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Digambara Patra

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Digambara Patra
Born
Kalahandi, Odisha, India
NationalityIndian
Education
Alma mater

Digambara Patra is a professor[1] of Chemistry at the American University of Beirut.[2]

Education

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Digambara earned a PhD degree in Chemistry working with Professor A. K. Mishra at Indian Institute of Technology Madras. Subsequently, he spent in University of Basel, Switzerland, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany and Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan for his postdoctoral studies before joining American University of Beirut. He is a recipient of Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship[3] and JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship.[4][5][6] His research focuses on nanochemistry and optical sensing.[7] He was listed among the world's top 2 % scientist by Stanford University in 2020.[8]

Research

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With Professor A. K. Mishra at Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Digambara discovered that Synchronous Fluorescence Scan are the easy, fast and sensitive approach to determine adulteration of petroleum fuel which itself is a serious problem in South Asia. They attributed that the presence of extensive inner filter effects and resonance energy transfer in petroleum fuels are the major causes of the distinctive characteristics of these spectra in adulterated samples.[9] Together both the authors later on developed total synchronous fluorescence scan spectra to understand petroleum products and showed that total synchronous fluorescence scan profile is different from excitation emission matrix fluorescence.[10] Digambara along with his collaborator Dr. Rohit Kumar Rana at Indian Institute of Chemical Technology designed a new type of microcapsule-embedded fluorescent molecule that has the potential to measure hydrogen ion concentration in cells under physiological conditions and also to estimate ammonia concentration in environmental samples.[11] He is one of the few researchers to work on use of Curcumin, a molecule obtained form food spice Turmeric, for preparing metallic nanoparticles using green synthetic routes to tune nanoparticle shape/size[12] and towards various sensing applications.[13] His research also modifies curcumin using nanotechnology for selective sensing[14] and to improve its delivery[15] and biomedical[16] applications. His research first time showed that curcumin can be applied a membrane fluorescence probe to study liposomes properties.[17]

View on educational and infrastructure development

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Over the years, Digambara[18] along with Professor Chitta Baral[19] and group of other Indian educationists in abroad have been critical over the "regional imbalances" in education in India,[20] which triggered political debate in India. He collaborated, wrote and campaigned with Prof. Baral in various projects for the education, infrastructure and other development in Odisha. Subsequently, National Institute of Science Education and Research[21] was established in Bhubaneswar and Indian Government established Indian Institute of Technology, Indian Institutes of Management and Central Universities across Indian states to overcome regional imbalances. When Indian policy makers are largely focussed to build national institutions in metro and cities, Digambara has been advocating the development of higher education in rural part of Indian and establishing rural university, IIT and other national universities in semi-urban and rural India.[22] He has been a strong critic of recent establishment of higher educational institutions such as national universities, Indian Institute of Technology, Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Management, etc. in state capitals, metro and trier II cities of India and emphasizes that such institutions should rather be built in semi-urban rural clusters of India to reduce gap between rich cities and underdeveloped region of India.[23] Despite his advocacy for higher educational institution in semi-urban area, Dr Patra was vocal in protesting when Odisha Government decided to establish Central University of Orissa at Koraput.[24] In his protest against the move, Dr Patra filed a Public Interest Litigation in Supreme Court of India against State Govt. of India and central Government of India, which the court registered but later on closed the case citing no violation of legality was found. He continued his protest saying he was not against establishing Central University of Orissa at Koraput rather than due to fact that the state Government took a decision against Kalahandi based on political agenda and consideration at the last movement. He contested along with many other local groups with evidences[25][26][27] that the argument by Odisha state Government about non availability of land for establishing a Central University in Kalahandi was false. Later on his petition to Prime Minister of India was forwarded to Ministry Human Resource Development (MHRD) in 2008 for appropriate action, MHRD subsequently said based on letter of Sri Bikram Keshari Deo, then Member of Parliament of Kalahandi, the ministry could consider to establish a branch of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak in Kalahandi.[28] Subsequently, on 26 Dec 2008 he wrote to Odisha Government to convert Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna to a University in the line of University tag given to Ravenshaw College, UCE Burla and Khallikote College.[29] Coincidentally next day on 27 Dec 2008 Odisha chief minister announced an Engineering College and an Agriculture College at Bhawanipatna keeping his earlier promise.[30] However, the demand to convert Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna to a University was further taken by students and local leaders for over a decade.[31] Finally, Odisha Government announced to convert Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna to a University in Feb 2019, just before the assembly election.[32] He was also vocal to establish a Government medical college or health University in Kalahandi instead of a private medical college,[33][34] this helped in local and public pressure, the state Government subsequently announced a Government medical college in Kalahandi.[35] He also initiated and campaigned for a Central Agriculture University[36] or a state agriculture university in Kalahandi because of the agriculture potential in the region and central location, and took to local MP, subsequently then Union minister of Agriculture asked Odisha Govt. to study this referring to letter by Kalahandi MP[37] and before election of 2014 Odisha Govt. had included in its manifesto to establish second Agriculture University in an area under Kalahandi Balangir Koraput Region.[38] But no progress has been made,[39] Kalahandi Sikhya Vikas Parishad[40] and local people have been demanding the same.[citation needed]

Among few Non-resident Indian, Digambara, is of opinion that railway infrastructure development is one of the keys to success and can bring economic prosperity to such a backward region arguing for establishing railway factory in place like Kalahandi.[41] He initiated demands for a rail factory of KBK region, especially in Kalahandi in 2008 and wrote a letter to then General Secretary of Indian National Congress Party, Rahul Gandhi.[42] In the railway budget 2010–11,[43] one of the railway Wagon Factories was proposed in Bhubaneswar/Kalahandi, but Dr Patra exposed the state Government when it sent a proposal for railway Wagon Factory in Ganjam citing non-availability of railway land in Kalahandi, Digambara criticized the move saying the proposed land in Ganjam was not railway land too. He questioned the motive behind Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's stand when in 2009 Naveen Patnaik wrote to former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav emphasizing the need to improve the rail network in the Kalahandi Balangir Koraput Region and establishment of a rail coach factory in a backward area of Orissa-hinting to locate in one of the Kalahandi Balangir Koraput Region districts.[44] Later on Kalahandi MP Bhakta Charan Das took the issue to the Parliament of India,[45] thus making central Govt. included a Wagon Maintenance Workshop in Kalahandi in 2013-14 railway budget.[46] Again this was shifted to Vishakapatnam (Vadlapudi) because of technical reason.[47][48] Moreover, he continue writing on this issue and in the 2017-18 union budget, an Electric Loco Periodical Overhauling Workshop was announced to be set up in Kalahandi with an investment of Rs 186 crore.[49] Dr Patra has been mobilizing to develop railway infrastructure and other social development in rural India, specially in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, MP etc. from where Indian railway makes most-profit but invest little in railway infrastructure development and establishing railway factories.[50] Despite ECOR being one of the most profit making zones of Indian railways, he has charged railway ministry being unfair to Odisha and Chhattisgarh since decades, whereas many loss-making projects in Bihar and West Bengal were given favourable approval due to influence of former railway ministers. He cites major railway development and factories were approved in Raebareli, Amethi, Chapra, etc. only due to favoritism of powerful political leaders rather than due to actual source of raw materials like coal or iron supply for railway's own requirements, for instance, he compares site in Kalahandi of Odisha, located at the close junction of three India's public sector steel plants in Bhilai, Rourkela and Visakhapatnam, close to Mahanadi Coal Limited's coal blocks in Angul and Jharsuguda as well as nearer to National alumina supplier (NALCO), is ideal location to get raw materials supply for Indian railway to establish railway coach and manufacturing factory against the site selected in Raebareli or Chhapra where no coal, alumina or iron is available in its close proximity.[51] He appealed to established railway university in Odisha-Chhattisgarh border.[52] Poor connectivity of train and railway network in tribal pocket of India has been another his concern.[53] The 56 km Lanjigarh road-Junagarh line of Lanjigarh road-Amaguda route took 25 years to get completed. However, surveyed Junagarh-Ambaguda portion of this route has not yet been approved which will bring railway connection to tribal dominated Nabarangur district. He has been continuously writing since a decade to speed up Junagarh -Nabrangpur railway line[54] works which has a rate of return above 14 percent.[55] He also writes on to bring reform in Governance,[56] livelihood[57] and development of Odisha,[58] Kalahandi Balangir Koraput Region[59][60] and Kalahandi district's development.[61][62]

References

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  1. ^ "AUB".
  2. ^ "Department of Chemistry, American University of Beirut". Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  3. ^ "Alexander von Humboldt Foundation website".
  4. ^ "JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow" (PDF).
  5. ^ "英語トップ". Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  6. ^ "CV in AUB site".
  7. ^ "Digambara Patra - Google Scholar Citations". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  8. ^ Baas, Jeroen; Boyack, Kevin; Ioannidis, John P. A. (10 August 2020). "Bibliometrics". Data for "Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators". Vol. 2. Mendeley. doi:10.17632/btchxktzyw.2.
  9. ^ Patra, Digambara; Mishra, Ashok K. (2000). "Effect of sample geometry on synchronous fluorimetric analysis of petrol, diesel, kerosene and their mixtures at higher concentration". The Analyst. 125 (8): 1383–1386. Bibcode:2000Ana...125.1383P. doi:10.1039/B003876H.
  10. ^ Patra, D; Mishra, AK (2002). "Total synchronous fluorescence scan spectra of petroleum products". Anal Bioanal Chem. 373 (4–5): 304–9. doi:10.1007/s00216-002-1330-y. PMID 12110984. S2CID 11417688.
  11. ^ "Ammonia Sensor". Nature India. 2011. doi:10.1038/nindia.2011.154.
  12. ^ Moussawi, Rasha N.; Patra, Digambara (20 August 2015). "Synthesis of Au Nanorods through Prereduction with Curcumin: Preferential Enhancement of Au Nanorod Formation Prepared from CTAB-Capped over Citrate-Capped Au Seeds". The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 119 (33): 19458–19468. doi:10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b04447. ISSN 1932-7447.
  13. ^ Kurdi, Riham El; Patra, Digambara (2018). "Tuning the surface of Au nanoparticles using poly(ethylene glycol)- block -poly(propylene glycol)- block -poly(ethylene glycol): enzyme free and label free sugar sensing in serum samples using resonance Rayleigh scattering spectroscopy". Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 20 (14): 9616–9629. Bibcode:2018PCCP...20.9616E. doi:10.1039/C8CP01147H. PMID 29578233.
  14. ^ Mouslmani, Mai; Bouhadir, Kamal H.; Patra, Digambara (15 June 2015). "Poly (9-(2-diallylaminoethyl)adenine HCl-co-sulfur dioxide) deposited on silica nanoparticles constructs hierarchically ordered nanocapsules: Curcumin conjugated nanocapsules as a novel strategy to amplify guanine selectivity among nucleobases". Biosensors and Bioelectronics. 68: 181–188. doi:10.1016/j.bios.2014.12.036. ISSN 0956-5663. PMID 25569875.
  15. ^ Patra, Digambara; Sleem, Fatima (17 September 2013). "A new method for pH triggered curcumin release by applying poly(l-lysine) mediated nanoparticle-congregation". Analytica Chimica Acta. 795: 60–68. Bibcode:2013AcAC..795...60P. doi:10.1016/j.aca.2013.07.063. ISSN 0003-2670. PMID 23998538.
  16. ^ Slika, Layal; Moubarak, Alaa; Borjac, Jamilah; Baydoun, Elias; Patra, Digambara (1 April 2020). "Preparation of curcumin-poly (allyl amine) hydrochloride based nanocapsules: Piperine in nanocapsules accelerates encapsulation and release of curcumin and effectiveness against colon cancer cells". Materials Science and Engineering: C. 109: 110550. doi:10.1016/j.msec.2019.110550. ISSN 0928-4931. PMID 32228916. S2CID 213987795.
  17. ^ Patra, Digambara; Khoury, Elsy El; Ahmadieh, Diana; Darwish, Shaza; Tafech, Rana M. (2012). "Effect of Curcumin on Liposome: Curcumin as a Molecular Probe for Monitoring Interaction of Ionic Liquids with 1,2-Dipalmitoyl-sn-Glycero-3-Phosphocholine Liposome". Photochemistry and Photobiology. 88 (2): 317–327. doi:10.1111/j.1751-1097.2011.01067.x. ISSN 1751-1097. PMID 22191485. S2CID 25119683.
  18. ^ "Hindustantime, Feb 14, 2006" (PDF). 14 February 2006.
  19. ^ Baral, Chitta. "Chitta Baral" (PDF).
  20. ^ "Delhi on Top, Bihar at Bottom" (PDF). International Herald Tribune. 30 May 2006. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  21. ^ "NISER". Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  22. ^ "NRO urges HRD Min for rural University". The Pioneer. PNS. 9 June 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  23. ^ "Prioritizing the criteria for location of Innovation University/IIT across India". Current Science. 99 (6). September 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  24. ^ "Comparative Study between Kalahandi and Koraput for proposed Central University in KBK region of Orissa". 18 November 2008. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  25. ^ "Youtube video on Central University in Kalahandi 1". Digambara Patra. YouTube. 22 October 2009. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  26. ^ "Youtube video on Central University in Kalahandi 2". Digambara Patra. YouTube. 22 October 2009. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  27. ^ "Youtube video on Central University in Kalahandi 3". Digambara Patra. YouTube. 22 October 2009. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  28. ^ "3 years after, IGNTU regional centre remains a non-starter". The New Indian Express. 29 May 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  29. ^ "NROs demand more Unitary varsity". Kalahandia. 26 December 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  30. ^ "Double bonaza for Kalahandi". Kalahandia. 28 December 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  31. ^ "Students seek varsity tag for Bhawanipatna college". The Times of India. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  32. ^ "CM announces B'patna College as university". The Pioneer. 17 February 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  33. ^ "National level health institute can end K'handi stir". The Pioneer. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  34. ^ "Set up State's health university in Bhawanipatna". The Pioneer. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  35. ^ "Proposed Bhawanipatna Medical College and Hospital may start functioning from 2021". The New Indian Express. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  36. ^ Letter to Rahul Gandhi (10 August 2011). "Central Agriculture University".
  37. ^ Mohammad, Siraj (5 November 2013). "Report sought on proposal to upgrade Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology | Bhubaneswar News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  38. ^ "Odisha to get its second Agriculture University". The Economic Times. 16 August 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  39. ^ "Odisha needs a Central Agriculture University". OdishaPlus. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  40. ^ "Kalahandi demands Odisha's second agriculture university". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 1 February 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  41. ^ "NRI seeks rail infrastructure in Orissa's backward region".
  42. ^ "NROs urge Rahul Gandhi not to play politics with KBK". Kalahandia. 6 May 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  43. ^ "Highlight of Indian Railway Budget 2010-11" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 February 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  44. ^ "CM seeks Rs 1520 cr for railway projects in Orissa". Times of India. TNN. 15 June 2009. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  45. ^ "Video on Parliament Debate of Bhakta Charan Das on Wagon Factory". Digambara Patra. YouTube. 16 January 2009. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  46. ^ "Highlight of Interim Indian Railway Budget 2013-14". The Hindu. 26 February 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  47. ^ "Clarification regarding shifting of Wagon POH workshop from Kalahandi, Odisha to Vishakapatnam (Vadlapudi), Andhra Pradesh". Business Standard India. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  48. ^ "Wagon POH Workshop relocated to Vishakapatnam after feasibility study: Railways – RailNews Media India Ltd". Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  49. ^ "2 new Railways industrial projects to come up in Odisha – RailNews Media India Ltd". Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  50. ^ "DON'T NEGLECT ODISHA IN RLY INFRA: NRO PROF". Daily Pioneer. PNS. 13 July 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  51. ^ "RAIL BUDGET ENCOURAGES FAVOURITISM, WIDENS GAP". The Pioneer. PNS. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  52. ^ "'RAIL MINISTER URGED TO SET UP VARSITY IN ODISHA-C'GARH BORDER'". The Pioneer. PNS. 12 July 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  53. ^ "'NRO Prof Digambara Patra urged Prime Minister to Expedite Wagon Factory work in Kalahandi". Orissa Diary. 8 January 2013. Archived from the original on 13 March 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  54. ^ Pioneer, The. "'Sanction funds for Junagarh Rd-N'rangpur line'". The Pioneer. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  55. ^ "'Speed up Junagarh Rd-N'rangpur rly line works'". The Pioneer. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  56. ^ "Bring mandis under 5T: NRO Prof urges CM". The Pioneer. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  57. ^ "Boost fish farming in dams, NRO to State Govt". The Pioneer. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  58. ^ Satpathy, S., ed. (2004). Technological Excellence and Human Resources Development: Twin Mantra of Orissa¶s Development. Orissa Vision-2020, Towards Building A New And Modern Orissa.
  59. ^ "NRO seeks textile park in KBK zone". The Pioneer. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  60. ^ "Establish large tech centre in Kalahandi". The Pioneer. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  61. ^ "The Marketing Strategy of Economic Development in Kalahandi" (PDF). odisha.gov.inw.
  62. ^ "ଭବାନୀପାଟଣା ଠାରେ କୋଭିଡ-୧୯ ପରୀକ୍ଷାକେନ୍ଦ୍ର, ଭେଣ୍ଟିଲେଟର ଓ ୨୦୦ ଶଯ୍ୟା ବିଶିଷ୍ଟ ଡାକ୍ତରଖାନା ଦାବୀ କରି ପ୍ରବାସୀ ଓଡ଼ିଆଙ୍କ ପକ୍ଷରୁ ମୁଖ୍ୟମନ୍ତ୍ରୀଙ୍କୁ ଚିଠି". 5 April 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
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