. The adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, and isotherm analysis confirmed Langmuir-type adsorption. The sustainable bioadsorbent exhibited good reusability, maintaining performance over multiple cycles. This journal is The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2026 -
Influence of arecanut organic residue on the dielectric behavior of chitosan-PVA polymer blends: A synergistic approach
Arecanut organic residue (AR) incorporated polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-chitosan (CH) films were successfully synthesized using the solvent casting method, aiming to enhance structural rigidity and dielectric performance. The novelty of this work lies in utilizing AR, a sustainable agricultural byproduct, as a natural functional additive to enhance the dielectric and thermal stability of PVAchitosan blends. This eco-friendly approach introduces a biogenic interfacial modifier that improves polymer compatibility and performance without relying on synthetic fillers or chemical cross-linkers. FTIR spectra revealed the existence of cross-linking between PVA, chitosan and AR. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that AR-PVA-CH films exhibited enhanced thermal stability compared to pure PVA, chitosan and PVA-CH blend. The dielectric constant, dielectric loss, DC conductivity, polarization and permittivity of pure PVA, pure chitosan, PVA-CH and AR-PVA-CH films were analysed in the frequency range from 100Hz to 100kHz. The optimized formulation (AR-C4) exhibited a maximum dielectric constant of 224.31 at 1kHz, significantly higher than that of the pristine PVACH blend. The improvement in thermal stability has also been emphasized by indicating the increase in the T?? value from 279.66C for PVACH to 358.37C for AR-C4. Furthermore, the enhancement in AC conductivity from 1.23 10?10 S/m for the PVACH blend to 5.93 108 S/m for AR-C5 has been mentioned, demonstrating the synergistic influence of arecanut residue on charge transport and interfacial polarization. This research showcases that AR-induced structural changes in PVA-chitosan films lead to a notable improvement in their dielectric properties, making them promising candidates for advanced dielectric and thermal applications. The Polymer Society, Taipei 2025. -
Arecanut organic residue-enhanced polymer films: An efficient catalyst for amidation reactions
This research introduces an innovative approach to repurpose agricultural by-products as catalysts in chemical synthesis, addressing waste disposal challenges. Composite films were developed using arecanut organic residue, an underexploited by-product, blended with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and chitosan. The films were synthesized through solvent casting and thermal curing, with experimental parameters systematically optimized. Physicochemical characterization confirmed successful integration of components and revealed structural properties. The catalytic efficiency of the films was evaluated in amide synthesis, a key reaction in pharmaceuticals. A blend of 1.5 g PVA, 0.3 g chitosan, and 1 mL arecanut residue achieved a 95 % yield in ester-amine reactions, attributed to synergistic interactions between the polymer matrix and reactive sites. The films exhibited excellent reusability, maintaining catalytic efficiency over three cycles. This study highlights the potential of arecanut residue-based composites as sustainable, efficient catalysts for industrially relevant transformations. 2025 Korean Physical Society -
Silvergraphene composite: a coating on polyethersulfone membrane for superior water purification with antibacterial, catalytic and antifouling properties
Membrane fouling, originating from a diverse range of sources such as organic matter, inorganic particulates, biological agents, and industrial contaminants, continues to pose a significant challenge in water purification processes. This fouling results from complex nonspecific interactions between the membrane surface and foulants, leading to a substantial decline in filtration performance, including reduced permeability, selectivity, and operational lifespan. To address these limitations, there is an urgent need to engineer advanced membranes with integrated antibacterial, catalytic, and antifouling functionalities to enable efficient and sustainable water treatment. In this context, we developed an innovative approach to mitigate membrane fouling of polyethersulfone (PES) membrane by coating with silver-decorated reduced graphene oxide (rGO). This coating imparts exceptional antibacterial efficacy, catalytic dye degradation properties, antifouling performance and remarkable filtration capacity to the PES membrane. The antibacterial assessments conducted against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aures) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria revealed that increasing concentrations of silver in rGO composites resulted in a pronounced inhibitory effect on bacterial growth, with the most significant activity observed for membranes with higher silver loadings (rGO A500). Moreover, catalytic studies performed on the rGO A500 membrane emphasize the degradation of Congo Red, Methyl-Orange, and as well as the conversion of Nitrophenol to Aminophenol, occurring within 46min, 25min, and 23min, respectively. Furthermore, the rGO A500 membrane exhibits notable antifouling properties, evidenced by a flux recovery ratio of 98% and a minimal irreversible fouling ratio of 1.7% during Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) protein filtration. Additionally, the composite membrane demonstrates an impressive water flux of 50 L m?2h?1 along with dye rejection efficiency of 92% for Congo Red, 86% for Rhodamine-B, and 81% for Methylene Blue. Overall, the findings underscore the multifunctional performance of the rGO A500 composite membrane, showcasing its antibacterial, catalytic and antifouling capabilities, and positioning it as a robust and practical solution for next-generation wastewater treatment technologies. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025. -
Synthesis and Future Directions on Circular Economy
Stakeholders participation is vital to the success of circular business models, and the investor is perceived as the principal stakeholder. So, it is essential to understand the factors shaping investment behavior in the circular economy. In this context, this study is an initial attempt to explore the factors playing a role in shaping investor behavior. The study explores the role of perception on sustainable investments, awareness of ESG practices, and environmental considerations in shaping investment behavior. The study finds that perception of sustainable investment and awareness of ESG practices have significant effects on sustainable investment behavior. It is seen that digital technologies, including financial technologies, have a huge role in bringing up circular economy efforts. In this context, by building fuzzy logic, artificial intelligence can be an effective tool in determining investor behavior in the hands of corporates. At the same time, from the investors side, building digital financial literacy is required to deal with sustainable investments by upholding independence in decision-making. 2026 selection and editorial matter, Biswadip Basu Mallik, Gunjan Mukherjee, Rahul Kar, and Youqing Fan; individual chapters, the contributors. -
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Fluorescent nanocellulose derived from Plectranthus barbatus for the selective detection of Pb(ii) ions in aqueous solutions
This study reports the synthesis of fluorescent nanocellulose from Plectranthus barbatus and its effective use as a fluorescent probe for the detection of Pb(ii) ions in aqueous solutions. Nanocellulose, a nanoscale derivative of cellulose, is used in a variety of applications, such as sensing, food packaging, and biomedical applications, owing to its characteristic properties. In sensing applications, it is mostly used as a support or substrate for the sensing probe. Nanocellulose shows intrinsic fluorescence, which can be harnessed for sensing applications. This underexplored research domain holds significant potential for developing sustainable and cost-effective sensing materials. We synthesized nanocellulose from Plectranthus barbatus (PBNC) and employed it as a fluorescent probe for the detection of Pb(ii). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the potential of fluorescent nanocellulose for metal ion detection. The properties of fluorescent nanocellulose, PBNC, were studied using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The fluorescence intensity of the nanocellulose was remarkably quenched in the presence of Pb(ii) ions selectively. The detection limit (LOD) of Pb(ii) using PBNC was found to be 2.7 nM. PBNC is a novel autofluorescent material that functions as an efficient nanosensor for the detection of Pb(ii) ions, and its applications can be extended to bio-imaging and sensing in biological, chemical, and environmental samples. This journal is The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2026. -
Polyurethane nanocomposites for electromagnetic interference shielding applications
Polyurethane (PU) is composed of polyisocyanate and polyol units joined through urethane linkages. The isocyanate and polyol units constitute different domains in PU, which are, in turn, responsible for its properties such as softness, flexibility, and hardness. Shielding of electromagnetic (EM) radiation is generally attained by reflecting EM waves from the surface, absorbing the signals, or by multiple internal reflections. Pristine PU is not an efficient electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding material because of its nonconducting nature. But the EMI shielding can be improved by incorporating conducting polymers into the PU-based nanocomposite. Significant factors that influence the shielding effect of PU nanocomposites are the thickness and conductivity of the film. Features that predominantly influence the EMI shielding performance of nanocomposites are identified as the nanofillers used, the dispersion state, and the interaction between the filler and the polymer. This book chapter attempts to explain the EMI shielding of PU nanocomposites, synthesis of PU-based EMI shielding materials, different nanofillers used along with PU nanocomposites, and their efficiency in EMI shielding. 2026 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. -
Nanocellulose from coconut midrib used for antibacterial and electromagnetic interference shielding applications
Midrib of coconut (Cocos nucifera) is a natural source of cellulose, which is renewable and biodegradable. The use of natural cellulose for practical applications exemplifies a sustainable reuse of agricultural waste. This work presents the preparation of nanocellulose from coconut midrib using optimized pretreatment and acid hydrolysis processes. The resulting nanocellulose was characterized through various analyses to confirm the morphology and composition. Nanocellulose thus synthesized was used for preparing cellulose nanopaper. In order to improve the water resistance of the cellulose nanopaper, we used a simple approach of functionalization by impregnating it with chitosan (CS), followed by in situ polymerization of polypyrrole (PPy) in the matrix. The functionalized cellulose nanopaper shows good electrical conductivity and an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness of 21.92 dB at 10 GHz, which makes it a potential material for EMI shielding applications. In addition, the functionalized cellulose nanopaper exhibits bacterial reductions of 93.47% and 82.79% towards Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively. This work provides a facile and efficient method for the synthesis of nanocellulose from coconut midrib and a useful approach to functionalize cellulose nanopaper. Cellulose nanopapers thus prepared were demonstrated to have applications in EMI shielding and antibacterial coating. 2025 The Royal Society of Chemistry. -
Surface tempering of poly-(3 thiophene acetic acid) coated carbon fiber paper electrode with spine-like cobalt inorganic phosphate: An efficacious electrochemical metol sensor /
Surfaces and Interfaces, Vol.35, ISSN No: 2468-0230.
N-methyl-p-aminophenol sulfate (metol) is a photographic developing agent that has a toxic effect on humans and aquatic life. A cost-effective and sensitive electrochemical sensor was developed by electrodepositing Co-Pi over poly-(3 thiophene acetic acid) coated carbon fiber paper electrode (Co-Pi/PTAA/CFP) for the determination of metol (ML). Surface modification of Co-Pi facilitates superior electrocatalytic performance by offering more active sites and faster electron transport kinetics. The Physico-chemical characterization of the fabricated electrode was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Optical profilometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and electroanalytical techniques. -
A road map on nanostructured surface tuning strategies of carbon fiber paper electrode: Enhanced electrocatalytic applications /
Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices, Vol.7, Issue 3, ISSN No: 2468-2179.
Impressive characteristics of carbon fiber paper (CFP) electrodes propound greater demand in electrochemical applications. CFP has a network structure composed of interwoven carbon fibers (CFs). The macroporous structure, chemical inertness, high conductivity, low cost, corrosion resistance, good electrical properties, mechanical strength, and self-standing capabilities have led to the large-scale acceptance of CFP. This review appraises the current progress of CFP based electrodes for electrocatalytic applications in the field of electrochemical sensors, electrochemical capacitors, batteries, electro Fenton oxidation, electrooxidation of alcohols, water splitting, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) together with the different fabrication strategies on the CFP substrate in an organized manner. -
An Intelligent Framework for Evaluating Handwritten Responses: Integrating Bloom's Taxonomy with Adaptive Assessment
Traditional manual grading of descriptive-type answer scripts is inefficient and laborious, while existing technologies rely on strict keyword matching and cosine similarity, which fail to capture the semantic meaning and argumentative quality. This paper proposes a multi-layered intelligent framework for evaluating handwritten descriptive answer scripts by integrating Revised Bloom's Taxonomy with adaptive assessment methods. The system consists of a multi-dimensional evaluation strategy comprising four valuation metrics, namely, content relevance, coherence, depth, and argumentation quality. When compared with conventional methods of keyword matching or computing the cosine similarity, this proposed framework evaluates the semantic meaning and argumentative structure while adapting to varying response styles and contextual differences for personalised assessment. 2025 IEEE. -
Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in Textile Applications
In today's consumer-driven market, textiles are valued not only for their aesthetic appeal but also for their functional protection properties. The use of nanoparticles for specialty finishing has emerged as a promising area in textile processing and engineering. Among these nanoparticles, inorganic metal and metal oxides are particularly significant due to their large surface area and high surface energy, allowing them to impart multifunctional properties to textiles. Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in Textile Applications serves as a comprehensive guide, offering authors a profound understanding of the application of various metal and metal oxide nanoparticles on textiles. The content is thoughtfully organized, beginning with the first five chapters providing insights into the introduction of metal nanoparticles, their conventional and advanced synthesis methods, and characterization techniques. Subsequently, the following eight chapters delve into the effects of different metal nanoparticles, such as Ag, Au, Cu, Al, Ti, and others, along with their oxides, on textiles. The final section of the book encompasses chapters covering metal nanocomposites, electrospinning techniques, toxicology considerations, branding applications, and the challenges and future prospects of metal nanoparticles on textiles. This title serves as an invaluable asset to academicians, scholars, researchers, and professionals in the industry. 2026 Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies. -
Impact of anionic concentration on the structural, morphological, and optical characteristics of ZnS quantum dots
ZnS quantum dots exhibit remarkable versatility with novel properties and diverse applications. Highly crystalline ZnS quantum dots with cubic structure were prepared using a simple wet-chemical route by varying the sulphur concentration. This work offers an in-depth study of the influence of sulphur concentration on the optical, surface and structural characteristics of ZnS quantum dots. Structural analysis using XRD affirmed the cubic structure of ZnS. FESEM disclosed non-uniform nanosphere-like morphology, while TEM was utilized for particle size determination. Optical characteristics were assessed utilizing UVVis spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The ZnS quantum dots synthesized with sulphur concentration double that of the zinc concentration in the precursor solution exhibited the appropriate stoichiometry with minimum point defects. Owing to their high crystallinity, small crystallite size, excellent stability, and suitable optical properties, ZnS quantum dots are favourable candidates for optoelectronic applications. Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science 2025. -
Efficient Multilingual Language Detection Using Machine Learning Algorithms
Natural Language Processing (NLP) is one of the important technologies in recent days, because language detection this NLP is play a vital role. This research focuses on detecting languages using various machine learning algorithms. FastText, Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN), Support Vector Machines (SVM) algorithms are used for this experiment. The following datasets are used to take this result that is Europarl and Tatoeba. The proposed method is to preprocess, train, and test these models. Evaluation is done by measuring precision, recall, and F1 score of the three algorithms. Results show that RNN provides precision close perfect or near-perfect results in both bilingual and multilingual datasets. SVM performs with high precision and recall, but less than RNN. Its performance slightly decreases as the dataset increases. On the other hand, FastText, although fast and efficient, drops significantly in performance as the dataset grows, especially with the inclusion of a third language. It provides an all-inclusive methodology that has pinned the strengths and weaknesses of each algorithm, providing valuable insight into which one best fit real-world language detection task: RNN with their ability to handle complex sequences, SVM for large-scale high-dimensional sparse features, and FastText for simpler, smaller dataset. 2025 IEEE. -
Lora-WAN Powered by Renewable Energy, and Its Operation with Siri / Google Assistant
LoRa WAN is a newly emerged game changing communication technology for sending small data packets of size 50 bytes or less, wirelessly over an area of up to 10 Km without the need of an internet connection. LoRa WAN has its own frequency band and the band is different for every country. This technology is now starring to boost WSN technology better than ever before. This paper aims to, power up a LoRa Enabled Device or a LoRa Gateway by using a reliable dual mode non-conventional energy resource for storage and utilization, find peak performances altering the data rate that can be achieved in a LoRa WAN Communication (using Indoor RAK Gateway), make use data compression techniques, data packet encoding/decoding, Coding Apple Shortcuts, setting up Siri and Google Assistant for voice control and future scope. 2020, Asian Research Association. All rights reserved. -
Efficient hydrogen evolution reaction performance of Ni substituted WS2 nanoflakes
We have investigated the structural, optical and electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance of pristine, Co and Ni substituted WS2 nanoflakes synthesised by facile hydrothermal method. The XRD pattern confirms the formation of hexagonal WS2 for both pristine and substituted WS2 nanoflakes. The FESEM images validate the flake-like structure for both pristine and substituted WS2. In addition, we have also analysed the Raman and UV-Vis absorbance spectra of the samples. The electrocatalytic studies reveal that the nickel-substituted WS2 (Ni-WS2) nanoflakes show superior hydrogen evolution (HER) performance compared to cobalt-substituted WS2 (Co-WS2) nanoflakes. Hence, we have varied the Ni concentration and investigated the dependence of Ni content on the electrocatalytic performance. It is found that the electrocatalytic performance of the Ni-WS2 nanoflakes increases with an increase in Ni content owing to the modified edge structures. Thus, our studies suggest Ni substitution in WS2 nanostructures can boost electrocatalytic HER performance. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024. -
Applications of Machine Learning and Deep Learning Models in Brain Imaging Analysis
Brain imaging is an umbrella term including many non-invasive techniques that objectively monitor brain function. Such monitoring leads to understanding how the brain works by presenting selected stimuli. More importantly, brain function monitoring allows physicians to diagnose and predict brain disorders. In the last decade, several machine learning and deep learning models have been developed by researchers to process and analyse brain imaging data for the diagnosis, detection, and prediction of brain disorders, such as stroke, schizophrenia, autism, psychosis, and Alzheimers. This chapter reviews the various applications and properties of machine learning and deep learning models for brain image analysis. The chapter also highlights the deep learning models that have either understood the test of time or shown the promise to solve challenging problems involving brain imaging data. The review also discusses various open issues yet to have practical solutions or methodologies with the help of machine learning and deep learning. The research covers a wide range of imaging modalities, disorders and models to expose researchers and practitioners in neurological disorders and machine learning and deep learning to each others field, hopefully leading to fruitful collaborations and practical solutions for processing brain images. 2024 selection and editorial matter, Anitha S. Pillai and Bindu Menon; individual chapters, the contributors.