By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 9 Feb: Uttarakhand State Council of Science and Technology (UCOST), in coordination with Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation (HESCO) and Uttarakhand Council of Biotechnology (UCB), is organising the First Rural Science Congress and Seventeenth State Science and Technology Congress at its Vigyan Dham campus from 10 to 12 February.
A press briefing was organised today at the Press Club in this regard, which was addressed by UCOST Director General Prof Durgesh Pant and HESCO Founder Dr Anil Joshi. Both presented the outline of the programme and highlighted its relevance. They disclosed that the Rural Science Congress will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
Prof Pant pointed out that, for the first time in the country, UCOST is organising a Rural Science Congress, during which in-depth discussions will be held on the issues of science and technology based development of rural and hill areas. Artisans, voluntary organisations and research and development institutions will also display their activities and development programmes at the ‘Pride of Uttarakhand Expo’.
Along with this, the 17th Science and Technology Congress of the state is also being organised this year, in which thematic papers of research and development conducted in the state will be read before the renowned subject experts of the country and the world, after the evaluation of which the “Young Scientist Award” and “Young Innovator Award” will be given to the winners. Apart from other brain storming sessions, solar powered hydroponics set-up of advanced agriculture and a mobile app for it, and QR based Biodiversity Park will also be inaugurated by the Chief Minister.
Dr Joshi disclosed that topics like Rural Livelihoods in Rural Science Congress, Rural Informatics and Communication, Rural Innovation and Technology, Rural Entrepreneurs, Start-ups and Market Linkages, Rural Traditional Knowledge Systems will be discussed in detail at the Rural Science Congress.
In another programme, “Samvad” will be organised on rural subjects, the dialogue on village chaupal, millets and gross environmental product (GEP). The year 2023 is being celebrated as the International Year of Millets. Therefore, in this year’s Science Congress, UCOST has decided to organise a Millet Festival to promote Koda, Jhangora, Ramdana and other hill grains and pulses.
Prof Pant called upon the schools, colleges and general public to visit the Pride of Uttarakhand Expo organised on this occasion to get acquainted with the development and various projects being done in the state. Various folk-dance and music programmes will also be organised in the evenings during the Science Congress.