The Vidarbha region, where Shri Shivaji Science College is located, has a significant population of students from rural and semi-urban backgrounds with limited access to advanced scientific resources. Recognizing the need to promote science education and awareness among these students, the college has taken multiple initiatives to create a robust platform for scientific exploration and innovation. The establishment of the Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Memorial Science and Innovation Activity Centre (SIAC) and the organization of innovative science awareness programs reflect the college's commitment to this cause.

The Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Memorial Science and Innovation Activity Centre has seen a steady increase in student participation from rural areas, with students displaying a higher interest in pursuing sciencerelated activities and projects.

Feedback from participating schools highlights the positive impact of awareness programs conducted by the Chemistry and other departments in nearby schools. Teachers report increased engagement and curiosity among their students.

The success of Vidnyan Wari is evident in the overwhelming participation of over 1,000 school students, many of whom showcased innovative projects and experiments.

The selection of the college to host the 52nd State-Level Children’s Scientist Science Exhibition (2024-25) by the Government of Maharashtra is a testament to its credibility and excellence in promoting science education.

Several participants of the college’s programs have progressed to district, state, and national-level science fairs, reflecting the long-term impact of these initiatives.

For more details visit: SIAC

• To use the IQAC Newsletter as a driver of relationship-building and connect with the stakeholders and also with the educational institutions, educationists, and the society.

• To keep the stakeholders informed of the various activities of the college. To provide all the college updates and 'what's new' in the college.
• To promulgate major events / programmes / activities / best practices etc. to elevate the college reputation.

• To publicize Awards and recognitions received by the college, teachers, office-staff and the students to appreciate them and motivate others to achieve new heights.

• To Maintain and develop creditability and help employees and the students grow more passionate about the college.
• To maintain and enhance stakeholders’ loyalty and boost their morale.

The college believes that publishing a regular newsletter bi-annually and maintaining regular contact with the stakeholders is important to keep pace with the competitive world. Keeping the stakeholders informed about developments ensures that they are aware of the college reputation as an innovative, committed and dedicated institution. Reviewing the college activities indicates that he college administration has a proper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing its stakeholders.

As relaying information is one of the basic aims of any newsletter, the ‘IQAC Newsletter’ aims to pursue this objective by conveying to its readers the recent achievements and milestones of the college, upcoming special events, policy changes, and a variety of other facts that the internal readers may have a need or desire to know. The external readers will be acquainted with the notable developments in the college resulting in enhancing the overall image of the college among the society. As it is an authoritative document of the college, it provides a genuine platform to disseminate all the important information related to the college.

Keeping in mind the aforementioned objectives, the IQAC took a firm initiative to devise a communication tool of the college for better and effective communication. Thus, the college IQAC has been publishing the IQAC Newsletter bi-annually in print since January, 2014. These issues are published in the months of January and June.

The dynamic IQAC of the college collects data of the important events and activities carried out by various departments of the institution on regular basis. After its compilation, the Editorial Board of the IQAC Newsletter edits the data and the important events and programmes are sorted out for publication.

The newsletters are regularly distributed among the college staff and the students and are displayed on the Notice Boards of the college. These are also distributed to the various departments of the University, educational institutes, educationists, academicians, Executive Members and life-members of Shri Shivaji Education Society, and the guests visiting the college. On-line availability of the IQAC Newsletter on the college website  has increased the newsletter’s reach and helped establish leads in and around the region

To help improve the performance of the workforce, the IQAC Newsletter serves as an important tool that can keep the stakeholders in the loop on the college policies, academic, co-curricular and extra-curricular, and outreach activities, services, social and cultural events, best practices and other news. It also helps the stakeholders improve their self-esteem and make them more motivated to get engaged in the college activities.

Since the publication of the IQAC Newsletter, it has become the true mirror of the college projecting all the college activities at a glance. The comprehensive consolidation of the varied college programmes in the form of the newsletter has helped enhance the overall image of the college. Any stakeholder or the outsider can have a comprehensive glance of the college through it.

 The college has been publishing its IQAC Newsletter bi-annually since January 2014. Since then, all the important college activities are being covered and duly appreciated through the newsletter. It is observed that, since the important events and programmes have got the authorised and dignified platform for their appreciation, publicity and propaganda, there has been a significant increase in the organization of such academic, research, co-curricular, cultural, and outreach activities by the college. The teachers, students and all the other stakeholders of the college are being engaged in more number of innovative or creative and productive activities in the college. The other colleges in our region have also been inspired by this activity and have started to publish such newsletters in their respective colleges.  Even the Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University, Amravati has started publishing their IQAC Newsletter following the success of our college newsletter.

Taking into consideration the heavy academic and administrative workload of teachers engaged in the IQAC, meticulous collection of data required for the IQAC Newsletter is a bit time-consuming and tedious. The editing and proof-reading of the newsletter also require special skills and too much time. Sometimes, it becomes difficult to publish the Newsletter in time.

• To facilitate the background concentration measurement of air quality.
• To monitor current levels of air quality
• To compare the air quality parameters with the standards.
• To identify the sources of pollution and suggest the preventive measures for the same.
• To compare the air quality data from different sampling stations in the city.
• To analyse the collected data to prepare the comparative statement.
• To determine the impact of various criteria pollutants on biotic and abiotic factors in the city.
• To orient the society about the deteriorating air quality and raise their awareness and participation in this regard.

Smart cities are expected to be urban spaces that provide a decent quality of life to their citizens by offering a clean and sustainable environment. For a Smart city, it is necessary to monitor the environmental conditions for identifying the sources of pollution and mitigate them.
A network of low-cost air quality monitoring sensor nodes can be deployed to monitor the air-quality and meteorological parameters across the city. The city can take corrective measures and improve its environmental health by getting acquainted with the various sources causing pollution in the city. A holistic view can be derived, which enables the authorities to make data-driven decisions for the infrastructure and policy planning.

This best practice is carried out by the department of Environmental Science of the college. The students pursuing the UG and PG studies are involved in this project and get an opportunity to avail the hand-on training of handling the sophisticated instruments used to measure and analyse the criteria pollutants. They also get aware and cautious about the spread of pollution in the city and can work as effective volunteers to control pollution.
The air quality monitoring was conducted with the help of fine dust sampler. Near about the 3 station were selected for this activity in Amravati city. The stations were selected from the industrial area, commercial area and residential area each. The monitoring was done once in a week (On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) at all sampling stations. The sampling was done for a period of 24 hours each and was carried out in the intervals of 8 hours to evaluate the RSPM parameters. Likewise, the monitoring was done in the intervals of 4 hours for the NOx and SOx. The parameters selected to determine the air quality in these areas are RSPM, NOx and SOx. The Gravimetric method was used for the determination of RSPM. A Spectrophotometric Method is used to determine and analyse the oxides of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur in the air.
The reports based on the meticulous analysis are submitted to the Amravati Municipal Corporation. The Municipal Corporation uses this submitted data for preparing Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) of the city. The AMC has highly appreciated the college for this innovative project.


Establishment of Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS):
Taking into consideration the substantial work done by the Department of Environmental Science of the college in propagating environmental consciousness, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board MPCB requested this college to establish the Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station in the college campus and accordingly, the college has established- “Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station” in collaboration with the Regional Office of the MPCB, Amravati.
The “Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) is a facility to measure the air and meteorological parameters (criteria pollutants) continuously all year round. The measured data is remotely monitored and exported in various formats to the local central authorities. The data is published via the Internet for easy public access to raise awareness on current air pollution levels. This way, the public can prevent outdoor activities and reduce health impacts during heavy polluted days.
Ambient air monitoring is an integral part of an effective air quality management system. Reasons to collect such data include to:
• assess the extent of pollution;
• provide air pollution data to the general public in a timely manner;
• support implementation of air quality goals or standards;
• evaluate the effectiveness of emissions control strategies;
• provide information on air quality trends;
• provide data for the evaluation of air quality models; and
• support research (e.g., long-term studies of the health effects of air pollution).

Environmental air quality monitoring helps individuals to avoid or temper the behavior that contribute to environmental degradation as well as sensibly act to contribute significantly to protect and nurture the environment.
The reports based on the meticulous analysis are submitted to the Amravati Municipal Corporation. The Municipal Corporation uses this submitted data for preparing Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) of the city. The AMC has highly appreciated the college for this innovative project.
The hands-on training given to our students and their actual involvement in the data-collection and analysis of the criteria pollutants have benefitted the students to get placed in various organizations. Some of these students have been working as coordinators for the Smart City projects and some work as trainees at various Environment Consultancies. Due to this project, the students of the department of Environmental Science have also got interested in pursuing Ph.D. in the topics related to environmental pollution.
This project has proved to be a great success in creating awareness among the society. The factual data and analysis of the criteria pollutants in the city has helped educate and enlighten the residents about the impending dangers of growing air-pollution and its ill-effects particularly on the human health. Taking into account the considerable work on this issue, the Surgical Association of Amravati, the Cancer Foundation of Amravati and the Gynaecological Association of Amravati have signed MOUs. The doctors associated with these organisations also delivered Guest Lectures on the role of air-pollution in the spread of diseases. Dr. S. P. Ingole, Head of the department has also been appointed as the member of the Regional Committee of the National Green Tribunal as a result of her contribution in this project. She has also been appreciated for her invaluable suggestions for preventing the air pollution in the city.
As the reports are made public, the residents of the Amravati city have become more conscious to prevent or restrict the environmental pollution for a better and more sustainable life ahead. Some credit for Amravati city’s having got secured a respectable place in the list of the cities with the cleanest air in India published by the Central Pollution Control Board on 24 November,2021 definitely goes to this project of the college.

Sampling of air is time-taking, complicated and continuous task at the selected sample sites. Many a times, people residing in the sample areas don’t cooperate for the required data collection. At times, the work is held-up due to the technical problems that arise on time.