India gets first school made of sugarcane waste bricks in Noida
Ever heard of a school being made up of waste from sugarcane? No, it is real and happened in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. A new school building made entirely from Sugarcrete -- a construction block made from sugarcane waste -- has opened in Noida, which became a turning point in low-carbon architecture in India.The project is a collaboration between the University of East London (UEL), Indian manufacturer Chemical Systems Technologies (CST), and Panchsheel Balak Inter College (PBIC), where the structure now stands.advertisementIndia stands at the top in sugarcane production globally, which means it is now possible to use alternatives to soil-made bricks in construction.
This can help achieve sustainability goals and also prevent soil depletion.AN ALTERNATIVE TO BRICK?Sugarcrete was developed in 2023 by UEL researchers Alan Chandler and Armor Gutierrez Rivas. Made from bagasse -- the dry pulp left over after extracting juice from sugarcane -- and mixed with mineral binders, it offers a carbon footprint six times lower than traditional fired bricks.This is the first time Sugarcrete has been used to construct a full-scale classroom, and the team behind it believes it will not be the last.The classroom, standing on a concrete base, has walls made of interlocking Sugarcrete blocks, which are held together with lime mortar.
(Image: University of East London)
advertisementIts roof, supported by a steel frame, includes a clerestory window that allows natural light to enter and provides ventilation. The design also includes a veranda to shield students during the monsoon."More than just a material, Sugarcrete is a system for inclusive, low-carbon development," said Rivas, who leads the team. "This school is a real-world test, proving how design can serve both the environment and the community." he further added.UEL EXPANDS SUGARCANE RESEARCH WITH NEW PROJECTS ACROSS INDIAThe school in Noida is not the end of the road. The same team is now building another Sugarcrete-based facility in Hisar, Haryana, in collaboration with the education NGO Paryatan Foundation.That centre will cater to 150 vulnerable children, focusing on learning and skill-building.UEL's students and staff also held workshops in Hisar with local polytechnic students and researchers, exploring how India's native fibres and natural dyes could be used to regulate indoor temperatures.During a visit to CCS Haryana Agricultural University, UEL signed an MoU to conduct joint research into agro-waste materials.Discussions also touched on shared training and future curriculum development.An MoU was also signed between CST founder Sunil Shingal and UEL to expand the use of Sugarcrete across India.advertisementA joint study group was also formed with Delhi Technological University to monitor the classroom's performance.'This is not just a building; it's a step toward a new way of thinking,' said Alan Chandler. 'It shows that communities, institutions, and industries can come together to build differently -- and better.'With momentum building, Sugarcrete may soon become a common sight across India's towns and villages.- Ends
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
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The Print
an hour ago
- The Print
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Now that Shukla has reached the ISS, his 14-day stay will be spent leading seven experiments developed by top Indian research institutions. He will also participate in over 60 scientific experiments and other activities in microgravity. With India preparing for its first human spaceflight, Gaganyaan—set to launch by 2027—Shukla's flight to space comes as an important pre-game experience, and that is why India's human spaceflight journey from Sharma to Shukla is ThePrint Newsmaker of the Week. Sharma to Shukla IAF Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma was 35 when he was chosen to be a part of the Soviet mission, Soyuz T-11, in 1982. His interaction with then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from the Russian space station Salyut 7 is etched in history. When asked how India looks from space, he proudly said, 'Saare jahan se accha'. Sharma's selection for the USSR mission was a significant moment in history, not just for India but for the global collaborative space programme. During the Cold War, between 1947 and 1991, the Soviet Union introduced the Intercosmos initiative to partner with allied and friendly countries. India got a chance to send an astronaut-designate as part of this deal. Sharma, who was a squadron leader back then, was also a test pilot with the IAF. This automatically qualified him as a possible applicant. But this was just the first step to a strenuous two-year training. He underwent several training rounds and beat over 150 candidates before his selection. The training involved facing high G-forces or gravitational force equivalents, sensory deprivation tests, and cardiovascular and vestibular stress simulations. 'But it was all worth it. No matter how hard you train, nothing can completely prepare you for space,' Sharma said in an earlier conversation with ThePrint. For Shukla, who was born a year after the Soviet mission, Sharma became a hero. Still unsure of whether he would be able to fly to space like his idol, he followed Sharma's footsteps to become a test pilot first. In 2019, his dream came true. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which had been working to develop the country's human spaceflight, called for applications from test pilots from the IAF to be a part of the mission. Along with Shukla, Group Captain Prasanth B Nair, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Group Captain Ajit Krishnan were also chosen to be a part of India's much-awaited Gaganyaan mission. Thus began nearly four years of training for India's very own human spaceflight. And it was midway through training for Gaganyaan that the opportunity for Axiom-4 came up. Shukla became the chosen one, with Nair as his backup crew in the mission. Also read: Axiom-4 has venture capitalists looking skyward, but investment in space tech needs an attitude reset Setting the stage for Gaganyaan Sharma and Shukla's missions are starkly different—though equally significant—not only because of the countries leading them, but where they stand in history. Axiom-4, with Shukla as the mission pilot, comes at a time when the Indian space programme is powering through. It has already reached the Moon and aims to build its very own space station, Bharatiya Antariksh Station, by 2035. In the five years after that, India aims to land a human on the Moon. ISRO is also designing missions to explore Venus and Mars, and bring back samples from the Moon. With the Indian Space Policy 2023, the government has also opened the sector to private players. Astrophysicist and Ashoka University vice-chancellor Somak Raychaudhury said that learnings from Axiom-4 will help improve India's own human spaceflight. 'There would be a lot of tech and logistical learnings from the mission that we will be able to implement in Gaganyaan,' he added. The mission's impact will go beyond policy rooms, labs, and launch pads to classrooms, social media, and public discussions. Axiom-4 marks the beginning of India's space aspirations for the decades ahead. And Shukla has become the face of it. Views are personal. (Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Govt, industry, academia join hands to tackle rare earth magnet challenge
Government, industry and academia are working to resolve the issues concerning rare earth magnets , which are used in the automobile sector and other devices, a senior Meity official said on Friday. The technology exists to make rare earth magnets but to produce them at a commercially competitive rate is a challenge, ministry of electronics and IT, additional secretary, Amitesh Sinha said. Speaking on the sidelines of Tec-Verse event showcasing PSU technology research, Sinha said that to solve the issues concerning rare earth, all three partners - govt, industry and academia - are doing their work. "Technology is there, but we have to see how commercially we can do it at a competitive price. So that is the main challenge. Govt will surely work because these things are now becoming strategic and important," Sinha said. The Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology ( C-MET ), a research unit under Meity, at the event signed a transfer of technology agreement with Ahmedabad-based firm Somal Magnets for the production of rare earth magnets. Sinha said the work on the technology development has been going on for some years as the govt realises the importance of material technologies. "It is an effort of the last few years. So they (C-MET) have already been working on it, but suddenly the focus has come on this rare earth material. For such things, first we will have to develop a capability which, at the time of crisis, can be easily scaled. So that kind of infrastructure or capability we are aiming for now," Sinha said. He, however, said Meity is not directly engaged in the production of rare earth magnets but only in some technologies that are important for their production. In April 2024, China implemented strict export licensing on rare earth elements like terbium and dysprosium - key inputs for high-level performance NdFeB (Neodymium-Iron-Boron) magnets used in consumer electronics. The country's oldest electronics industry body, Elcina, said that the move has disrupted global supply chains, hitting India's fast-growing hearables and wearables sector hard, and the device makers are switching to import fully assembled speaker modules from China.
