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I will always remember Dr. Priya Ranjan not only as the Chairman of JK Monitor, but as a mentor, guide and elder brother whose kindness shaped my life and work. Write a tribute at KATRA: The UGC–Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre (MMTTC) at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU),Katra, successfully conducted an online refresher course on “Material Science and Its Applications”. The coursewas organized in recognition of material science as one of the most dynamic and impactful domains ofcontemporary research.
Spanning areas from advanced functional materials and emerging quantum technologiesto energy storage solutions and biomedical applications, material science continues to form the backbone ofscientific and technological advancement. Its allied disciplines, nanotechnology, condensed matter physics,polymers, ceramics, and computational materials, are driving innovations with far-reaching industrial and societal implications.
The programme witnessed enthusiastic participation from faculty members across the country. A total of 141participants registered through the official UGC-MMTTC portal, representing states such as Haryana, Punjab,Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and others. Thiswide geographical representation reflects the growing academic interest and increasing relevance of materialscience in teaching and research communities nationwide.
The refresher course focused on several key themes, including thin-film synthesis, advanced characterizationtechniques such as XPS, XRD, SAXS, and absorption-based methods, smart materials, biomaterials, renewableenergy materials, nanomaterials, and computational approaches, along with other emerging areas in materialsresearch.The inaugural session commenced with an enthusiastic virtual gathering of participants and eminent speakers.
Dr.Anupam Sharma, Associate Professor, School of Physics, and Programme Coordinator, formally welcomed theparticipants and highlighted the significance and objectives of the refresher course. This was followed by anaddress by Prof. Supran K. Sharma, Director, UGC-MMTTC, SMVDU, who provided an overview of the MMTTCinitiatives at SMVDU. He also expressed heartfelt gratitude to Prof. Pragati Kumar, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor,SMVDU, for his unwavering support, guidance, and encouragement, which were instrumental in the successfulexecution of the programme.
Prof. Sharada M. Potukuchi, Deputy Director, UGC-MMTTC, SMVDU, highlighted the various academic activitiesorganized under the MMTTC banner and shared insights into future rogrammes. She appreciated the efforts ofthe Programme Coordinator and Co-Coordinators, Dr. Anupam Sharma, Dr. Ram Prakash, Dr. Jitendra Sharma,and Dr. Varun Pandey, for initiating this important academic endeavour to enrich participants’ understanding ofdiverse areas of material science. Subsequently, Prof. S. K. Wanchoo, Dean, Faculty of Sciences, presented anoverview of the university and its academic programmes, emphasizing the importance of such refresher coursesfor faculty working in various sub-fields of material science. Dr. Ram Prakash, Head, School of Physics, andProgramme Co-Coordinator, then provided valuable insights into the School of Physics and the advanced materialcharacterization facilities available at SMVDU. The inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. VarunPandey.
The online refresher course was structured with four sessions per day, each of 1.5 hours duration. Theprogramme featured lectures by several eminent and distinguished resource persons, including Prof.Suryanarayana Jammalamadaka (IIT Hyderabad), Dr. Vikram Raghuwanshi (The University of Queensland,Australia), Prof. Pankaj R. Sagdeo (IIT Indore), Prof. Pawan Kumar Kulriya (Jawaharlal Nehru University, NewDelhi), Prof. Prabhakar Singh (IIT BHU), Prof. Pankaj Poddar (NCL Pune), Prof. H. B. Bohidar (Delhi TechnologicalUniversity), Prof. Kaushik Pal (IIT Roorkee), Prof. Zishan Husain Khan (Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi), Prof. AmitKumar Chakraborty (NIT Durgapur), Prof. Govind Gupta (AcSIR–NPL, New Delhi), Prof. Mukul Kumar Das (IIT-ISMDhanbad), Prof. Somnath C. Roy (IIT Madras), Prof. Bal Chand Yadav (BBAU, Lucknow), Prof. Suryasarathi Bose(IISc Bengaluru), Prof. R. S. Dhaka (IIT Delhi), Prof. M. G. H. Zaidi (GBPUAT Pantnagar), and Prof. AnchalShrivastava (Institute of Science, BHU), among others. These experts comprehensively covered the thematic areasof the refresher course.
The sessions significantly enriched the academic and research perspectives of the participants, who hailed fromState and Central Universities, Deemed Universities, Private Institutions, Colleges, and other Higher EducationInstitutions across India.In the concluding session, Dr. Jitendra Sharma, Programme Co-Coordinator, presented a comprehensive overviewof the programme, summarizing the wide range of topics addressed by distinguished scientists, academicians, andexperts from IITs, IISc, Central and State Universities, and National Research Institutes.
He expressed the hopethat the participants had found the sessions engaging and had gained valuable insights into various aspects ofmaterial science.Through the successful completion of this refresher course, the UGC-MMTTC at SMVDU has once againreaffirmed its pivotal role in advancing national academic goals by empowering faculty members throughcontinuous professional development and knowledge enhancement.
