Sacred Heart College
The PG and Research Department of Physics, Sacred Heart College (Autonomous), Tirupathur, organised a two-day National Conference on “Innovative Materials and Advanced Technology for Sustainable Development” between 29th and 30th January, 2026 as part of its Silver Jubilee Celebrations of the M.Sc Physics programme.
The Inaugural Session commenced at 9:30 a.m. in the Mahatma Gandhi Hall. The programme began with a warm welcome address delivered by Mr. D. Daniel Lawrence, Head (Shift I), who greeted the dignitaries and participants. The inaugural address was delivered by Rev. Dr. D. Maria Antony Raj, the Principal. The conference proceedings were officially released, and the dynamics of the conference was outlined by the convener of the conference Dr. M. Jose, Head (PG). Rev. Dr. G. Theophil Anand, the Additional Principal, felicitated the programme, and the vote of thanks was proposed by Prof. C. Tirupathi, Head (Shift II-UG).
Technical Session I was held from 10.00 a.m. to 10.50 a.m. and was chaired by Dr. V. Ramesh, SRM University, Chennai. Dr. Raja Mitra, IIT Goa, served as the resource person and delivered a scholarly lecture entitled “Ligand Designing for Transition Metal Catalysis.” The session was highly informative and provided valuable insights into recent advances in catalysis and contemporary research methodologies, benefiting the participants academically.
Technical Session II was chaired by Dr. Kotteswaran Shanmugam, Vels University, Chennai. Prof. R. Ganesan, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, served as the resource person and delivered an informative lecture entitled “Chalcogenide Glass Based Solar Cell and Photodetector.” The session was highly beneficial to the participants, as it enhanced their understanding of advanced materials, solar cell technologies, and photodetector applications, thereby enriching their academic and research perspectives.
Technical Session III was chaired by Dr. T. Arumanayagam, Pachaiyappa’s College, Chennai. The session featured Dr. C. Justin Raj, VIT Chennai, as the resource person, who delivered a comprehensive lecture titled “Electrode Materials for High-Performance Hybrid Supercapacitors.” The presentation offered in-depth knowledge on advanced energy storage materials and their performance characteristics, enabling participants to gain a clearer understanding of current research trends and practical applications in hybrid supercapacitor technologies. Following the completion of the three technical sessions, an oral presentation session was conducted.
The second day began with an oral presentation session from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Technical Session IV was under the chairmanship of Dr. S. Jerome Dass, Loyola College, Chennai. The session featured an oral presentation delivered by Prof. G. Rajesh, IIT Madras, titled “The Story of Shockwaves.” The presentation provided a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles governing shockwaves, their formation and propagation, and their significance in various scientific and engineering applications. Prof. Rajesh explained the concepts with clarity, supported by relevant examples, making the session highly informative and engaging for the audience.
Technical Session V was chaired by Dr. Senthur Pandi Rajasabai, VIT University. The session featured Dr. K. R. S. Preethi Meher, Central University of Tamil Nadu, as the resource person, who delivered a technical talk titled “An Overview of Manipulative Optoelectronic Properties of δ-CsPbI₃ through Site-Specific Doping/Co-doping Routes.” The lecture provided an in-depth understanding of optoelectronic material engineering, focusing on doping and co-doping strategies to tailor material properties.
Poster Presentation Session was conducted from 2:10 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., during which researchers presented their work and engaged in detailed technical discussions with the evaluators and participants. A wide range of research topics was showcased and the session encouraged active interaction, critical questioning, and constructive feedback from the panel members, which helped enhance the clarity and impact of the research work. Overall, the poster presentation session was highly informative and provided a valuable platform for academic exchange and knowledge sharing.
Technical Session VI was chaired by Dr. R. Robert, Government Arts College, Krishnagiri. This session featured Prof. Sudakar Chandran, IIT Madras, as the resource person, who delivered an insightful lecture titled “Nanostructured Materials for Sustainable Energy Storage and Conversion.” The talk highlighted the role of nanostructured materials in improving energy storage efficiency and conversion performance, with emphasis on material design, synthesis strategies, and emerging applications. The presentation provided participants with a clear understanding of current advancements and future prospects in sustainable energy technologies.
Overall, 135 participants including over 75 research scholars and 15 faculty members from outside the college and 45 Ph.D/M.Sc students and faculty members of our department participated and benefited from this conference. The Valedictory Function was conducted from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., marking the successful conclusion of the programme. Three Best paper presentation award and Two Best poster presentation awards were given to the winners. Sincere thanks were extended to all the session chairs and resource persons for their valuable contributions. The Principal and Additional Principal were specially acknowledged for their constant support and encouragement. Appreciation was also expressed to the organizing committee, faculty members, and participants for their active involvement. The function concluded with a Vote of Thanks proposed by Dr. M. Jose, who expressed gratitude to Dr.R.Ramesh, the co-convenor and Dr.P.Kannappan, the organising secretary and all the faculty members of the Department of Physics for their wonderful support in the successful organization of the programme.
