IIT-Madras, Lafarge to launch cement research project

Chennai: The first joint project by French cement major Lafarge Group's research arm and the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) is expected to kick start soon, an official said here on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters, Revindra Gettu, professor at IIT-M's Department of Civil Engineering, said the research project will test the durability of concrete as a building material in different climatic conditions.

The cement major's research arm, Lafarge Research Centre, and IIT-M last year signed aMemorandum of Understanding, under which the IIT's civil engineering department set up a laboratory to carry out joint research programmes.

Lafarge Research Centre has funded the laboratory to the tune of Rs.1.5 crore over a period of three years.

According to Gettu, the tests will be conducted on concrete in different parts of India to identify the carbonation and its effects on concrete in different atmospheric conditions.

"Lafarge aims to improve the performance of concrete to address sustainable construction and global warming challenges. This is done through cutting-edge scientific research and forming partnerships with other institutes and organizations," said Pascal Casanova, head of Lafarge Group's Research and Development.

The French group has four cement plants in India - two in Chhattisgarh, and one grinding plant each in Jharkhand and West Bengal. Lafarge has also set up a gypsum plasterboard plant at Khushkhera in Rajasthan.

source:http://indiaedunews.net/IIT/IIT-Madras,_Lafarge_to_launch_cement_research_project_13739/

Five Maoists among 82 prisoners writing Bengal board exams

Kolkata: Eighty two prisoners, including five Maoists, lodged in various correctional homes in West Bengal appeared in the state's secondary board examination that started Wednesday, an official said.

"Altogether, 82 prison inmates have appeared in the West Bengal Board of Secondary Examination - Madhyamik examination. This is a record in the history of correctional home services department of the state. Last year, only eight prison inmates appeared for the secondary examination," said Additional Director General and Inspector General of Police (correctional services) B.D. Sharma.

The written examination of Madhyamik will continue till March 7. Around 10.04 lakh examinees, of whom more than 50 percent are girls, Wednesday appeared in the first language paper.convict

Of the 82 inmates, five were Maoists.

"Maoist leader Santosh Debnath (55), arrested six years ago, is appearing in the exam from Presidency Correctional Home, while Sukhshanti Baskey, the treasurer of the pro-Maoist tribal body - PCAPA (People's Committee Against Police Atrocities), and his three associates Prasanto Mahato, Dhritiranjan Mahato and Bikash Mahato lodged in Midnapore Central Correctional Home are also appearing for the exam," Sharma told the sources over phone.

"Of the 82 inmates, 11 are women. Most of the inmates are aged life convicts. The convicts and the undertrials wanted to study and they were provided with books by the correctional home authorities," he added

source:http://indiaedunews.net/West_Bengal/Five_Maoists_among_82_prisoners_writing_Bengal_board_exams_13580/

New IIIT to be set up in West Bengal

 The central government has approved the plan to set up an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in West Bengal, the state's Information Technology Minister Debesh Das said here on Thursday.

"The government of West Bengal has got an IIIT. The centre has sanctioned our proposal for setting up of the IIIT," Das said while addressing the inaugural ceremony of INFOCOM here.

"The centre will provide 50 percent of the cost, state will provide 35 percent and the rest will come from the industry," he added.

He, however, did not give details of the project.

"In 2006, the people working in the (infotech) sector was 32,000 and in 2010 it stood at 105,000. In 2006, IT export from the state was Rs.2,700 crore and in 2010, it became Rs.6,500 crore," Das said.

"In these four years (from 2006 to 2010), several IT firms, including Infosys, Wipro, TCS, Patni and Tech Mahindra, bought land for their campuses here," Das said.

"We have more potential, to use this potential we need things (infrastructure) to be tripled in the coming three to four years," he said. 

source:http://indiaedunews.net/West_Bengal/New_IIIT_to_be_set_up_in_West_Bengal_13539/