Prof. Vishvesh Badheka
I) Fast Track Scheme for Young Scientist from Department of Science & Technology (DST), New Delhi. For the project entitled “Gas Metal Arc Welding with Metal Core Arc Wire” in the year Dec 2008, Project is ongoing. (DST Ref No: SR/FTP/ETA-19/2008)
Total Cost of Project is Rs 15,18,000.00

II) Research project on “Weldability aspects of Low Activation Ferritic-Martensitic Steel Welded by Activated Flux Tungsten Inert Gas Welding” from Board For Research in Fusion Science & Technology (BRFST), National Fusion Program of Institute for Plasma Research, Department of Atomic Energy, Gandhinagar, India, in the year Dec 2008. Project is going on and is in collaboration with Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam. (Ref ; NFP/08/MAT-01)
Total Cost of Project is Rs 24,26,500.00

Publications
“Effect of Residual Magnetism on Sidewall Fusion in Narrow Gap Gas Metal Arc Welding”, by Badheka V J and Agrawal S K, It has been published in “Welding and Cutting” International Journal of German Welding Society, DVS. Issue Welding and Cutting 5 (2008)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prof. Lalita Ledwani
Prof. Lalita Ledwani has received a sanction letter from DST for the project entitled "Plasma surface modification for polyester fiber and fabric to enhance dye uptake properties with natural dyes". Time duration for the project is three years.
Proposed Budget for the project is Rs 35,00,000.00

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prof. Arun Sarma
Prof. Arun Sarma visited University of Innsbruck, Austria, Europe to attend the 50th year celebration of the Innsbruck Plasma Physics Division, which was held on 5th December 2008. He was invited to attend the celebration and also to give a talk on Plasma Physics. Prof. Sarma was also invited to work in their laboratory on a joint project in collaboration with Max Institute of Plasma Physics, Grifswald, Germany. Prof. Sarma worked in their laboratory on the following two proposals:
(i) Thermal Conductivity and Resistivity of Lab Materials with Laser Power
(ii) Study of Antenna characteristics in Plasma Medium.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prof. Bhawanisingh Desai
Dr. Bhawanisingh G Desai, has been awarded a major DST project on "Ichnofabric mapping of the Mundhan and Guneri Sections with special reference to (Umian-Mundhanian Kutch Stages) Western Kachchh India".

He has also completed a DST Fast track project on "Ichnology of the Jurassic Rocks of the Jara dome, Western Kachchh India" and has published a paper on the oxygenation history of Jara dome area, in Journal of Geological Society of India. Along with this, a collaboration was also done to understand the evolution of life based on trace fossil occurences in parts of Nigalidhar and Korgai syncline of Lesser Himalaya along with Dr. Rajita Shukla of Waida Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun.