early times report
Jammu, Dec 28: The School of Mechanical Engineering (SoME), Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), has secured funding for two research projects under the Sponsored Research & Extension Programme 2025–26 of the Jammu & Kashmir Science, Technology & Innovation Council (JKST&IC), Department of Science & Technology, Government of Jammu & Kashmir. The projects are focused on sustainable energy access for tribal communities and reduction of post-harvest agricultural losses, two critical challenges confronting the Union Territory.
The first sanctioned project, titled “Integrated Biomass Cookstove–Composite Phase Change Material Thermoelectric (BITE) System for Simultaneous Cooking and Partial Household Electrification in Tribal Communities of Jammu & Kashmir,” has been awarded a grant of ₹6.00 lakh. The project investigator team includes Prof. E. Muthuswamy, Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Assistant Professor, SoME, and Dr. Varun Dutta, Assoc. Professor, SoME-SMVDU.
This project directly addresses the acute energy challenges faced by tribal and remote populations of Jammu & Kashmir, where households often rely on inefficient traditional biomass cookstoves, leading to health hazards, indoor air pollution, fuel scarcity, and lack of access to electricity.
The proposed integrated system aims to provide clean cooking solutions while simultaneously generating auxiliary electrical power, thereby improving quality of life, reducing drudgery for women, and supporting basic electrification needs in off-grid tribal areas.
The second project, titled “Design and Development of 3D-Printed Packaging for Post-Harvest Loss Reduction in Jammu & Kashmir Agriculture,” has received a grant of ₹8.00 lakh.
The project investigators include Dr. Mir Irfan Ul Haq, Associate Professor, Dr. Ankush Raina, Assistant Professor, Dr. Sanjay Mohan, Associate Professor from SMVDU, and Dr. Ovais Gulzar, Assistant Professor, IUST Awantipora. Agriculture in Jammu & Kashmir suffers from significant post-harvest losses due to inadequate packaging, poor handling, long transportation routes, and lack of crop-specific protective solutions, resulting in substantial income loss for farmers and reduced food availability.
The project proposes innovative, crop-specific 3D-printed packaging solutions using additive manufacturing, aimed at minimizing mechanical damage, improving shelf life, and enhancing marketability of horticultural and agricultural produce.Prof. Pragati Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, SMVDU, lauded the accomplishment and congratulated the investigators for securing competitive funding under the JKST&IC scheme.
He noted that the projects are well aligned with the university’s vision of technology-driven regional development, sustainability, and inclusive growth, and expressed confidence that their outcomes would strengthen SMVDU’s role in addressing critical developmental challenges of Jammu & Kashmir.
The funded research is expected to make a meaningful impact on clean energy access, tribal welfare, agricultural sustainability, innovation, and capacity building, reinforcing the university’s mission of translating research into societal benefit.
Appreciating the achievement, Dr. Yatheshth Anand, Head, School of Mechanical Engineering, SMVDU, congratulated the project teams and stated that the success reflects the school’s robust research ecosystem and commitment to solving region-specific societal problems through engineering innovation.
The faculty also conveyed thanks to Jammu & Kashmir Science, Technology Innovation Council ,Department of Science Technology, Government of Jammu & Kashmir for the funding support. Prof. K R Jha, Dean FoE and Prof. A K Das, Dean R&D congratulated the faculty members for their efforts. |
