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World Water Day 2024

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  Greetings to everyone on the occasion of the World Water Day. World Water Day is observed on 22 March every year since 1993. It is an annual event of the United Nations, which focuses on the importance of freshwater. This significant day highlights the importance of freshwater and advocates for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. It serves as a reminder of the billions of people around the world who lack access to clean drinking water. As of the most recent data, approximately 2.2 billion people globally do not have access to safe drinking water, while 4.2 billion people do not have safe sanitation. This lack of access to clean water and sanitation contributes to various health issues and diseases, which hinder socio-economic development in many regions across the world. The overarching goal of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) - ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for ...

71st birth anniversary of Dr. S K Shivakumar

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Yesterday  (17 th  March)   it was the  7 1 st    birth anniversary of the esteemed Former Chairman of KSTA and Padmashri Awardee Dr. S.K. Shivakumar. He was a visionary leader, who served as the Director of U.R. Rao Satellite Center (URSC) from July 2012 to March 2015. He led a team of over 2500 engineers and scientists in the design, development and realization of state-of-the-art satellite missions, including the Mars Orbiter Mission, which marked India's first interplanetary mission and the navigation satellite program.  Prior to his tenure at URSC, Dr. Shivakumar served as the Associate Director of the center from November 2010 to June 2012. From September 1998 to November 2010, he held the position of Director at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), where he oversaw the maintenance of a large constellation of Indian satellites in orbit and provided support to satellite launch vehicle missions through a worldwide network of groun...

In the remembrance of Prof. Udupi Ramachandra Rao

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10 th  March 2024 - the 92 nd birth anniversary of the exceptional and visionary space scientist, Padma Vibhushan Professor U R Rao, who was the Former Chairman of ISRO for more than a decade and Chairman of KSTA for 12 years. Fondly known as the father of satellite technology in India, Prof. Rao's indomitable spirit and brilliance paved the way for the successful development and launch of the very first indigenously built satellite, ARYBHATA on 19th April 1975. His immense contribution to Indian space mission is widely acknowledged. With unwavering expertise, Prof. Rao provided meticulous guidance to numerous Indian space missions throughout his tenure as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee of Space Sciences (ADCOS) at ISRO, spanning over three remarkable decades. In addition, he also served as the Chairman of the Physical Research Lab (PRL) Council, which is known as the cradle of space technology in India. His invaluable guidance for the ADITYA mission, in particular, was...

Renewed Efforts to Confront the Climate Crisis

The global spotlight was fixed on Dubai, with the international community eagerly anticipating the decisions of the Conference of Parties – 28 (CoP 28) held from November 30 to December 12, 2023. The results of this conference were positioned to influence the course of global endeavors to combat climate change and promote sustainable practices .  The conference brought together leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders from 198 countries to tackle the pressing issue of global warming. Global warming continues to escalate unabated, which poses significant challenges to humanity's efforts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C. The increase in the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and water vapor, particularly from industries, contributes to heat trapping in the Earth's atmosphere. Despite endeavors to decrease emissions, projections indicate that temperatures may rise to 2.9 degrees Celsius above pre-indu...

New Year Wishes 2024!

  Dear Sir and Madam, Greetings from Karnataka Science and Technology Academy (KSTA)! I am elated to share the remarkable strides KSTA has made in the year 2023. Steadfast in our commitment to the pursuit of 'Science-Technology-Innovation for Societal Benefit,' KSTA has organized an array of exceptional programs spanning the entire spectrum of the educational pyramid, from high school to university levels.  Without basking in the accolades of the National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Science Communication bestowed upon KSTA last year by NCSTC, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, we persistently endeavor to elevate science communication through a myriad of innovative educational and outreach initiatives. KSTA is resolutely dedicated to fostering STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture and Mathematics) education in Karnataka through an array of new programs. Besides the successful implementation of ongoing initiatives, we have conducte...