President Kovind calls research bedrock of advancing knowledge vwhile addressing vice chancellors of central universities

He was speaking at the fourth Visitor’s Award for Research in the field of Basic and Applied Science and in the field of Humanities, Arts and Social Science.

President Kovind said, "Education is a subject I am personally passionate about. It is education that holds the key for the development of our nation and our people. All of you play an important role in the making of a modern India."

Congratulating the winners, President Kovind said, "Congratulate the winners of the Visitor’s Awards 2018. These awards recognise the outstanding contribution, single-minded devotion and painstaking work put in by the award winners in the pursuit of knowledge. All of you are true achievers.

The Visitor’s Award for Research in the field of Basic and Applied Science was jointly presented to two academics.

Prof. Sanjay K. Jain, Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Dr Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, won it for his contribution to the development of a drug delivery system using folic acid conjugated liposomes containing oxaliplatin for targeted delivery of colon tumors.

This has the potential to reduce toxicity, dosage, regimen and cost of cancer treatment.

Prof.Ashis Kumar Mukherjee, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Assam, was the other winner, for his research leading to clarity on the molecular complexity and toxicity of the components of the snake venom from different locales of India.

This too has likely utility as a new drug for treatment of diseases, read a government statement.

The Visitor’s Award for Research in the field of Humanities, Arts and Social Science was presented to Prof. Pramod K Nayar, Department of English, School of Humanities, University of Hyderabad, Telangana, for his research and publications particularly covering the important areas of poetry for the underprivileged, memoirs and fiction, the Bhopal gas tragedy and other episodes.

The Visitor’s Award for Technology Development was presented to Prof. Ashwani Pareek, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, for developing Stress Tolerant Rice of the Next Generation (STRONG).

This has the potential to enhance farm incomes. 

The India President reminded the gathering that  pursuing research demands constant determination from the researcher as well as full institutional support.

Image: PIB"Research is not a 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. job and thus our approach towards supporting and promoting a research culture cannot be a pedantic one," he said.

"We have to emphasise the merits of research and teaching profession in our society at large. This profession offers unique benefits that no other career offers – freedom to ideate and to test and spread those ideas through research and teaching," said President Kovind.

President Kovind said, "There is no doubt that government has a responsibility to promote and support research and innovation in our centres of education. However, there is a specific responsibility that lies with the researchers too. That responsibility is to marry research and innovation to the needs of our country and people. Research and innovation can play an important role in lifting our people out of poverty, ensuring their health and well-being or attaining food and energy security."

Addressing the vice chancellors of the central universities, President Kovind said, "Encourage your students to take up socially oriented ventures through NSS or other clubs. Those universities which are located in backward regions have a special responsibility of working with communities around them.

Image: PIB