PU Chemistry Department organises RC Paul National Symposium and Chandigarh Chapter of NASI

Chandigarh, 22 February 2025: In fond memory of Prof. Ram Chand Paul, the Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies in Chemistry at Panjab University, Chandigarh, organised a two-day National Symposium on “Sustainable Development in Chemical Sciences: Innovations and Start-ups” on 2122 February 2025. 

Nearly 160 participants from across India showcased their scientific results in the form of posters and oral presentations.

Prof. Yojna Rawat, Director of RDC, Panjab University, Chandigarh, graced the inaugural ceremony and shared her views on sustainable development and its importance in today's era. In his welcome address, Prof. Ganga Ram Chaudhary, Chairman of the Department of Chemistry, discussed the objectives of the conference with the audience. The convener of the conference, Dr. S.C. Sahoo, explained how the conference would channelise intellectual resources for the betterment of society.

The keynote speaker, Prof. Ravi Singh from IIT Delhi, presented on “Atropisomerism in the Realm of Pharmaceutically Relevant Compounds,” updating the participants on various aspects of chirality. Day one included three technical sessions, during which subject experts from highly reputed institutions such as JNU Delhi, University of Delhi, IIT Roorkee, INST Mohali, IMTech, and NIT Jalandhar shared their innovative research outcomes. The invited talks were followed by parallel oral and poster sessions.
Day 2 began with an inaugural address by Prof. R.K. Kohli, Vice Chancellor of Amity University, Mohali, who spoke about the Chandigarh Chapter of NASI. The Guest of Honour, Dr. R. K. Joshi, Scientist-F at DST, New Delhi, provided a detailed discussion on how to write a research proposal, offering valuable insights for the young minds in the audience. He explained key factors that contribute to the success of a research proposal.

Following the inauguration, Session I focused on the popularisation of science. Prof. Narinder Singh from IIT Ropar discussed various strategies for mitigating industrial pollution, while Prof. Manoj Kumar Teotia from CRRID Chandigarh shared his views on combating climate change by promoting the vectors of sustainable development. Session II covered discussions on target-specific anticancer agents and the role of green analytical chemistry in forensic toxicology, with presentations by Prof. Sankar K. Guchhait from NIPER Mohali and Prof. Rajeev Jain from CFSL Chandigarh. This was followed by parallel oral and poster sessions.

The valedictory function included awards for the best poster and oral presentations. The deliberations of the conference are expected to prove beneficial in many ways for the young researcher minds.