LUDHIANA,
Experts from diverse fields delivered talks during the ongoing 21st Punjab Science Congress at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). In the plenary session I on “Green Revolution and Inclusive Growth,” Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, spoke on “Green Revolution: Some Reminiscences” while Dr S.S. Johl, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, delivered a lecture on “Green Revolution: Blooms and Blushes.”

Speaking on the topic “Feeding 1.3 billion + Population on Sustainable Basis – Need of Second Green Revolution,” Dr O.P. Yadav, Director, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, said there was a need for multi-pronged strategy. The major interventions including the development of stress resilient and bio-fortified crops; enhanced rate of genetic gains; resource conservation technologies; precision agriculture; integrated management of water, nutrient and pests; protected cultivation; post-harvest processing and value addition would help in achieving inclusive market oriented development and integrated livelihood security, he added.

Dr T.R. Sharma, Executive Director, National Agri-food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali, Punjab, observed that biotech application in various sectors of agriculture was playing a vital role in sustainable crop production. He called for harnessing the benefits of this technology for the welfare of the farming community.

Dr Ashwani Kumar, ICMR–National Institute of Malaria Research, Panaji, Goa, dwelt on “Malaria Elimination in India by 2030: Challenges and Opportunities.” He stated, “Technical empowerment from lowest to the highest cadre of the field functionaries through capacity building together with a full commitment of an army of dedicated workers for field operations, effective tools, robust supply chain mechanism and resource mobilization would be essential.”

Dr A.K. Chakraborti, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Mohali, shared his views on “Sustainability in Pharmaceutical Research: Concept to Applications.”

Dr G.S. Wander, Head, Department of Cardiology, DMC, Ludhiana, disclosed, “Indians lead the world with the greatest number of diabetics (42 million).” “The prevalence of coronary artery disease in urbanities is 8-10 per cent and in rural Indians, it is 4-5 per cent. It is primarily due to changing lifestyle with increasing saturated and trans fat usage, consumption of fast foods, sedentary lifestyle and increasing stress,” he observed.

Prof Javed N Agrewala, Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, expressed his views on “A Transformation of Immune Suppressive Molecules: From Mud to Money” while Er Pardeep Gupta, Chief Environmental Engineer, Punjab Pollution Control Board, Ludhiana, spoke on “Engineering Interventions and Role of Industry in Environmental Protection.”

Earlier, Dr S.K. Jain, Director, Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Longowal and Dr Puneet Girdhar, Joint Director (Dental), Medical Education and Research, Punjab, delivered their lectures on “Fuzzy Logic Based Decision Making for Science and Engineering” and “Health Policies by Government of Punjab for the People of Punjab.”