RONO HILLS, Jan 24: Department of Botany, Rajiv Gandhi University, India and Tennessee State University, Nashville, USA jointly organized a Two-day International Webinar on “Plant Science Research Post Covid-19” on January 22-23. More than 450 participants from all parts of the world attended the webinar. 
Inaugurating the event, Vice Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi University, Prof. Saket Kushwaha emphasized and encouraged the participants to orient their research on innovative ideas. He also stressed on collaborative research between RGU and other Universities in India and abroad. The organizers were also motivated to organize platforms for such kind of important and relevant deliberations.
Earlier, the Head, Department of Botany, RGU and Organizing Chairman of the webinar Prof Sumpam Tangjang while welcoming the participants to the webinar outlined the aim and purpose of the webinar. In the first technical session, the first speaker, Prof.(Mrs.) Rupam Kapoor, University of Delhi highlighted the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in improving the secondary metabolites of high commercial value. She emphasized on how the application of these fungi in plants can provide sustainable solutions to diseases like malaria and diabetes. Later, Anand Kumar from Tennessee State University, Nashville, USA talked on the opportunities and challenges of industrial Hemp Production. He emphasized that hemp production has enormous potential generating employment in India, particularly, Arunachal Pradesh.

During the second technical session held on the second day, Prof. AP Das, Adjunct Professor, RGU spoke on biodiversity conservation vis-a-vis development: experience from Eastern Himalaya. He stressed that development should go hand-in-hand with biodiversity conservation to sustain future generations. Dr. Felipe Pinheiro from Brazil talked on the agroecological approach allowing the discovery of semi- arid farmers’ innovations for climate change adaptation and mitigation. He discussed how silvipastoral restoration improved farmers’ profitability and economic stability by increasing soil coverage, plant biodiversity, productivity in degraded semi-arid Caatinga region of Brazil. There was active exchange of ideas between speakers and participants in the technical sessions moderated by Dr. AV Singh and Dr. (Mrs.) Oyi Dai Nimasow.
Attending the valedictory session as a Chief Guest, Pro Vice Chancellor of RGU Prof. Amitava Mitra said ‘ponderings and brainstorming however should not end here rather we should work more on this aspect which will definitely impact the cause of the globe to sustain.’
 The Joint Registrar of RGU Dr. David Pertin, in his address said that it was a very welcoming joint endeavour of two leading universities located far from each other while displaying real academic bonhomie between the two great nations. He further informed that the University is playing its positive role in endeavoring through conducting online FDPs, e-Short Term Courses, Orientation courses, e-Workshops, e-Symposiums, national and international webinars, training programmes and talks during the dreaded pandemic period and have conducted 45 such programmes in the last 9 months. 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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