18th Annual Conference of UPUEA begins
By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, Apr 24: Uttarakhand Governor and Chancellor Lt General Gurmit Singh (Retd) today called upon the policy makers to pursue a development model for the state that is socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable and economically viable.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day 18th Annual Conference of the Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand Economic Association (UPUEA), the Governor emphasised on the need to change Soch, Vichar, & Dhaarna in order to achieve the desired goals of development, economic growth and equitable prosperity.
“A conference of this stature should deliberate over social change, growth, employment, sustainable development and economic prosperity,” the Governor said while stressing upon the need to form economic policies for reverse migration for the state of Uttarakhand.
Stating that Uttarakhand has seen an increase in employment opportunities in recent years, particularly in sectors such as tourism, information technology and manufacturing, the Governor said the focus should be on branding of local products for global consumers. The state also should pursue organic farming as agriculture still remains the mainstay of the population in both the states. Uttarakhand has already made significant progress in promoting industrial growth, with a range of incentives and support measures for businesses.
Addressing the session, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami congratulated the organisers and said that such deliberate research-centric symposiums would aid the government in crafting and implementing better economic policies. “During the two-day conference, the experts and scholars will deliberate upon crucial issues such as water, forest, land and industrial development and prepare a roadmap that would aid the government in forming policies,” Dhami said through a video message.
In her presidential address, Doon University Vice Chancellor Professor Surekha Dangwal pointed out that integration of women at the centre of policy making can help in mitigating the rigorous out migration. She also appealed to the participants to think about the Himalayas as a fertile land that can influence the sustainable development of a symbiotic economy.
Professor Dangwal added that universities should take up various micro studies in different academic fields to inform government policies. “Uttarakhand is a gifted state with regard to land, water and other natural resources. We need a good model of management backed by evidence and data,” she said, adding that the “students are the future of the country and our university is trying its best to harness their potential in all respects and make them responsible citizens contributing to growth and progress of the nation.”
In his Keynote Address, Conference President Professor Nagesh Kumar declared that India has tremendous growth opportunities in the manufacturing sector that need to be harnessed to the full potential. He emphasised on manufacturing of export oriented products, sunrise industry products and green products for creating decent jobs, encashing demographic dividends and closing the gaps with regard to various social divides.
UPUEA President Professor Ravi Srivastava said that the association provides a meaningful platform for economists and budding scholars to study and understand different development models. “We have been organising this annual conference for the last two decades,” he disclosed.
Professor RP Mamgain, Head of the Department of Economics, and Organising Secretary of the Conference, welcomed the participants and introduced the conference theme. The vote of thanks was proposed by Professor Vinod Kumar Srivastava, General Secretary of UPUEA. The programme was conducted by Head, School of Management, Professor HC Purohit.
Those present on the occasion included Prof DK Nauriyal, Prof SP Singh, Prof MC Sati, Prof DK Joshi, Prof CB Singh, Prof Alakh N Sharma, Prof Ashok Mittal, Prof Santosh Mehrotra, Prof Rajiv Malhotra, Dr Amarjit Sinha, Dr Sanjiv Chopra, Prof Durgesh Pant, Prof PS Bisht, Dr Manoj Pant, Prof Harsh Dobhal, Dr MS Mandrawal, Dr Savita Karnatak, Dr Reena Singh, Dr Rajesh Bhatt, Dr Arun Kumar, Dr AC Joshi, Dr Ajit Panwar, Dr Madhu Bisht, Dr Rakesh Bhatt, Professor GP Pokhariyal, Dr Naresh Mishra, Dr Priyanka Pahwa, Professor S P Lal and others.
Leading economists from across the country are gathered at Doon University to brainstorm on regional economic development of the two states, similarities of challenges and opportunities and explore actionable collaborative strategies towards a roadmap.
“In the conference, the experts are making presentations and holding crucial discussions on issues of economic growth, employment, social sector growth and interrogate development in the context of sustainable development goals,” Professor RP Mamgain, Head of the Department of Economics said.
He emphasised that while both the states have taken their own roadmaps of development, there are common challenges and opportunities that need to be jointly discussed and leveraged for promoting inclusive and sustainable development in both the states.
Three broad themes of the conference include (a) Growth, structural change and employment in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, (b) Emerging imperatives in social sector growth, and (c) Interrogating development in the context of sustainable development.
