M.Tech project | Design and development of a cost-effective forewarning system for onion storage losses

Onion is a staple vegetable in every household, but the prices of onion fluctuates due to supply and demand issues. As onion storage losses in India account to about 50-60% of total production, so there is a need for early detection of storage losses. In order to acheive this, onion storage loss detection system is designed using electronic sensors (E-Nose Technology) for volatile gases, humidity & temperature sensors. Since most of the onion storage structures are ventillated structures, so the designed system is applied for ventilated structures. The data collected from the sensors is used for development of forewarning model for alerting farmers to prevent onion losses.

Two month Field Stay in Morhande village of Palghar District, Maharastra

Studied village profile, village demographics, conducted Participatory Rural Appraisal ( FGD's, Social map, Resource map, Transcet walk) and Household survey in 101 households with population of 623. Critically analyzed implementation of MGNREGA and PMAY-G from primary and secondary data.

Directed Research-1: Solar-based Micro Lift Irrigation System

Determined financial viability of Solar- based micro Lift Irrigation System which is ₹ 1.1 crore CSR funded project. Used NPV and BCR indices for financial analysis based on primary data. Estimated the maximum area that can be catered irrigation using drip with the implemented system. Analyzed the socio-economic impact on 108 beneficiaries, their families and other landless people in village.

​Directed Research-2 : Evaluated Gram Panchayat Development Plan(GPDP) for group Gram Panchayat Morhande-Gonde Bk.

Analyzed Gram Panchayat Development Plans for four years, each of the annual plans have budget of about ₹ 1.15 crore maxiumum. Analysed & represented sectoral allocation of funds in planned budget and amout spent in impelemting the works. Observed bottlenecks in planning and implementation of developmental works in the Gram Panchayat through interviews of key stake holders and field visits.

Data Analysis & spatial mapping of NFHS-4 data on Malnutrition

Identified and mapped the status of malnutrition in 4 states using QGIS spatial data representation tools. Performed Regression analysis for establishing relation between different variables affecting malnutrition. Performed statistical analysis using ANOVA, F-test,Ttest, Tukey, Fischer, Bonferroni tests on NFHS-4 data using MINITAB.

Biomass Supply Chain and Infrastructure for Bio-fuel Production in India

Performed Zonal Analysis of Biomass Surplus in 4 states of India & mapped possible sites for setup of Biofuel plant in Maharashtra using QGIS tools. Carried out Techno-Economic Analysis of Biomass supply chain in Maharastra. 

Project Management and Analysis for soil mapping program

Created virtual consultancy firm DSS Pvt. Ltd. Tendered, planned and executed soil mapping project worth of Rs. 2000 crore. Studied Project Management aspects and adopted procedure for EOI, Tender, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Terms of Reference (TOR), Bidding organizational structure, Financial accounting, Data management. Submitted Detailed Project Report for soil mapping project worth Rs. 2000 crore through a virtual company DSS Pvt. Ltd. Preparation of DPR was done using techniques like logical framework analysis, CPM/PERT, work break down structure, Fish-bone and Tree diagram. Acquired project management skills of handling manpower, organizational structure, project analysis.

CSR Policy : Evaluation & Analysis of NTPC, NVVN, PFC

Critically reviewed the regulatory compliance and conformity of companies with the CSR rules. Analysed CSR expenditure using Tableau, collected sectoral and spatial data from companies for 2014-2017. Compared data on MoCA portal with the expenditure data from annual reports of the company & identified discrepancies.

Application of Remote Sensing and GIS in Analyzing Urban Heat Island Effect

The study highlighted the use of REMOTE SENSING to analyse the satellite data, LANDSAT 8 OLI/TIRS C1 LEVEL-1 for monitoring LAND SURFACE TEMPERATURE (LST) dynamics and Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. This provides important information in drafting of smart city policies for Raipur city in Chhattisgarh state. From the study it was found that NORMALISED DIFFERENCE VEGETATION INDEX (NDVI) and LST have a significant inverse correlation, presence of water bodies reduces the LST up to 2 km and concrete layers retaining the heat up to 43 °C. ArcGIS tools were used to obtain LST (max 43°C and min 27°C) and NDVI (max 0.49 and min -0.14) maps for the month of March 2018.

Comparitive analysis of Grid versus Solar Home Lighting Systems

Analyzed electricity scenario using primary data to find demand and consumption patterns, and mapped feeder line network in the Dongripada habitation using QGIS. Designed solar home lighting systems based on consumption pattern of the habitation. Compared solar lightning system with electric grid by calculating NPV, ALCC and cost of electricity (CoE)

Life Cycle Assessment of Mango

Carried out Life Cycle Assessment of mango using open LCA software and Ecoinvent 3.3 datasets. Estimated the environmental impact of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, farm machinery comparing High Density Plantation(HDP) and Low Density Plantation(LDP) types.

Microfinance and Women in SHGs in India: Impacts and Challenges

Studied the history, evolution and importance of SHGs and microfinance. Identified the pathways for success and failure of women SHGs in India.

Poverty and Development

Reviewed the Poverty Estimation Committees reports by Planning Commission of India (historical evolution of the definition of poverty). Studied various aspects of poverty based on caste, class, tribe in relation with socio economic status, education and modern development plans. Studied Poverty alleviation measures by the government.