Mahindra University student wins top honours at int’l meet

Hyderabad: An MTech student from Mahindra University, Rahul Sodadasi bagged the best paper award at the international conference on sustainable smart cities – CISSC-2025.

Punjab Engineering College (PEC) in partnership with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently hosted the annual International Conference on Challenges and Innovations for Sustainable Smart Cities (CISSC-2025).

The three-day event from February 7-9 featured a diverse programme of technical presentations and poster sessions, focusing on the multifaceted challenges and innovations crucial for building sustainable smart cities.

Around 296 students from worldwide participated. Sodadasi secured the award with his insightful paper titled "Understanding Driver Distractions in Two-wheelers Using Eye-tracker."

His project, co-authored with C Samuel Peter (research scholar) and guided by Associate Professor Dr Saladi SV Subbarao, addresses the critical issue of two-wheeler driver distractions. By utilising eye-tracking technology, the research aims to better understand and mitigate the distractions, ultimately enhancing road safety for two-wheeler commuters and contributing to a more sustainable community environment by reducing accidents.

Dr Saladi Subba Rao, associate professor, Mahindra University, stated, “The conference provided a valuable platform for students like Rahul to showcase their research and contribute to the global dialogue on sustainable urban development.”