Students’ science and engineering projects are facing a unique problem in the state. On National Science Day (February 28) that marks the day Sir C.V.Raman discovered the Nobel-winning Raman Effect, we take a look at why many student projects don’t reach fruition.

The Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST) has over the last 25 years sponsored 4,500 projects under its Student Project Programme (SPP) in engineering colleges spending over Rs 1.50 crore. But hardly five of them have materialised into products, though hundreds more have the potential. The reason for these liliputian numbers: Students work on the project for six months during the final year of their engineering — too short a period to develop an entire product or process.

“The next batch of students are reluctant to work on their seniors’ half-completed projects. A product takes nearly five years to evolve into something acceptable in the market,” KSCST Secretary Prof. D.K. Subramanian told The Times of India. One exception has been the Bapuji Institute of Engineering and Technology, Davanagere, whose students have spun out silk ties and shirts for the market. “We are now talking to several industries to sponsor these projects on a royalty basis, taking the students as interns,” says Subramanian. The carrot being dangled is a job at the company in the long run.

The KSCST has identified medical electronic instruments and devices, agricultural implements and food processing as some of the areas where existing projects have commercial potential. Product Development Centres (PDCs) were set up in colleges to develop successful projects into products and processes. They were to improve on the projects, modify, scale-up and conduct field trials. Automatic rapid dyeing and oil dispensing machines, grain disinvestors are some of the products that have come out of PDCs. “We found that PDCs were not delivering,’’ says Subramanian. So funding to these centres has been reduced.

The SPP was launched in 1977-78, to egg students on to apply their creativity to solve developmental problems and enrich collegiate education. Every year, KSCST recieves over 700 project proposals, of which 200 win support after evaluation. Over 100 senior faculty of the Indian Institute of Science and scientists from other national labs form the review and technical assistance body. Science Day: Bangalore Association for Science Education based in Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium will celebrate National Science Day on Friday with a lecture (in Kannada) at 4.30 pm titled ‘New Members of the Solar System’. It will be followed by the screening of a Science Movie at 6 pm at the Planetarium.

COIMBATORE, FEB. 2nd Libraries began the transformation of the information they contain, in digital form in terms of share knowledge through networks, in order to increase the number of users with access to data on a large number topics of a cost-effective manner.

The head of the Learning Resource Centre, PSG Institute of Management (PSGIM), B. Sivakumar, said that the transformation of the information in electronic format to support the information needs of the “knowledge society”, he been in the form of the world.

“Information has become a commodity and the cost factor should be taken into account. Networking of libraries is very important.

“In the future, all libraries can be fee-based to ensure a good service to users,” he said.

“We have information in the shortest possible time with the aid of electronic instruments such as the group ware, Internet, intra-and extra-net-net. Everybody is required to email identification.

The search for specific information using the library can be more effective than conventional search engines with keywords in databases, “he said.

The issue of libraries of the future, Mr. Sivakumar was said that the trend in the direction of the dissemination of electronic journals and electronic publishing, with a lot of books, which is located on a server in a central location, at the same time, and made available a number D ‘ users.

It is not necessary physically lend books, and one digital copy can serve multiple users at a time without physically visiting the library.

In addition, the instant access to various topics of new magazines made possible.

Electronic “authorisation” of users would ensure that only registered users were able to access documents on the network.

“Internet is a technology distribution of knowledge, whatever the source. Users in the world, the effects of leverage of the information available in different countries,” said P. Hemamalini, senior lecturer at PSGIM .

Hemamalini women, the resource as one of the people in a seminar, “Knowledge Management in Library and Information Services,” held at the Institute, said that the electronic greatly benefited from the release of this sector, and help managers of knowledge “Morning.

Mr. Sivakumar, said that more than 60 participants from all regions of the South, including a number of librarians, managers and leaders of the industry attended the seminar, which deal with various aspects of the using numerical data for fast access.

He said that PSGIM Learning Resource Centre, a digital database with the name `Capitaline ‘, information on more than 7000 companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai.

This appendix contains a wealth of information and financial services was expected to benefit researchers