Shimla-St.Bede’s College, Shimla, on October 11, 2019, ahead of the International Disaster Risk Reduction 2019, participated in a rally organised by Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA).

A statewide awareness campaign on disaster reduction was inaugurated today at Gaiety Theatre by HPSDMA. The program began with the traditional Himachali folk dance ‘Nati’, followed by a Nukkad Natak. During the campaign, a variety of events aimed at creating a resilient Himachal would be organized, informed HPSDMA.

The Statewide Awareness Campaign on DRR was inaugurated today at Gaiety Theatre #Shimla by Director, Disaster Management, Govt. of #Himachal Pradesh @dcrana04. During the campaign, a variety of events aimed at creating a #ResilientHimachal will be organized. #DRRDay #Samarth2019 pic.twitter.com/NCZhgDczZO

— HPSDMA (@HPSDMA) October 11, 2019

From the Disaster Management Cell of the College, a total of 32 students and 14 teachers participated. The rally was organised to create awarness among people about natural and man-made disasters. The students of St. Bede’s had prepared posters and slogans for the rally.

The rally started at 10: 00 am from the C.T.O. , Mall Road Shimla, after its inauguration by D.C Rana, Special Secretary, Government Of Himachal Pradesh. The rally covered the entire lower bazar, the Mall Road, Scandal Point and concluded at the Gaiety Theatre.

Later, Rana enlightened students about various disasters like earthquake, flood, fire etc., and preventive measures that one should take in case of any disaster.

A quiz competition was also organized, in which students of different schools participated. The main aim of the quiz was to make students aware of various disasters and preventive measures.

After the quiz competition, videos on awareness were shown on disaster preparedness. The students and teachers also went to see the exhibition in which the medical staff threw light on the techniques used in medical emergencies like a heart attack or cardiac Arrest – CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation).

Every year, disasters caused by natural hazards affect millions of people around the world. Therefore, every year, on October 13, International Day for Disaster Reduction is celebrated to promote a global culture of risk awareness and disaster reduction by celebrating how people around the world are reducing their exposure to disasters.

This year’s theme is based on one Target of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030: ‘Substantially reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of services through developing resilience by 2030’.

Solan-The focus on the development and adoption of emerging agricultural technology will go a long way in the success of agricultural activities in the country and contribute towards increasing farmers income. With these recommendations, the 2nd International Conference on ‘Recent Advances in Agricultural, Environmental and Applied Sciences for Global Development’ concluded on Sunday at Nauni.

The conference was organized by the Agro-Environmental Development Society (AEDS) in association with Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni, Cairo University’s Plant Pathology Research Institute and Tribhuvan University, Nepal.

Speaking at the valedictory session of the conference, Dr HR Gautam, co-chairman of the local committee said that interactions in this international conference helped to exchange innovative ideas among the participants. As more than 60 per cent of participants were young researchers, this conference will have great bearings in future research programmes of different research institutes of the country.

Eminent and young scientists from different State Agriculture Universities and ICAR institutes took part in the event and presented their research. Several topics under the major themes like recent advances in agriculture and allied fields, natural resource management and sustainable hill farming for livelihood security, emerging issues in environmental management, recent advances in biological and allied sciences, and recent trends in pharmaceutical and applied sciences for sustainable development were covered during the conference.

In his presentation, Dr DB Parekh, Former Principal Scientist, ICAR NBPGR, New Delhi shed light on the vast scope of LED grow lights, which he said can usher in a new revolution in plant sciences in the country. This food production technology consumes 40 per cent less power, 80 per cent less food wastage, 99 per cent less water usage than outdoor fields and leads to the reduction of carbon footprint. This technology, with a negligible infestation of diseases and pests, does not require any chemical pesticides and thereby helps to produce healthy foodstuff. As more and more people are shifting to urban areas and the cultivable land is shrinking, this technology through its implementation in vertical farming will reduce the pressure on land.

Dr RK Sharma, eminent scientist and Head, Resource Management programme, ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal gave a comprehensive account of emerging crop cultivation technologies for doubling farmers’ income. He said for achieving sustainable higher productivity as well as profitability, efforts must be focused on reversing the trend in natural resource degradation by adopting efficient resource conservation and input management technologies. Laser land levelling, use of NDVI sensor for need-based nitrogen application saves 15-20% nitrogen without any reduction in productivity of wheat as well as rice crops. Leaving crop residues at soil surface i.e. conservation agriculture can help save one irrigation which would be more than 15% water saving. The micro-irrigation practices (sprinkler and drip) can save more than 25-30% water compared to conventional flood irrigation practice.

Dr Rinku Sharma, Senior Scientist IVRI Regional Station Palampur, highlighted the increasing problem of Enzootic bovine haematuria (EBH), a disease in cattle, caused due to chronic ingestion of ferns. The disease is prevalent in some pockets of districts Kullu, Chamba, Mandi and Shimla at an altitude of 1800 meters above mean sea level. She shared that, experimental studies have shown that Dryopteris nigropalaceae fern, produced pre-neoplastic lesions on long-term feeding in animals in high hills. Dr Sharma suggested that farmers in EBH-endemic areas should not use ferns as a fodder or bedding material for the livestock and try not to send empty-stomach cattle for grazing.

Dr Rajinder Chaudhary, a research scholar from NDRI Karnal shared his engaging research on the development of an encapsulates of Omega 3, which has been derived from vegetarian sources. Because of the modern lifestyle, the lack of Omega 3 in foodstuff causes rheumatic arthritis, psoriasis, cardiovascular diseases. The encapsulate can be directly added to other foodstuffs.

The three-day event saw over 500 participants from 15 states of India and five countries take part. Dr JN Sharma, Director Research, Dr SK Sharma, Dr Anil Handa and other scientists of the university were also present on the occasion.

Shimla– Hundreds of students of Himachal Pradesh University led by NSUI today staged a protest against the State Government and tried to gherao the State Secretariat over their demands. The protestors had not taken any permission for protest, so it led to a tussle between the police force and protesting students as they tried to break the barricades to enter the Secretariat. The police struggled to restrain the students and had to call in Quick Reaction Team to hold the barricades. Reportedly, some of the students and a few police jawans were injured.

The situation became so ugly that along with ASP Praveer Thakur, DSP Dinesh Verma, the SP, Shimla, had to arrive at the spot.

About 15 to 20 students were booked for unlawful assembly and rioting, the police confirmed.

The students protested for about two hours and blocked the traffic at Chhota Shimla, causing huge inconvenience to the public. The students started their march from the Congress Headquarters. The police tried to stop them near the State High Court, but the students broke the barricades and reached Chhota Shimla. The police erected barricades and somehow restrained the students. The students created a ruckus here too and shouted slogans against the Chief Minister Jairam Thakur and the State government.

The students were protesting over poor UG results, which were declared very late, under RUSA system. The students alleged that about 60 percent of the UG students who appeared in the first-year examination were declared fail.

The government playing with the future of thousands of students, alleged NSUI. They demanded to roll back the RUSA system as it wasn’t implemented properly.

The situation got under control only after a delegation of students was allowed to enter the secretariat and meet the officials of the Education Department.

They alleged that after the implementation of RUSA, the results were always late and erroneous. The students wanted to submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister. The main issues and question asked in the memorandum were as followed:

1. Who is responsible for thousands of students who now stare at a dark future?
2. Why the RUSA results are always late every year?
3. Declare the results of re-evaluation at the earliest.
4. Stop extorting Rs. 600 fees in the name of correction
5. Restore the elections to the Students Central Association

NSUI has warned that it would stage more protest with more students if their demands were not met.