The ICSTA 2023 Conference will Witness the Introduction of Smart Solutions by C-DAC, Kolkata which will Transform Agriculture

News Desk, News Nation 360 : Under the jurisdiction of the Indian government's Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is a leading research and development institution. One of C-DAC's constituent units, C-DAC, Kolkata, is actively leading the way in advancing cutting-edge technological solutions for societal benefit. Among its activities are the use of electronics and ICT in agriculture, defence research, signal processing research, and quantum technology research, to mention a few. Recently in Kolkata, C-DAC, Kolkata, in association with the University of Calcutta, celebrated a historic occasion by launching the 'International Conference on Systems and Technologies for Smart Agriculture (ICSTA 2023)'. The two-day conference, with the theme "Cultivation of Civilization through Sustainable Agricultural Practices - Together We Make It Possible," lays the groundwork for revolutionary developments in the agricultural sector. Prominent international speakers addressed various aspects of the conference theme on December 19 and 20, 2023. These speakers included Prof. John K. Schuller of the University of Florida, Prof. Ganesh Bora of Fayetteville State University, Dr Mohamed Rawidean of the Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems, Dr Santosh Pitla of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Prof. Phillip Bradford of the University of Connecticut, Dr Matthew Burnett of the University of KwaZulu–Natal, South Africa, Prof. Anupam Chattopadhyay of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and Dr Sruti Das Choudhury of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, USA. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) sponsored the event, which included a comprehensive research programme addressing important agricultural issues in partnership with top institutions. The AI-based Air Quality Monitoring System (AQ-AIMS) for Mine and Cement Industries, the IoT Solution for Poultry Farm Practice, the Vision-guided AI-enabled Robotic Apple Harvester, the Electronics Platform to Monitor Cattle Health and Milk Quality, and e-Quality - Electronic Quality Assessment Solution for Agricultural Commodities for eNAM are some of the special highlights. S. Krishnan, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, gave the conference its start. Dr Aloknath De, Chairman NSC and Former Corporate Vice President of Samsung Electronics, NSC (AgriEnIcs), Samsung India, Prof. Debatosh Guha, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University of Calcutta, Prof. Nazir Ahmed Ganai, Vice Chancellor, Sher-E-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, and Shri Aditya Kumar Sinha, Senior Director and Centre Head, C-DAC, Kolkata were among the distinguished guests who graced the occasion. The conference's general chairs were Professor Amlan Chakraborty, director of the A.K. Choudhury School of Information Technology at the University of Calcutta, and Dr Alokesh Ghosh, associate director of C-DAC, Kolkata. Through the integration of electronics and ICT technologies, ICSTA 2023 hopes to be a key forum for the scientific community and industry to discuss agricultural practices that maintain Earth's natural resources, improve crop quality, safeguard the environment, and lessen health risks for farmers. The conference showcases innovative technologies and information management for the benefit of the agriculture industry, as well as noteworthy research and applications.