| | JULY 20248The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has commissioned a Bengaluru-based firm to develop an indigenous receiver chip for acquiring and disseminating Indian time for navigation via the Indian Constellation (NavIC). Developed by ISRO, NavIC aims to provide directional mapping support to land, rail, and air users, enhancing route-finding capabilities. Currently, this service primarily relies on the US-based Global Positioning System (GPS).ISRO has already launched the IRNSS satellites and is working towards making NavIC accessible to the public. Meanwhile, DRDO is focused on creating a domestic receiver chip to provide IRNSS Network Timing (IRNWT). Accord Software and Systems (ASSPL) in Bengaluru has been tasked with developing this customized and flexible timing system for NavIC."We are developing a completely Indian-made receiver for both defence and commercial applications", said an ASSPL source. The need for this development was highlighted during the Kargil war when the US denied India's request to use GPS technology. Currently, India relies on GPS for various applications, including mobile phones.This new initiative is expected to significantly benefit the defence sector by providing India with complete control over its navigation systems. The project, which began on July 1, is scheduled for completion in 24 months. ASSPL is among the seven private firms partnered with DRDO under the Technology Development Fund scheme.Additionally, DRDO has partnered with Craftlogic Labs in Bengaluru to develop a mechanism for detecting in-flight icing conditions. This involves activating the aircraft's anti-icing mechanisms when super-cooled water droplets contact the aircraft's surfaces.Further collaborations include Noida-based Oxygen-2 Innovation for developing an Indigenous Scenario and Sensor Simulation Toolkit, Pune-based Sagar Defence Engineering for a launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Kochi-based IROV Technologies for Long-range Remotely Operated Vehicles for Detection and Neutralization, Chennai-based Data Pattern (India) for a Radar Signal Processor with an Active Antenna Array Simulator, and Coimbatore-based Alohatech for Graphene-Based Smart & E-textiles for Multifunctional Wearable Applications. IIT Madras, in collaboration with the Tel Aviv University and the KMCH-Research Foundation of Coimbatore, is launching an initiative to introduce a course on water quality to spread awareness regarding water issues, it was announced on Tuesday. The four-month course will be available in hybrid mode on the online platform NPTEL and is targeted at final-year students of science and engineering or technical people who have an interest in water quality.It is expected that the students who participate would contribute towards a comprehensive water map of India and globally to promote water literacy. At the end, a participation certificate will be issued, which will again be part of the degree program recognized with IIT Madras.According to Professor Thalappil Pradeep, Department of Chemistry, IITM, while stressing the importance of the course in enhancing understanding of the United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goals particularly the constraints preventing attainment of these goals related to poor water quality the program will arm its participants with the abilities to produce trustworthy water quality data and be better water literate, contributing to a global trained pool of water experts.The course work shall consist of a rigorous introduction to basic concepts in water quality, field practical tests, and Surveys. It will also be built on top of a pilot survey conducted in the previous summer across different locations in Tamil Nadu, involving college students. Data collected from these efforts is used in establishing an online repository of information with spatial coordinates of water quality and survey inputs. DRDO JOINS FORCES WITH BENGALURU FIRM FOR INDIGENOUS NAVIC CHIP DEVELOPMENTIIT MADRAS, TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY, KMCH-RF PARTNER FOR WATER QUALITY COURSEIN FOCUSIN FOCUS
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