Purple Revolution

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu announced phase 2 of the purple revolution under the Aroma Mission, after the success of phase 1 in Doda, Jammu. Under the purple revolution, the farmers in the Doda district had their incomes quadrupled after shifting from maize to lavender cultivation.

First-time farmers were given free lavender saplings and those who have cultivated lavender before were charged Rs. 5-6 per sapling. The farmers will get help from IIIM-Jammu to sell their produce.

Farmers could reach the four distillation units set up by CSIR-IIIM Jammu in Doda for the extraction of lavender oil. 

• At present, large-scale lavender cultivation is limited to J&K but governments in Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are also encouraging their farmers to take up lavender.

Purple Economy: Lavender oil sells for at least Rs 10,000 per litre. Lavender water can be separated from lavender oil. It is used to make incense sticks. Hydrosol is formed after distillation from the flowers. It is used to make soaps and room fresheners.

Aroma Mission

• In 2016, the Centre launched Aroma Mission to boost cultivation of plants for essential oils which have aromatic medicinal properties.
• The mission supports domestic aromatic crop-based agro-economy to move from imported aromatic oils to homegrown varieties.
• Nodal laboratory - CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow.
• Participating laboratories - CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur; CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu etc.

Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index

The comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI) is a rational number to characterise the quality of the environment at a given location following the algorithm of source, pathway and receptor. An increase in the CEPI score denotes adverse effects on the receiving environment.

• A Delhi-based think-tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) did an assessment of Tamil Nadu’s CEPI scores.
• Groundwater is becoming more polluted in Tamil Nadu’s industrial areas and Vellore is the state’s most polluted district in terms of river pollution.
• According to the CEPI water score 2018, five industrial clusters in Tamil Nadu were found to have a water score of more than 50. Of these,
  1. Vellore-North Arcot, Manali and Tiruppur were ‘critically polluted areas’ - CEPI individual score of 60 and above.
  2. Cuddalore and Coimbatore were ‘severely polluted areas’ - CEPI individual scores between 50 and 60.

• Most serious pollution threat to groundwater was from calcium, chloride and iron that are associated with sewage and pollution from tanneries.

AIM-PRIME

AIM-PRIME (Program for Researchers on Innovations, Market-Readiness & Entrepreneurship) aims to translate science-based deep-tech research to startups & ventures across India.

• Partners - Atal Innovation Mission has joined hands with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to launch this initiative, which will be implemented by Venture Center, a technology business incubator.
• Beneficiaries - The program is open to technology developers (early-stage deep tech start-ups, and scientists/ engineers/ clinicians) with strong science-based deep tech business ideas.
• It is also open to CEOs and Senior incubation managers of AIM Funded Atal Incubation Centers that are supporting deep tech entrepreneurs.
• Working - It aims at addressing specific issues through in-depth learning, training and guidance over a period of 12 months.

AIM-PRIME program is specifically tailored for the rapid scaling up of deep-tech science ventures in India, providing not just the necessary intellect and support but also the exposure they rightly deserve.