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We share with great pride and joy that Dr. Gorachand Dutta has been awarded with the prestigious Faculty Excellence Award 2025 on the 75th Foundation Day of IIT Kharagpur on August 18, 2025.

A field demonstration of nanomaterial-modified Laser-Induced Graphene (LIG) based electrodes for gas sensing was conducted in the Chikkaballapur District Municipality. This initiative, in collaboration with ICMR-NIOH-ROHCS Bangalore, aimed to assess the real-time air quality monitoring at sewage dump and manhole on municipality canal. The integration of nanomaterials enhanced sensor sensitivity and selectivity, enabling precise detection of hazardous gases for the safety of Safai Karmacharis. The project marks a significant step toward deploying cost-effective, scalable gas sensing technologies for public health surveillance and environmental monitoring.

We had the privilege of visiting the Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Assam (https://www.tocklai.org/), on 19–20 June 2025, to engage in meaningful discussions on our ongoing research and future directions in comprehensive tea quality monitoring. We are honored to have been invited by Dr. Venkatesan Selvaraj, Director of the Tocklai Tea Research Institute. The visit provided an excellent opportunity to interact with leading researchers and professionals in the field and to share insights on our field-deployable smart device for tea quality analysis.

As part of our community outreach activities and technology dissemination efforts, we conducted field testing and a farmer awareness program at Shiromani village, Midnapore, India, on 22nd March 2025. A poster was presented in front of 30 farmers, spreading awareness about the do’s and don’ts of using nitrogen-based fertilizers and pesticides. We successfully interacted with the farmers, emphasizing the importance of regular soil and water quality checks and educating them about the health hazards associated with nitrate and pesticide contamination. Through discussions and demonstrations, we highlighted the long-term impact of excessive nitrogen-based fertilizers and harmful pesticides on environmental and human health. Additionally, different soil and water samples were collected for onsite testing with our pesticide and nitrate sensing device. We demonstrated the device to the farmers, and they appreciated its performance, accuracy, and user-friendliness, recognizing its potential to help them make informed decisions for sustainable farming practices

On-site soil and water testing of sensors at Hyderabad farm, showcasing fieldwork and interaction with local farmers.

Mr. Raghavv Raghavender Suresh, PhD Scholar at the NanoBiosensor & Biodevices Laboratory, has been awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) sponsored best poster at the 9th |nternational Conference on Advanced Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology (ICANN 2023), organized by Centre for Nanotechnology, IIT Guwahati, Assam, India, during November 29 – December 1, 2023.