Research programmes must focus on problems faced in State: Governor

Governor N N Vohra delivering inaugural address at 12th JK Science Congress on Thursday. — Excelsior/Rakesh
Governor N N Vohra delivering inaugural address at 12th JK Science Congress on Thursday. — Excelsior/Rakesh

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 2: As the ’12th  JK Science Congress began at Jammu University, here today, chief guest Governor N N Vohra stressed that the research programmes must focus on the problems being faced in the State.
“I have been continuously pleading academic leaders that every year Science Congress should identify and publically announce certain areas where institutes of learning, particularly Science faculty, will be grappling with identified problems faced by the State,” he said in his inaugural address of the three-day mega event
The Jammu University is hosting this event in collaboration with J&K State Science, Technology and Innovation Council. Around 700 senior faculty members, research scholars and postgraduate students from various Research Institutes, Universities and Colleges from various States are  participating in the  Congress,  which has the theme: “Science and Technology: Emerging Trends and Innovations”.
Noting that J&K State has the privilege of hosting 9 State and Central Universities, NIT, IIM, IIT, SKIMS, IIIM, Medical and Engineering Colleges and other institutions of learning, Governor stressed that the total corpus of intellectual and scientific resources available within such a large number of institutions of education must be effectively and productively utilized and exploited to hasten the growth and development of the State. “For attaining this objective every University must have wide ranging research programmes ensuring that besides pure research, the projects also focus on the major problems faced in the State and optimal utilization of natural resources. This would require inter institutional linkages both within and beyond the State,” he added.
Governor also pointed to the need for quality research in the field of Humanities for precipitating balanced human development and societal well being.
Earlier, Syed Mohammed Altaf Bukhari, Minister for Education, J&K, said that he would work as a bridge between the Government and academic institutions to bring desired results for welfare of the stakeholders. In his brief address, he exhorted the Science Congress participants to explore the advancement of Science with technical advances for benefit of commoners.
Vice-Chancellor JU, Prof R D Sharma, in his presidential remarks, highlighted the role of Science and technology for inclusive and sustainable growth and hoped that this scientific congregation would provide an opportunity for young researchers of the State to interact with senior scientists for further collaborations. Besides, it would also provide a platform to the budding researchers and scientists to interact with each other develop scientific temperament in the youth, disseminating information about the latest developments in science and technology and to look into the applications of science and technology at the grass-root level, he added.
The key note speaker,  Prof Akhilesh Tyagi, JC Bose National Fellow,  University of Delhi and former Director, National Institute of Genome Research, New Delhi,  gave an impressive presentation on Rice Genome-Origin, Domestication and Function”.
Prof Desh Bandhu, Dean Academic Affairs, also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the importance of Science in day to day life.
Prof Geeta Sumbali, Dean of the Life Science and Organizing Secretary of the Congress presented a formal welcome address while vote of thanks was proposed by Prof D S Jamwal, Dean Mathematical Sciences and Co-organizing Secretary of the Congress.
In the inaugural function, Governor and other guests on the dais also released the 12th J&K Science Congress Souvenir.
Farooq Ahmad Andrabi, Minister of State for Haj and Auqaf, Vice- Chancellors of various participating Universities, scientists, academicians and students were present on the occasion.
Later in the technical sessions in various Science Departments, the invited lectures and the oral presentations were made.

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