Sustainability

As higher education undergoes rapid transformation in the digital age, Sanskriti University is positioning itself at the forefront of innovation by integrating artificial intelligence, smart learning technologies, and Industry 5.0 principles into its academic ecosystem.

The NAAC-accredited university has developed an AI-powered learning model designed to personalize education according to individual student needs. Through intelligent learning platforms, students receive customized content, real-time feedback, and support that helps identify learning gaps early, creating a more effective and engaging educational experience. The objective is to move beyond traditional classroom instruction and prepare students for the demands of an increasingly technology-driven workforce.

Industry 5.0, which emphasizes collaboration between humans and intelligent technologies, is becoming a key focus for organizations worldwide. Recognizing this shift, Sanskriti University has embedded technology, innovation, and practical industry exposure across its academic programs. The institution aims to equip students with skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, adaptability, and technological competence—qualities considered essential in the future job market.

Among its notable initiatives are laptop-enabled programs in disciplines such as engineering, computer applications, business administration, and management studies. The university also provides students with opportunities to earn industry certifications through collaborations with leading organizations in areas including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, cloud computing, digital marketing, financial analytics, and entrepreneurship.

To address the growing demand for AI professionals, the university has introduced specialized programs such as a Bachelor of Computer Applications in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. These courses are designed to prepare graduates for careers in emerging technology sectors that continue to expand globally.

Sanskriti University also emphasizes research and innovation. According to the institution, students are encouraged to transform ideas into practical solutions through research projects, innovation labs, and entrepreneurial initiatives. The university has reported a strong focus on intellectual property development and innovation-driven learning across its academic departments.

Industry engagement remains another key strength. Through collaborations with corporate partners and recruiters, the university seeks to enhance employability and provide students with exposure to real-world business and technological environments. Graduates have secured opportunities with leading companies across information technology, consulting, manufacturing, and engineering sectors.

With a diverse academic portfolio, international student presence, modern laboratories, and extensive industry partnerships, Sanskriti University reflects a broader trend in Indian higher education toward skill-based, technology-enabled, and industry-oriented learning. As institutions adapt to the demands of the future economy, the university's AI-powered and Industry 5.0-focused approach aims to bridge the gap between academic learning and professional success.

As space increasingly becomes a critical arena of geopolitical competition and military strategy, leading figures from India's aerospace, defence and scientific communities have called for urgent action to strengthen the country's space infrastructure, industrial capacity and strategic autonomy.

The message emerged at the third edition of the national symposium, The Day the Sky Goes Dark: Warfare in the Age of Satellite Dependence, held at T-Hub in Hyderabad. The event brought together former chiefs of ISRO, DRDO and the Indian Air Force, alongside industry leaders, policymakers and researchers, to examine India's readiness for a future where space assets could play a decisive role in warfare.

A key theme of the discussions was that India possesses the technological expertise needed to compete globally but lacks the production scale required for the next phase of growth. Former ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar pointed to achievements such as Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan, Aditya-L1 and Mission Shakti as evidence of India's scientific capabilities. However, he stressed that future success would depend on developing large satellite constellations, expanding launch capacity and encouraging greater participation from private industry.

Former DRDO Chairman G. Satheesh Reddy described space as the fourth dimension of warfare alongside land, sea and air. He emphasized stronger collaboration between government agencies and private companies to accelerate innovation and strengthen national security.

Industry leaders echoed similar concerns. Ananth Technologies Chairman and Managing Director Subba Rao Pavuluri noted that satellites have become indispensable components of modern military systems. He argued that while Indian companies possess the engineering talent to compete internationally, greater investment and manufacturing capacity are needed to meet the rising demand for defence-specific satellites.

Experts also highlighted rapid launch capability as a strategic necessity. Ronak Kumar Samantray, Founder and CEO of TakeMe2Space, said countries capable of launching satellites quickly and repeatedly would dominate the future space economy and security landscape.

Participants called for policy reforms, including larger procurement programmes, predictable order flows and easier access to growth capital for space startups. They warned that as military networks become increasingly dependent on space-based infrastructure, investments in cyber resilience, secure communications, advanced electronics and indigenous technologies will be essential to safeguarding India's strategic interests in the emerging space era.

The Healthcare Sector Skill Council (HSSC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Ayurved Charak Sansthan (CBPACS) to introduce skill-based training programmes in Ayurveda, yoga and allied traditional healthcare disciplines.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Pankaj Kumar Singh and is expected to strengthen employment and skill development opportunities in the Ayush sector in Delhi, according to an official statement issued on Monday.

HSSC functions under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and works to promote industry-relevant healthcare training across the country.

Under the partnership, the institutions will introduce training programmes aligned with the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) through the HSSC sub-council dedicated to Ayush education and skilling.

The collaboration will focus on specialised training in areas such as Ayurveda Ahar and Poshan, Ksharakarma, Ayurved Diet, Yoga Wellness Trainer, Ayurveda Masseur, Prakriti Parikshan, Panchakarma Assistant and Panchakarma Technician.

Officials said the initiative aims to bridge the gap between traditional healthcare education and evolving industry demands by combining HSSC’s skilling ecosystem with CBPACS’s academic and clinical expertise.

Speaking during the event, Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said traditional healthcare systems hold significant potential for both employment generation and wellness promotion. He stated that the partnership would help create a future-ready and professionally skilled Ayush workforce aligned with national development priorities.

The initiative is also expected to support entrepreneurship and career opportunities in alternative and traditional healthcare sectors, which have witnessed growing public interest in recent years.

According to the statement, the partnership will additionally focus on certification, placement assistance and employment support for students undergoing training in various Ayush disciplines.

Education and healthcare experts believe such collaborations could play a larger role in formalising skill-based training in India’s traditional medicine ecosystem while improving the employability of students pursuing alternative healthcare careers.

The move also reflects broader efforts to integrate vocational education, wellness industries and traditional medical systems into India’s expanding healthcare and skill-development landscape.

Education leaders, grassroots innovators and social changemakers came together for a thought-provoking discussion on the future of rural education and its role in shaping a developed India under the vision of “Viksit Bharat”.

Moderated by Aditi Rajput, the session focused on how strengthening education at the grassroots level can become a powerful driver of economic growth, social inclusion and community transformation across rural India.

The discussion highlighted that rural education is no longer limited to improving literacy rates alone, but is increasingly being viewed as the backbone of India’s long-term development agenda. Speakers emphasised that empowering villages through quality education could unlock opportunities for millions of young people while reducing inequalities between urban and rural communities.

Participants explored the importance of community participation in building sustainable educational ecosystems. Several speakers stressed that local involvement—from parents and teachers to village leaders and civil society groups—plays a crucial role in improving school attendance, learning outcomes and student confidence.

The panel also examined inclusive learning models designed to reach students from marginalised and underserved backgrounds. Discussions centred on the need for multilingual education, digital access, skill-based learning and flexible teaching approaches that reflect the realities of rural life.

Grassroots innovation emerged as another major theme during the conversation. Speakers shared examples of local educators, NGOs and rural entrepreneurs developing low-cost, scalable solutions to bridge educational gaps. These innovations, they noted, have the potential to create lasting impact when supported through policy, technology and public-private collaboration.

The discussion further underscored that rural education must move beyond infrastructure development and focus equally on teacher training, digital literacy, critical thinking and employability skills. Experts argued that preparing rural students for future industries and emerging technologies would be essential for achieving inclusive national growth.

Panelists concluded that India’s ambition of becoming a developed nation cannot be achieved without investing in its villages and empowering young learners at the grassroots. By strengthening rural education systems, they said, the country can create a more equitable and innovation-driven future while ensuring that development reaches every corner of India.

The Maharashtra higher education department has directed colleges and universities across the state to implement fuel-saving measures, encourage car-pooling, and reduce unnecessary travel as part of a wider energy conservation initiative.

In a circular issued on May 13, Director of Higher Education Shailendra Deolankar instructed vice-chancellors and regional joint directors to ensure that higher educational institutions actively adopt practices aimed at reducing fuel consumption and controlling avoidable expenditure.

The department stated that increasing fuel consumption and growing environmental concerns have made it essential for educational institutions to promote sustainable and energy-efficient practices in their day-to-day operations.

As part of the guidelines, universities and colleges have been asked to encourage staff members and students to use shared transportation systems and adopt “car-pooling” in order to reduce the number of private vehicles entering campuses. Institutions have also been advised to minimise avoidable travel and make greater use of online meetings and virtual communication platforms wherever possible.

The circular further instructed campuses to reduce excessive use of electricity-consuming equipment and adopt measures that contribute to overall energy conservation. Authorities have also been told to avoid unnecessary administrative and travel-related expenses.

According to the department, educational institutions have a crucial role to play in promoting environmental responsibility and efficient resource utilisation. The circular emphasized collective participation from students, teaching staff, and non-teaching employees in achieving these sustainability goals.

In addition, colleges and universities have been urged to create awareness among students regarding fuel conservation, responsible energy use, and environmentally conscious behaviour.

Officials said the initiative forms part of a broader push by the state government to encourage sustainable practices in educational institutions while simultaneously reducing operational costs linked to transport and energy consumption.

A new study led by researchers at University College London has raised concerns that the rapid rise in satellite launches could unintentionally alter Earth’s climate by injecting large amounts of black carbon soot into the upper atmosphere.

Published in the journal Earth's Future, the study warns that emissions from rockets launching satellite megaconstellations are reducing the amount of sunlight reaching Earth’s surface — creating effects that resemble small-scale geoengineering.

Scientists say the phenomenon remains limited for now, but growing launch rates could make the environmental impact increasingly difficult to reverse.

How rocket launches are affecting the atmosphere

The study focuses on black carbon particles released by rockets burning kerosene-based fuel.

Unlike pollution near Earth’s surface, rocket soot is injected directly into the stratosphere and upper atmosphere, where:

• Rain cannot easily wash it out
• Atmospheric circulation is slow
• Particles can persist for years

Researchers found that this high-altitude soot absorbs sunlight and alters how solar radiation moves through the atmosphere.

The result is a slight dimming effect at Earth’s surface.

Scientists compared the process to proposed solar geoengineering techniques that intentionally block sunlight to cool the planet — except in this case, the effect is occurring unintentionally through commercial space activity.

Why black carbon in space launches matters

According to the study, black carbon released at high altitudes is roughly 500–540 times more climate-potent per unit mass than soot emitted at ground level.

That is because:

• Surface pollution is removed relatively quickly by weather systems
• Stratospheric soot remains suspended far longer
• High-altitude particles interact differently with solar radiation

Researchers stress that the current cooling effect remains extremely small compared with overall global warming caused by greenhouse gases.

However, they warn the long-term accumulation could:

• Alter atmospheric circulation
• Affect regional climate patterns
• Interfere with ozone chemistry
• Create difficult-to-predict environmental consequences

Satellite megaconstellations driving launch surge

The increase in rocket emissions is closely tied to the global race to build satellite megaconstellations.

Major projects include:

• SpaceX’s Starlink
• China’s Qianfan
• Amazon’s Project Kuiper

These systems aim to deploy tens of thousands of satellites to provide global internet coverage.

The study notes that annual rocket launches have nearly tripled:

• 114 launches in 2020
• 329 launches in 2025

Much of the increase comes from reusable rockets such as Falcon 9, which commonly use kerosene fuel that generates black carbon soot.

By 2029, researchers estimate rocket launches could emit around 870 tonnes of black carbon annually — comparable to emissions from the United Kingdom’s passenger vehicle fleet.

Scientists compare it to an unregulated geoengineering experiment

Researchers described the situation as a “small-scale unregulated geoengineering experiment” taking place without comprehensive international oversight.

Unlike aviation or industrial emissions, rocket emissions currently face relatively limited environmental regulation globally.

Scientists argue there is still time to act because:

• The total climate impact remains relatively small
• The industry is still expanding
• Cleaner propulsion systems may reduce future risks

But they warn that delays in regulation could allow atmospheric effects to accumulate before the science is fully understood.

What scientists want next

Researchers are calling for:

• Greater monitoring of rocket emissions
• International environmental standards for launches
• More research into upper-atmosphere pollution
• Development of cleaner rocket fuels

They also caution that current projections may underestimate future impacts because launch growth between 2023 and 2025 has already exceeded earlier forecasts.

As governments and private companies compete to dominate satellite internet infrastructure and commercial space operations, the study highlights a growing reality: space activity is no longer environmentally isolated from Earth’s climate system.

The findings add to broader concerns that humanity’s expanding presence in near-Earth space may create unintended planetary consequences long before global regulatory systems are prepared to manage them.