NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY DAY CELEBRATION AT CSIR-IHBT

INDIA REPORTER TODAY

PALAMPUR : RAJESH SURYAVANSHI

CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource technology, Palampur (HP) celebrated National Technology
Day on 11th May, 2021 through MS TEAM in virtual mode. The day commemorates India’s
victoriously nuclear missile tests at the Indian Army’s Pokhran Test Range, Rajasthan in 1998. It
highlights the technological advancements made by scientists, technicals and engineers for national
industrial growth and overall societal wellbeing. This year the theme of the National Technology Day
is “Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future”.
Dr. Sanjay Kumar, Director, CSIR-IHBT welcomed the guests and reiterated the importance of
National Technology Day. He briefed about the different research and developmental activities of the
institute that led to various technological breakthroughs and contributed significantly in catalyzing the
Himalayan Bioresources based bio-economy. He asserted that CSIR-IHBT has signed 117
MoU/agreements and developed seven clusters for technology diffusion through MSME under
Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI). In these clusters, more than
1500 entrepreneurs were supported in the area of shiitake mushroom cultivation, enrich compost
formulation and cut flower production. He also highlighted the contribution of Team CSIR-IHBT for
developing testing facility and scientifically validated products such as hand sanitizers and immunity
boosting tea formulation for management of COVID-19 pandemic. Institute has also developed
technology for Vitamin D enriched Shittake mushroom. Institute is leading CSIR Floriculture Mission
in the region and promoting high value floriculture crop cultivation to enhance farmer’s income and
develop entrepreneurship. Institute is also supporting large number of farmers by training in
cultivation of aromatic crop and honey production. Besides this, he stated that CSIR-IHBT is also
significantly contributed by introducing cultivation of Heeng in the Lahaul & Spiti, and Saffron in
Chamba, Kullu and Mandi districts of the state and distributed planting material for their cultivation.
Considering the challenges confronted by peoples residing in cold hilly regions, technology for night
soil and organic waste degradation is also developed and deployed by CSIR-IHBT in high altitude
regions.
On this occasion, the chief guest Prof. Kuldeep Singh, Director, ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi delivered
National Technology Day Lecture on “Conservation of Agrobiodiversity for Ensuring Food and
Nutritional Security in India”. He emphasized on the role of NBPGR in management and conservation
of national agrobiodiversity and summarized the activities of the bureau. He highlighted the
significance of crop diversity for sustainable development, diverse food intake, India’s commitment to
protect diversity, gene banks for germplasm conservation and suggested the potential crops that can
be prioritized for research in India. He further cautioned on the challenges of nutritional security
owing to loss of biodiversity world over. The program proceeded with presidential address of Prof.
Shyam Kumar Sharma, Former VC, CSK HPKV Agricultural University and Former Director, ICAR-
NBPGR, New Delhi. He applauds the contribution made in current COVID-19 pandemic,
nutraceuticals & nutritionals and farmer centric technological developed to boost bioeconomy by
CSIR-IHBT. He further emphasized on national commitments on various sustainable development
goal, especially dealing with conservation and sustainable production activities of natural
bioresources. He stressed upon requirement of concerted efforts for conservation of the natural
biodiversity as a whole, especially with respect to nutritional security and sustainable growth of the
society.
The program was attended by CSIR-IHBT staff, scholars as well as former employees, press and
media persons and other dignitaries of the region.