The evolution of materials; their synthesis, shaping, and performance; and the engineering of artifacts and systems to meet societal demands are inextricably interwoven. In this article, we describe an evolving scenario of the relationship between materials and engineering that provides a framework for the articles that explore various facets of this theme in this special issue of MRS Bulletin.

Evidence-based, rigorous, relevant and up-to-date research is vital to the public policymaking process; it enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of policy decisions.

Adoption of energy efficient measures would result in reduced demand for energy and thus lower emissions. This is perhaps the lowest hanging fruit among mitigation options. Lower demand translates into reduction in the addition of generation capacity. Towards achieving this, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power of Government of India, is working towards setting targets for industries and household appliances .Stringent implementation and adoption of mitigation measures can result in significant lowering of energy consumption and carbon emissions.

This special volume of MRS Bulletin on energy is the first of its
kind in which the magazine addresses a major societal issue This
issue has contributions from energy experts from many countries
and reflects not only the growing global concerns on energy but
also the opportunities that materials researchers can tackle Some
of the new materials are already available, and many are or will be
under development Nuclear fusion might still be many decades
away, but already, there are experiments with new materials to

Food supply chains are vital for the societal welfare in India. Given the tremendous issues on food safety and security, more insight in the function of Indian food markets is needed. This paper introduces the multi-agent model on which the Mango Mandi Gaming Simulation is build. The model holds the major roles present in the Indian mango markets, and is in both it structure and processes built upon case studies of these markets.

This is a reseach to implement progressive schemes for better management of the distribution
system the utility thought of undertaking a small Pilot project to prove and learn the
Smart Grid technology and functionalities in collaboration with Centre for Study of
Science Technology and Policy(CSTEP) in Bangalore (a non-profit organization) and has
successfully implemented the scheme in Mangalore City to monitor and control the loads
of a small group of consumers connected to two Distribution transformers and also

With increasing trends in road congestion, air pollution, energy demand and emissions, there is a need to look for effective solutions to meet the urban transport demand in Bangalore Investment in public transport is imperative Buses are the cheapest, relatively energy and emission efficient form of public transport systems which can be proposed to provide service to the core and peripheral areas in a shorter time span Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) with good network coverage in Bangalore Urban district and as well as some areas in Bangalore Rural district needs to be s

The policy brief analyses problems under Business As Usual (BAU) conditions:

• Smaller cities are emerging as the energy hotspots for the future
• If proper interventions are not enforced in these cities now, high energy use with its impact on emissions will aggravate the current environmental situation
• Smaller cities will face the same externalities of high vehicular growth in the coming decades, similar to the situation in megacities now And proposes solutions to it.

Urbanisation in India today is synonymous with booming unplanned and unsustainable mega cities .To mitigate the impact of this urban explosion and plan for the future, it is imperative to balance the demands of high growth on one hand and ensure sustainable growth on the other.