News

Ms. Mounika Pandey and Prof. N. Srividya, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Anantapur campus have secured the 1st prize in the SPARK – Food Business Idea Competition, held on 8th February 2025, as part of the National Workshop on Food Business Initiative 2.0 at M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women, Chennai.

Competing against 17 teams, their innovative idea featuring a spiced Ready-to-Serve (RTS) tomato-aloe beverage product distinguished them from the competition earning them the top position and a cash prize of ₹3,000.

About Food Business Initiative 2.0

The Department of Food Science at M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women organized the National Workshop, “Food Business Initiative 2.0,” on 8th February 2025. This event provided insights into key aspects of launching and managing a food business, equipping aspiring entrepreneurs with essential knowledge and skills. A highlight of the workshop was ‘SPARK,’ a food business idea competition that encouraged innovative food product development.

Dr. P. Satheeshkumar (MBBS, MS Ortho), Designated Officer of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety Department was the Chief Guest at the event. Over 270 participants from 14 colleges actively engaged in the sessions and competitions hosted during the workshop.

Congratulations to Ms. Mounika Pandey and Prof. N. Srividya on this remarkable accomplishment – a reflection of their hard work, creativity, and commitment to excellence in food science and nutrition.

Ms. Sake Archana, a student of I B.Sc. Biosciences and Biotechnology at SSSIHL, Anantapur campus, had the honor of speaking on the topic “Indian Culture or Western Glamour – Dilemma of Indian Youth” at the 14th Bharatiya Chhatra Sansad (Indian Student Parliament) held by MIT-WPU, Pune from February 08-10, 2025.

In the initial screening, three students from the SSSIHL Anantapur Campus, Ms. Sake Archana (I B.Sc Biosciences and Biotechnology), Ms. Sanya Ahuja (II MA in English Language and Literature), and Ms. Saipriya Babu (I MA in English Language and Literature)—were selected to participate in the event, from thousands of applicants from higher education institutions across India, through a stringent screening process. Ms. Sake Archana was chosen as one of the top 6 student speakers to speak on the “Indian Culture or Western Glamour – Dilemma of Indian Youth” on Day 2 of the event.

The Bharatiya Chhatra Sansad (BCS), an annual apolitical event, aims to inspire India’s educated youth to participate in public life and contribute to nation-building. The 14th edition of BCS also explored several pressing issues relevant to the nation, including “Left, Right or Out of Sight? Ideologies in Indian Politics,” “Revadi Culture: Fiscal Burden or Necessary Support,” and “AI and Social Media – Power or Pitfall?”

The forenoon sessions featured student speakers from across the country alongside political figures, actors, youth icons, and industry leaders who shared their perspectives. The afternoon sessions, titled “Youth to Youth Connect,” focused on leadership skill development through interactive activities, discussions on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and dialogues between political leaders and students. The evening segment, “Loktantra Ka Rangmanch,” presented various dimensions of democracy and political engagement through artistic and theatrical expressions.

Ms. Sake Archana’s exceptional performance at the event stands as a testament to the high caliber of students nurtured at SSSIHL and their commitment to contributing meaningfully to society.

Watch Ms. Sake Archana Speak at the 14^th BCS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2pLEjcFEro

(Video credits: Bharatiya Chhatra Sansad)

The Department of Languages and Literature – English, Anantapur Campus conducted an online workshop titled “Research Writing” on February 8, 2025. The session was conducted by Dr. K.C. Bindu, Assistant Professor, Dr B.R. Ambedkar University, Delhi.

Dr. Bindu provided a comprehensive overview of the active research process and its progression for individual students and scholars. She emphasized essential questions that researchers should consider at the onset of their projects, specifically focusing on the what, why, and how of their research journey, which helps in gaining a better understanding of their work.

Additionally, Dr. Bindu shared her insights on enhancing literature review presentations by using connecting threads to make the content engaging and comprehensible for readers. She offered practical tips on effective reading and note-taking strategies, ensuring that key details are not overlooked. She demonstrated various note-taking systems, including the Cornell method, to aid in drafting summaries.

In her concluding remarks, Dr. Bindu debunked several myths surrounding the writing process that can make research feel overwhelming. She encouraged students and scholars to recognize the importance of their work while acknowledging its challenges, urging them to engage with the perspectives of critics in their field while maintaining their voices and opinions.

The session was highly informative and interactive, equipping attendees with practical strategies to enhance their research writing skills. The Department of Languages and Literature – English expressed its gratitude to Dr. Bindu for her insightful session and acknowledged Ms. Aarthi R.M. for successfully coordinating the event.

We are delighted to announce the launch of ChampStamp, the official sports and cultural events magazine of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam campus.

The inaugural edition was released by our Vice-Chancellor, Prof. B. Raghavendra Prasad, on 12 February 2025 at the campus auditorium.

ChampStamp is a reflection of the vibrant campus life, capturing the spirit of unity, discipline, and creativity that defines our community. It chronicles the transformative journey of students through various events, highlighting the shift from “I” to “We” to “He.”

More than just a magazine, ChampStamp is a tribute to the power of sports and culture in fostering teamwork, personal growth, and collective achievement. It showcases the immense talent of our students while celebrating the core values of humility, gratitude, and service that lie at the heart of SSSIHL.

The launch marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in documenting the essence of our campus life and the incredible transformations that unfold when we come together as one.

You can read the magazine here: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/9413ae01aa.html

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The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (DMACS), Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL), successfully conducted an insightful workshop titled “Mastering Data Systems: From PostgreSQL Internals to Distributed Architectures” on February 1, 2025, at the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus.

Objective of the Workshop: The workshop was designed to provide Master of Technology (Computer Science) students with an in-depth understanding of PostgreSQL internals, advanced indexing techniques, query optimization strategies, and distributed database architectures. It aimed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world database management challenges.

Distinguished Speakers: The event featured an esteemed panel of industry experts and academicians who shared their insights and expertise:

• Prof. Ravi Mukkamala – Professor & Chair, Computer Science, Old Dominion University, and Adjunct Faculty, DMACS, SSSIHL
• Mr. Hari Kiran – Founder, OpenSourceDB
• Mr. Suresh Chandra Dash – Senior Solution Architect, Fujitsu
• Mr. R K N Sai Krishna – Senior Staff Software Engineer, Teradata, and Alumnus, DMACS, SSSIHL

Workshop Highlights: The sessions delved into various aspects of modern data systems, including:

• The internal workings of PostgreSQL and its optimization techniques
• Advanced indexing mechanisms to enhance query performance
• Distributed database architectures and their applications in large-scale data processing

The interactive discussions and hands-on demonstrations provided students with practical insights into database management and optimization, preparing them for cutting-edge developments in the field.

Meticulously convened and coordinated by Dr. M S Srinath, Assistant Professor, DMACS, SSSIHL, the workshop, ensured a comprehensive learning experience for the participants.

The esteemed speakers were sincerely appreciated for their invaluable contributions along with the organizers and participants for their enthusiastic involvement. Knowledge-sharing initiatives such as these continue to strengthen the learning community and foster innovation in data systems enriching academic and professional growth.

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Identifying the Issue

• Arjunolic acid and asiatic acid are two important bioactive compounds, however their separation is very difficult

Objective of the Research

• To develop a simple and robust chromatographic method to separate these two triterpene acids

Who should read this?

Faculty, research scholars, natural product chemists, pharmaceutical industries, and students of Medicinal and Organic chemistry

Solution

In our endeavor to develop a simple and robust method for separating arjunolic acid and asiatic acid, the heartwood of T. arjuna was powdered and extracted with ethyl acetate. The crude extract was passed through column chromatography to yield three fractions (a mixture of corosolic acid and maslinic acid, arjunolic acid and asiatic acid, and pure compound terminolic acid). The mixture of arjunolic acid and asiatic acid was passed through flash column chromatography with a varying range of solvent proportions and flow rates. This led to the separation of arjunolic acid and asiatic acid with very high purity (>99%). All the isolated compounds were characterized using UV, IR, NMR, HPLC, and HRMS. Through our method of isolation, the highly expensive Arjunolic acid (Merck 1mg ~33K, 95%) could be obtained in gram quantities at a much lesser cost (BOM for 10g for ~10K, >99%) with higher purity. We are the first to report corosolic acid, maslinic acid, and terminolic acid from Terminalia arjuna

Key Features and Benefits

• We report the first separation of arjunolic and asiatic acid in gram quantities, with a simple chromatographic technique.
• We are first to report terminolic acid, maslinic acid and corosolic acid from Terminalia arjuna.
• Cost benefit: Arjunolic acid can be obtained in gram quantities at very low cost [Merck 1mg ~33K, 95%); SSSIHL cost (BOM for 10g for ~10K, >99%)]

Impact

• Cost-effective method to get pure arjunolic acid and asiatic acid.
• Availability of arjunolic acid in large quantities enables synthesis of several new analogues that can be explored for their biological activities.

Team

Manohar Bhujel, Lakshminath Sripada, and Nageswara Rao Golakoti

Title of paper: “Development of an efficient chromatographic method for the extraction and separation of arjunolic acid and asiatic acid from the heartwood of Terminalia arjuna“

Read Paper Here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2025.112778

Identifying the Issue

• Lead (Pb) based radiation shields have been available, however Pb’s exposure hazard raised concerns due to its toxicity.
• Therefore, effective and environmental-friendly radiation shielding materials are essential to minimize radiation exposure and prevent the harmful effects of ionizing.

Objective of the Research

• Develop eco-friendly, cost-effective radiation shielding materials using rice husk ash-derived glasses, ensuring improved safety and reduced environmental impact

Who should read this?

• Professionals focusing on glass science, radiation shielding materials, and eco-friendly material development.
• Those interested in waste utilization and the development of sustainable materials, especially through the use of agro-waste like rice husk ash (RHA)

Solution

• Development of lead-free materials as sustainable and efficient alternative to traditional lead based radiation shielding materials

Key Features and Benefits

• Utilizes rice husk ash (RHA), an agro-waste material, as a silica source, promoting waste recycling and reducing environmental impact.
• Exhibits high mass attenuation coefficients, low half-value layers, and significant radiation protection efficiency (RPE), and outperforming lead-based glasses
• Provides an effective, non-toxic alternative to conventional lead-based materials, ensuring safer handling, usage, and disposal

Impact

• BBS glasses demonstrate 23.9% Radiation Protection Efficiency (RPE), outperforming commercial lead-based silicate glasses (14.9%) and ensuring safer environments in radiation-exposed industries.
• By replacing lead with lead-free, eco-friendly glasses, the industry eliminates the risks of lead contamination, improving safety standards for approximately 90% of applications requiring radiation shielding materials.
• Large-scale adoption of BBS glasses could potentially mitigate hundreds of tons of lead waste annually, improving public health and aligning with international regulations like RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances).

Team

Sahil Pradhan , Upesh Kumar Appikonda , and Paramesh Gadige *

Title of paper: “Evaluation of radiation shielding characteristics of transparent barium bismuth borosilicate glasses derived from rice husk ash“

Read Paper Here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2024.177950

Identifying the Issue

• Monitoring of humidity plays a crucial role in maintaining household, industrial processes as well as the health of the beings.
• Need to develop fast responsive sensing materials and flexible sensor designs

Objective of the Research

• Enhance humidity sensing properties of ZnO by forming heterostructures with semiconducting oxide glasses

Who should read this?

Researchers and scientists in materials science and sensor technology

Solution

• Study sensing properties by tuning structural and electronic properties

Key Features and Benefits

• Semiconducting oxide glasses are studied for heterostructure formation with ZnO.
• Heterostructures will significantly improve the sensitivity and reduce the response/recovery times of the humidity sensors.
• Changes in orientational growth and microstructure of ZnO particles due to addition of semiconducting glass particle.
• Enhanced humidity sensing and low response time (12 s) obtained for ZnO/glass heterostructure films

Impact

• ZnO-glass heterostructure-based humidity sensors exhibit 12 seconds response time and 16 seconds recovery time, making them suitable for real-time humidity monitoring.
• The unique microstructural features of ZnO nanoparticles and semiconducting ZnO/glass heterostructure mechanism enable fast humidity sensing
• ZnO-glass heterostructure-based humidity sensors demonstrate reliable operation at room temperature, making them suitable for various industrial and commercial applications

Team

Upesh Kumar Appikonda and Paramesh Gadige *

Title of paper: “Humidity sensing studies on ZnO/bismuth borate glass heterostructure thin films”

Read Paper Here: doi.org/10.1007/s10854-024-14202-y

The Training and the Placement team of the Department of Languages and Literature – English at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Anantapur Campus organised a “One-day Workshop on Communication and Soft Skills Training for Employability” on December 21, 2024. The event was attended by all of the M.A. English language and literature students and the B.A. English (Majors and Honours) students.

The session was conducted by Mr. Prasanna Kannan, an accomplished academician, and entrepreneur, who is also a visiting faculty for Placement Training programs at SSSIHL. With extensive industry experience in senior positions at leading semiconductor corporations such as Texas Instruments and Intel Technologies, Mr. Kannan brings a wealth of knowledge in academic skills, soft skills, and business leadership.

The workshop focussed on four areas of employability – Goal setting and decision making, Effective communication, Revenue building, and Interviewing skills. Mr. Kannan outlined the three types of goals essential for a successful career and instilled confidence in students by emphasizing the mantra of successful individuals: never complain, condemn, or criticize oneself, but instead, take full responsibility for one’s life.

He emphasized the importance of ‘working to learn’ and ‘manifesting the future into existence through action’. The session consisted of hands-on activities guiding students through the resume-building process and the fundamentals of effective interviewing.

Dr. Sowmya Srinivasan, Assistant Professor and Department Placement Coordinator, DLL – English, coordinated the workshop, ensuring its smooth execution. The event was a resounding success, leaving students empowered and more confident in navigating their career paths.