Isro engineers to examine technologies for hills

The Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) have organised a mega event—Engineers Conclave-2014 (EC-2014)—from October 31 to November 1 at the J N Tata Auditorium in the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

The event will provide a platform to all professional engineers/scientists of the country to address some of the major engineering challenges relevant to Indian society and to suggest suitable engineering solutions. 

Dr K Radhakrishnan, chairman, Isro/secretary, Department of Space, is the chair, and Dr Baldev Raj, president, INAE and director, National Institute of Advanced Studies, is the co-chair of the conclave. EC-2014 will be inaugurated by Prof U R Rao, chairman, PRL Council and former chairman, Isro/Space Commission.

The  conclave, which will focus on two themes—Emerging Space Applications and Technologies for the Hill Regions—will also see the participation of senior scientists Dr P S Goel, B N Suresh and S K Shivakumar.

The technical sessions under ‘Emerging Space Applications’  will have 16 invited talks by experts from various organisations, including Isro, and will cover energy and infrastructure, weather and climate, natural resources monitoring, management and e-governance, early warning systems and navigation.

The ‘Technologies for the Hills’ session will  cover mountain weather, gravity flows and associated hazards, communications for hazardous conditions in hilly  regions, earthquakes and avalanches in the Himalayan region, snow cover and water management in hill regions.