Sustainability

In a significant development for India’s growing startup ecosystem, PW School of Startups has received official incubator accreditation under the StartInUP programme. The move positions the initiative as a government-recognised startup incubator in Uttar Pradesh, strengthening support for early-stage founders.

Physic Wallah, while announcing the development, stated that the PUCS accreditation allows the commencement of shop of start ups (PW SOS) to be recognized as a state backed incubator, which means the incubator will be exposed to the policy support, funding access, and structured mentorship for entrepreneurs.

Being a certified incubator, PW SOS is set to offer their start-ups complete support services, including mentorship, business coaching, and product development assistance. Also, it will provide startups an opportunity to work in co-working spaces. The startup founders will get an opportunity to get seed capital and connect with venture capital networks, which can help them rapidly turn their innovative ideas into a successful business.

For PW SOS, this accreditation is a significant achievement as it plans to develop a multi-city incubation model starting with Uttar Pradesh. This move will not only help nurture startups at metro cities but also strengthen regional entrepreneurship.

Besides providing operational assistance, the incubator will also guide startups in figuring out the government-backed schemes and policies, especially in the area of grants and financial incentives that are offered within state regulations. This will entail providing information on eligibility criteria, application steps, and meeting the requirements for compliance.

The StartInUP program initiated by the Uttar Pradesh government is a platform for promoting innovation, employment creation, and startup growth through the construction of a strong ecosystem consisting of incubators, investors, and policy makers all over the state.

By being recognized in this way, PW School of Startups become a part of an increasing number of government-approved incubators that are devoting to turning ideas into realities. Those who follow the industry say that the partnerships between edtech platforms and public policy frameworks have the potential to democratize entrepreneurship by providing resources to aspiring founders from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

It highlights a larger movement of education platforms turning into centres of innovation, which are not only focused on education but also on the creation of enterprises in the Indian startup scene that is expanding very swiftly.

Oceanic and atmospheric signals are starting to line up and indicate that El Nio conditions will strengthen by June, according to the latest European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts predictions. The pattern of the ocean and atmosphere development that has been seen so far is one of the "classic" El Nio features with sea surface warming in and near the central and eastern parts of the Pacific Ocean and the changes in the atmospheric circulation that go along with it.

Normally, the trade winds push the warm ocean waters towards Southeast Asia which causes the cold waters to rise near South America. When El Nio occurs, these winds are weakened resulting in the warm water spreading eastward. This causes a disruption of the global weather systems with the Pacific region experiencing more rainfall and parts of Asia such as India having hotter and drier conditions.

In India, these types of events are typically associated with a weaker southwest monsoon and more heatwaves. The monsoon relies on the difference in temperature between the land and the ocean to bring moisture-laden winds. Unfortunately, El Nio can diminish this gradient thereby reducing the rainfall and increasing the risk of drought in several areas.

Experts of climate warn that if a powerful el nino arises, India could be hit by two extremes at once - very high temperatures in the northern and central regions and below-normal amounts of rain during the monsoon. This would impact farming, the availability of water and people's health.

The record breaking warm global temperatures and drastic changes in the climate which occurred with the El Nio events (199798, 201516) made scientists very concerned. They point out that a similar El Nio event coupled with the present global warming scenario might result in intensity of climate extremes becoming more violent.

The pattern of the development of the event in the world at large is capable of decreasing the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic but at the same time raising the number of cyclones in the western Pacific. Even though how strong the event will be is not yet clear, the signs are there that a big climate occasion is taking place and so is likely to impact India and some other parts of the world in the following months.

The concept of sustainable education is usually mentioned in policy documents and climate debates. However, its significance comes out in the open through daily crisis situations. A recent event in Bengaluru is a good example of how education systems should be geared to helping people adapt to resource disruptions and environmental challenges.

Recently, due to a shortage of LPG cylinders for commercial use, operations of many hotels got disrupted in the city. One such hotel, The Sanctuary Hotel in the Gandhinagar area near the racecourse, faced difficulties in getting the gas supply required for cooking daily. When commercial cylinders were not available, the hotel changed to cooking on traditional wood stoves for a while in order to serve meals to the guests.

The management put up signs asking customers to understand the situation due to the shortage of LPG and also mentioning that the full menu might not be available until the supply returns to normal. The kitchen staff got creative by cooking on wood, fired stoves to carry on with kitchen operations on a minimum level while informing the visitors about the situation and asking for their patience.

The first thought will probably be that it was a mere supply, chain problem. However, it is actually the case that modern urban systems rely heavily on limited resources and centrally organized supply networks. So, when disruptions happen, be it due to logistics, energy shortages, or environmental events, communities will have to depend on adaptability and hands- on knowledge if they want to survive.

This is what makes sustainable education so important. Sustainable education is a means of instructing students about environmental conservation, resource management, alternative technologies, and human resilience, among others. A case in point, studying renewable energy, good cooking systems, and local resource use can enable people and organizations to handle sudden shortages.

Schools in India are progressively making sustainability a part of their syllabi through environmental studies, green campus initiatives, and climate literacy programmes. These programmes attempt to create citizens who know how their everyday decisionsenergy consumption, food, making, waste disposallink to the natural world.

The hotel in Bengaluru switching temporarily to the old ways of cooking indicates that the answers are sometimes in the mix of modern efficiency and old, time knowledge. Sustainable education is all about fostering such a mentality: coming up with new ideas based on the real world of resources.

As urban areas expand and supply chains become vulnerable to climate changes and the rising global demand, sustainability based education is getting more and more important. Equipping the next generation with the ability to analyze energy, food systems and environmental responsibility critically is perhaps as important as acquiring any technical skill.

Ultimately, sustainable education is not only about saving the earth, it is about making sure that people are still able to live their lives even when the regular systems stop working.

Usually chocolate is the first thing we think of when talking about indulgence, comfort and celebrations. But every chocolate bar has a tale that is not often told, the environmental cost of its production. From carbon emissions to deforestation and water use, chocolate production has a bigger environmental impact than most consumers realise. Furthermore, as the effects of climate change continue, the sustainability of the cocoa and chocolate industry is a matter of serious debate worldwide.

The Environmental Impact of Chocolate

There are quite a few reasons for which industrial chocolate production has a high carbon footprint, but the most substantial are agriculture and deforestation. For 1 kg of chocolate, the amount of total greenhouse gas emissions is about 47 kg CO2e. The life cycle analysis of 40g milk chocolate bar reveals that nearly 200g of CO2e is emitted for the production of the bar (mostly caused by land use change, and limited but significant processing and supply chain factors) carbon emissions mostly come from land, use change, along with processing and supply chain factors.

Take a look at nature's carbon cycle, for instance, to grasp the scale of this effect. A fully grown tree captures around 22 kilograms of CO2 per annum. Multiply this by the vast number of chocolate bars eaten worldwide, and the environmental price begins to stand out.

The Environmental Problems Associated with Growing Cocoa

The sustainability discussion regarding chocolate is not just about declarations.

Water footprint, To make a 100, gram chocolate bar, almost 1, 000 litres of water are needed. On the other hand, the same water could yield much bigger amounts of other types of crops.

Deforestation, Most of the world's cocoa production has come at the cost of forest clearance. Soil deterioration and chemical dependency, Mono, cropping and use of chemicals lead to soil pollution and herbicide resistance.

Exploitation of children, There have been cases of child labour in the cocoa plantations of various regions. Packaging pollution, Chocolate bars are often wrapped in single, use plastic which ends up in rubbish dumps.

Considering all these factors, it is no surprise that the chocolate industry has been singled out and called upon to make a switch to more eco-friendly production methods.

A Shift Toward Sustainable Chocolate

In response, some emerging chocolate brands are trying to reshape how cocoa is produced, processed and packaged. The goal is to move towards zero-waste production, reduced carbon footprints and ethical supply chains.

Sustainable chocolate initiatives focus on several key areas:

• Supporting environmentally responsible cocoa farming
• Reducing plastic packaging and encouraging recycling
• Promoting ethical labour practices
• Minimising waste throughout the production cycle
• Encouraging mindful consumption rather than over-indulgence

This shift aligns closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which call for responsible consumption, climate action and sustainable industry practices.

Rethinking Chocolate Consumption However, the sustainability advocates are not giving an ultimatum to the chocolate lovers by asking them to stop consuming it. Rather, they are inviting them to be mindful when consuming chocolate i.e., to recognize chocolate as an art product instead of a product for mass consumption.

In essence, it is no different from the culture of fine coffee or artisanal tea i.e., you consume less but with a deeper level of appreciation and are more aware of the origin.

The Future of Climate, Responsible Chocolate In the face of ongoing climate change, the chocolate industry finds itself at a crossroads. Effective implementation of sustainable agricultural practices, responsible sourcing of products and green packaging may be the determining factors not only in sustaining cocoa production but also allowing it to thrive for years to come.

With regard to chocolate consumers, the takeaway is clear: behind every chocolate bar is a journey encompassing the farmer and the environment. Opting for chocolates made from sustainable production and moderating their consumption are two ways that might pave the way for future generations to savor one of the world's most popular indulgences, without damaging our planet's health.

In a significant policy shift, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has proposed transferring the Centre’s ₹1.7 lakh crore annual fertiliser subsidy directly into farmers’ bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. The move, if implemented, could fundamentally alter how subsidies are delivered and utilised in India’s agriculture sector.

Existing Subsidy Framework

At present, fertiliser subsidies are routed to manufacturers after fertilisers are sold to farmers at subsidised rates. Since 2018, more than 2.3 lakh Point of Sale (PoS) retailers across the country have been linked to the Department of Fertilizers’ e-Urvarak portal. Under this system, farmers authenticate their purchases using Aadhaar, Kisan Credit Cards, or other government-approved identification. The real-time tracking mechanism ensures that subsidies are disbursed to companies only after verified sales.

While this system improved transparency and reduced leakages, the subsidy technically benefits manufacturers first, with farmers receiving fertilisers at controlled prices rather than direct financial support.

Putting Farmers in Control

The proposed reform seeks to reverse this flow. By depositing subsidy amounts directly into farmers’ bank accounts, the government aims to empower cultivators to choose the type and quantity of fertilisers best suited to their soil health and crop patterns. The minister presented the idea at the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela, emphasising that greater choice would encourage balanced nutrient usage and potentially curb overdependence on specific fertiliser brands.

Officials also indicated that digital monitoring mechanisms would remain in place to ensure accountability and prevent misuse.

A Wider Agricultural Push

The proposal aligns with broader efforts to modernise agriculture, including targeted Kisan Credit Card loans at concessional rates for small farmers, promotion of integrated farming models, and increased outreach by agricultural scientists at the village level. Together, these initiatives aim to boost farm incomes, strengthen food security, and promote sustainable cultivation practices.

If rolled out, direct fertiliser subsidy transfers could mark one of the most consequential reforms in India’s farm support architecture, shifting the focus decisively toward a farmer-first framework.

Scientists at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Delhi, are working on a new type of high, efficient air conditioner that has already demonstrated a capacity to cut electricity consumption by about one third.

It is known that rapidly increasing heat stress leads to various health risks and lowers productivity, and these effects have already reached alarming levels. According to the India Cooling Action Plan, Report by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, 2019, with the increase in temperature and the consequent rise in air conditioning usage in homes and offices, electricity consumption for cooling will be three times more by 2037, 38.

The researchers are also in the process of developing a different type of energy, saving air conditioners to solve the problem.

The group of researchers led by Prof Anurag Goyal and including Ananthakrishnan K, a doctoral research student of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is currently developing a laboratory- scale prototype of this new system, which has already demonstrated a capacity to reduce electricity consumption by approximately one third.

The vapor-compression system-based ACs in use today remove humidity by overcooling the air until moisture condenses, which is a highly energy-intensive process. Prof Anurag Goyal's research group has developed a new concept that utilizes a compact add-on module to directly tackle moisture.

The module uses a salt solution (liquid desiccant) that absorbs water vapor from incoming outdoor air. A thin and selective polymer membrane sits between the air and the salt solution and prevents the salt from carrying over into the building's air, which is a common concern with existing liquid-desiccant systems.

After the solution is diluted by absorbed moisture, it must be dried to allow continuous reuse. The team uses an innovative system integration concept to continuously revive and recirculate the same salt solution. Instead of adding a burner or an electric heater, the design uses heat that the AC already throws away through its condenser (the outdoor unit) and redirects it to a regenerator module to dry the salt solution again.

The system is designed to precisely match the energy transfer rate in the two parts, vapor compression and desiccant modules, across various outdoor cor the hybrid, resulting in around 33 per cent lower energy consumption, while meeting the same indoor comfort targets. Across representative Indian climates, the predicted savings range from 28 per cent (in very humid areas) to 41.5 per cent (in dry and arid areas)," Prof Anurag Goyal said.

The research team anticipates wider adoption of such a sustainable cooling technology, particularly in Indian buildings.

A study titled 'Model-based analysis of a novel hybrid membrane-liquid desiccant air conditioner for high-efficiency space cooling' on their work has been published in the Journal of Building Engineering.