Expert team visits UHF to review progress of projects

Varsity to collaborate with GBPNIHE for student research and projects
Nauni (Himachal Pradesh): A review committee headed by Dr. RS Rawal, Director, GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (GBPNIHE), Almora, an autonomous Institute of MoEFCC, GoI visited Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni to review the progress of two ongoing projects at the university funded by GBPNIHE under National Mission on Himalayan Studies.

The team held meetings with the scientists and authorities while reviewing the progress of the projects. Presentations were made by Dr. KD Sharma, HOD FST, and Dr. Nivedita Sharma, HOD Basic Sciences who are Principal Investigators of the project on Establishment of Functional Foods Research and Development and Dissemination Centre and Bioconversion of pine needles respectively.

Dr. Rawal also visited the Functional Foods Centre in the department of FST and Microbiology laboratory of Basic Sciences where he interacted with research scholars and scientists of both the departments and impressed upon future long-term collaborations for the benefit of poor people in the Himalayan states of the country. The project progress was appreciated and research work was found aligned with defined objectives and moving forward towards a clean and green technology for alternative fuels and the development of a variety of processed functional food products.

He met Dr. Parvinder Kaushal, UHF Vice-Chancellor, and expressed satisfaction over the work done by university scientists in the projects. On collaboration between the two institutions, Dr. Kaushal and Dr. Rawal agreed that both institutions must work towards collaborating in the field of research and academics.  Dr. Kaushal said that the university will look to empanel scientists of GBPNIHE and utilize their expertise in curricular research of the students which will be of immense benefit to the students of the university in carrying out MSc and PhD thesis work.

Dr. RS Ratan, Founder President of Shimla Based Hill Agriculture and Rural Development Promotion society also met the university Vice-Chancellor. He expressed gratitude towards the university for providing planting material to the society for plantations in the tribal areas of the state for improving the livelihood avenues of the people in these areas. He sought the help of the university in monitoring the evaluate the results of the new plantations and requested the university to supply over 30,000 fruit plants next year. Dr. Kaushal assured that the university will try to provide all necessary help and will depute researchers and students who are attached with farming families to carry out the evaluation, as it will also provide the students with valuable field experience.