By OUR STAFF REPORTER
DEHRADUN , 2 Jun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, today, that the government is committed to ensuring holistic development of the state and emphasised that the ‘Chardham Yatra’ is being conducted smoothly and without any hitch.
Inaugurating the ‘Dr Nityanand Himalayan Study and Research Centre’ at Doon University here, today, in the presence of leading scientists from across the country in a DST sponsored programme for women scientists, the Chief Minster said the government would do everything to promote women scientists and provide all necessary support.
He congratulated Doon University Vice Chancellor Professor Surekha Dangwal for organising such a programme and Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India for selecting Doon University for the “Professional Advancement Programme for Indian Women Researchers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics being organinsed on 2&3 May in Uttarakhand.
Stating that Doon University is marching towards excellence in teaching and research, the Chief Minster promised the Vice Chancellor full support in terms of creating academic ecosystem in the university.
Addressing the gathering, Vice Chancellor Professor Surekha Dangwal recalled the contribution of Nityanand to the state and its people. She said that School of Physical Science of the university is doing excellent work in its research domain and, within a very short span of time, it has made its presence felt at the national level.
Professor Dangwal said the first programme of its kind being organised with the support of DST aims at enhancing the skills and competence of women scientists and researchers of Uttarakhand, in particular, and from across the country in general. She said that, as part of the Prime Minister’s vision to empower women and make them equal partner in nation building, Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), has come forward to support this workshop-cum-professional programme to help women researchers in science to acquire competence and equal access.
The Chief Minister recalled that Nityanand’s whole life was committed to the development of the state, especially after his retirement when he established an Ashram at Uttarkashi for providing relief and rehabilitation to the victims of the 1991 earthquake. “Nityanandji relentlessly worked for uplift of the marginal sections of Uttarakhand all his life and his contribution will always be a guiding force for governance and civil society,” he added.
He expressed confidence that the Dr Nityanand Himalayan Study and Research Centre will take the lead in frontier areas of research and documentation for the development of Uttarakhand.
Rajya Sabha member Naresh Bansal recalled his time spent with Nityanand for more than four decades.
Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) Secretary Professor Sandeep Verma highlighted the schemes and programmes of DST designed for women scientists and assured further exclusive cooperation with Doon University.
The newly inaugurated centre aims to emerge as a centre for excellence in sustainable development of the Himalayan Region while integrating science and social science for evidence-based decision making and teaching. The two day programme aims at guiding and further enhancing the research skills of the women scientists of Uttarakhand.
As many as four technical sessions — ‘Funding Opportunities in SERT’, ‘Science and Technology Lansdscape: Opportunities and Challenges for Women in Uttarakhand’, ‘How to Select a Research Problem for Funding from National Agencies’ and ‘Women and Leadership,’ — were held today with the participation of women scientists from across the state and the country. Renowned scientists Dr Monika Agarwal, Dr Uday Mitra, Educationist Dr Durgesh Pant and Shiv Nadar University Vice Chancellor Dr Ananya Mukherjee were the main speakers during these sessions moderated by Professor Pankaj Sharma, Dr Arun Kumar, Professor Talat Ahmad and Dr Ruchi Badola. Conveners of the sessions included Dr Himani Sharma, Dr AR Gairola, Dr Charu Dwivedi and Dr Narendra Rawal. Professor HC Purohit moderated the proceedings of Day one of the programme.
A dance drama performance on Nanda Raj Jat Yatra, presented by students from Centre for Uttarakhand Languages, Culture and Performing Arts, enthralled the participants in the evening.
