GUWAHATI, May 12 - A national seminar on, �Science, Society and Sustainable Development� was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru College at Boko on May 3 and 4, an e-mail received here stated.
The seminar was organised by the science departments under DBT�s Star College Scheme and Advanced-level Biotech Hub and supported by Assam Science Technology and Environment Council (ASTEC) in collaboration with Aaranyak, Botanical Society of Assam (BSA), Zoological Society of Assam (ZSA), UGC- HRDC, Gauhati University and Assam Academy of Mathematics (AAM).
Participants from many institutes representing Assam and several other states attended the seminar. While the welcome address was delivered by Dr Nripen Goswami, Principal of JN College, the seminar was inaugurated by Dr Mridul Hazarika, Vice-Chancellor of Gauhati University.
Speeches were delivered by Dr Mrigendra Mohan Goswami, president of the college governing body, Dr Arup Kumar Misra, Director of ASTEC, Dr Swaroop Nandan Borah, Professor from IITG, Dr Partha Pratim Baruah, GU professor from the Department of Botany, Dr Partha Jyoti Das, Head of WCHD, Aaranyak, K Baruah, Director of NIELIT and Rumita Phukon, Vice Principal of JN College, Boko.
The college magazine Jawaharjyoti was released by Dr Mridul Hazarika on the occasion. The keynote address on �Science, Society and Sustainable Development� was offered by Prof. BN Reddy, former Head of the Department of Botany, Osmania University, Hyderabad, followed by the plenary lecture on, �Effective Tuberculosis Vaccine : Essential for Sustainable Development� delivered by Dr Pawan Sharma, former senior scientist at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Bio-Technology, New Delhi and DBT�s visiting Research Professor CVSc (AAU), Khanapara, Guwahati.
The programme ended with a vote of thanks offered by organising secretary Dr Tapan Dutta.
The inaugural programme was followed by three parallel sessions in different conference halls chaired by Dr Nilakshi Devi, Head of the Department of Botany, Gauhati University, Dr Partha Pratim Baruah, Professor in the Department of Botany, GU where the participants presented their respective papers.
The second day�s programme started with lectures by Dr Jogen Kalita, Director of UGC-HRDC and Dr Surendra Ghaskadbi, Developmental Biologist, MACS-Agharkar Research Institute, Pune.
Three parallel sessions in different conference halls were chaired by Dr Polly Vauqline, Associate Professor of Women�s Studies at GU, Dr Jnanjyoti Sarma, Associate Professor of RG Barua College and Dr Abani Kumar Das, Head of the Department of Geography, JN College, Boko, where the participants presented their respective papers.
A total of 110 research papers were submitted by the faculties, researchers and student participants out of which 93 papers were presented in different sessions. Certificates were subsequently distributed among the participants.
The organisers resolve to publish a volume on the seminar with a few selected papers.
Earlier, the ceremonial lamp was lit by a number of dignitaries while a chorus was subsequently presented by the students.
It may be pertinent to add here that Dr Tapan Dutta hosted the progamme and was accompanied by Jayashree Goswami, JRF of the Advanced-level Biotech Hub of JN College, Boko, the release concluded.
