Ensuring Food and Nutritional Security Is Imperative for a Healthy Society- Said Prof Sharma, VC SKUAST- Jammu

A two-day national seminar on ‘Plants and Fungi: Polyphasic Characterization and Bioprospection’ under the aegis of the UGC-SAP DRS II program sanctioned to the Department of Botany, was inaugurated in the Department of Botany, here today.

 On the occasion, Prof J. P Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Jammu was the chief guest. In his keynote address, Prof Sharma informed that the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir is a bioresources-rich region of India with diverse climatic zones harbouring species of plants and fungi. However, due to climate change, deforestation, and shrinking land use many are moving towards extinction. Therefore, their characterization using a polyphasic approach consisting of morphological and molecular characterization is a must. He also highlighted the significance of area-specific economic crops for increasing production and gave the concept of ‘One District One Crop’ to upscaling their production at the national scale. Narrating the success stories of the purple revolution here in Jammu & Kashmir, the Agricultural Scientist strongly felt that the time has come when agriculture should transform into an agribusiness with the objective of creating jobs rather than producing jobs seekers. through various bio-economy models. “Doubling the farmer's income with these models can help ensure the food security for the rising population, said Prof Sharma.  He also underscored the need for their conservation and sustainable use of bioresources. In his presidential remarks,

Prof Manoj K Dhar, the Vice-Chancellor, JU, spoke on the relevance of plants and fungi in human welfare and elaborated on the advances in DNA technology that have helped to speed up the naming of plants and fungi species in recent years. “The introduction of useful genes present in the wild crop relatives to the cultivated crops species can help make them resistant to diseases as well as enhancing their yield. Prof Dhar also informed about the upcoming Innovation Tower, Research Cluster and University of Jammu Special Purpose Vehicle Foundation under RUSA 2.0 and other important projects accomplished in the last three and a half years. He congratulated the Department of Botany for successfully running the UGC-SAP DRS II for the last four years.

Prof Naresh Padha, Dean Academic Affairs, and the Guest of Honour presented an overview of the Research and Academic initiatives undertaken by the University of Jammu under RUSA 2.0. He informed the audience that for improving the quality and relevance of higher education, all Departments have recently got their curriculum revised by experts from all across the country. The basic contours for implementing the NEP 2020 in letter and spirit are being worked to implement the same, said Prof Padha.

Earlier, Prof Veenu Kaul, Head, Department of Botany extended a formal welcome to a galaxy of invited speakers & participating delegates from various institutions of India, faculty members and scientists, members of the non-teaching fraternity, distinguished alumni, research scholars, students. Prof Yash Pal Sharma, Coordinator UGC-SAP DRS II and Convenor of the seminar briefed on the Special Assistance Program to the delegates. He said that under the scheme the Department has got funds of Rs 84.50 lakhs for carrying out the research on the specified topics and infrastructural development with respect to the modernization of labs in the department. During the inauguration function, two superannuated faculty Professors of the Department of Botany, Prof R. N Gohil, and Prof Anima Langer were also honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards by the Department of Botany, JU. On the occasion, ‘A Textbook on Mushroom Cultivation’ jointly authored by Prof Ashok Aggarwal, Prof Yash Pal Sharma and Esha Jangra was also formally released by the dignitaries. Dr. Sikander Pal, Organizing Secretary, presented details of the two-day National Seminar wherein he informed that the participants from Kerala, Goa, Punjab, New Delhi, Himachal Pradesh would be delivering their lectures on the diverse topics of plants and fungi. A vote of thanks was proposed by Dr. Skarma Nonzon, the co-organizing secretary while Dr. Harpreet Bhatia conducted proceedings of the function. Prof Seema Langer, Dean Life Sciences, Prof S.K Gupta, Registrar of SKUAST- Jammu, Prof Jasbir Singh, Controller of Examinations; Prof Geeta Sumbali, Former Dean Life Sciences, Prof Susheel Verma, faculty members of the Department of Botany, participating delegates, research scholars, non-teaching staff and the students were also present on the occasion.