Solan-Nitesh Sharma, a doctoral scholar of Department of Entomology, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni, successfully completed the ‘Summer Institute for Food Safety and Security 2019 in Israel. The one-month programme was organized by Manna Centre for Food Safety and Security, Tel Aviv University.

Nitesh had received the Planning and Budgeting Committee fellowship worth over 3,575 US dollars to attend the programme in which 72 students from 11 countries namely India, US, China, Israel, Italy, Vietnam, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria and Liberia participated. He was among the 14 students from India who got a chance to attend the programme.

The programme provided an insight into the past and present agricultural conditions of Israel and how the country is readying itself to cope up with the challenges of rising population, global warming and water crisis.

The participants were exposed to various aspects of the production of agricultural commodities especially under the protected cultivation and growing crops in desert and saline conditions using modern approaches.

The desert conditions are not preventing the farmers from growing quality agricultural commodities in good quantity as they are using water efficiently along with adopting other precision agriculture techniques. 

The pest problems encountered like whiteflies, thrips and aphids, in various crops grown under the protected cultivation are also being managed by using precision agriculture. The participants were also apprised about the use of Good Agricultural Practices to make the food safer for the end-users. Visits to small startup companies to observe their working were also organized.

Nitesh is presently doing his PhD on the management of fruit flies under Dr Divender Gupta, Professor and Head, Department of Entomology. Fruit flies are a direct pest of several fruit and vegetables and has attained a status of ‘pest of international importance’.

Nitesh is using eco-friendly techniques to check the fruit fly population. He is hopeful that he can implement that the knowledge gained during the programme for the benefit of Indian farmers. 

Dr Parvinder Kaushal, Vice-Chancellor, Dr Rakesh Gupta, Dean Horticulture and Dr Divender Gupta congratulated Nitesh for attending the summer institute and representing the University in Israel.  

Shimla-Two Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) of Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni bagged awards at the Annual Zonal Workshop of the KVK (Zone 1) held at GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, earlier this week. The KVK of District Shimla located at Rohru bagged the award for ‘Best Krishi Vigyan Kendra’ in Himachal Pradesh while KVK Lahaul and Spiti II at Tabo bagged the ‘Best Presentation Award’. UHF Nauni operates both the KVKs.

The workshop was organised by ICAR Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI), Ludhiana to review the progress made during 2017-18 and 2018-19 and to finalize the Action Plan for the period of 2019-20. Sixty-nine KVKs of Zone-I (Punjab-22, Jammu & Kashmir-21, Himachal Pradesh-13 and Uttarakhand-13) and five ATICs participated and presented their progress reports in six different technical sessions.

The team of UHF Nauni was lead by Dr Rajkumar Thakur, Joint Director (Communication). Dr NS Kaith, Incharge KVK Shimla and Dr Sudhir Verma, Incharge KVK Tabo presented the reports of their respective KVKs. 

The KVK Shimla is the only KVK in the state that has successfully started the Diploma in Agriculture Extension for input dealers. Initiatives such as the introduction of coloured strains of apple for enhancing income in mid-hills under climate change scenario, crop diversification by introducing cultivation of dhingri and exotic vegetables and the publication of ‘Krishi Vaani’, a magazine of the Kendra has helped it to emerge as the best among 13 KVKs of the state. 

Dr Parvinder Kaushal, Vice-Chancellor of the university congratulated both scientists.

Shimla- Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad’s (ABVP) Himachal Pradesh University unit staged a protest at the gate of the varsity over its various demands, today.

Among its major demands, ABVP sought restoration of elections to the Student’s Central Association, saying it’s their democratic right. They also asked the varsity to fix the errors in declared results. It’s pertinent to mention that not only ABVP but Student Federation of India (SFI) has also been demanding to restore SCA elections.

ABVP’s Other Demands

1. A permanent campus should be created for the cluster university, Mandi, and classes should be started for the current session. Similarly, work for the construction of a permanent campus for Central University should be initiated.
2. The vacant posts in the HPU should be filled up as soon as possible. A check should be imposed on exorbitant fee hikes in private medical colleges and their privatization.
3. A regulatory commission should be established to regulate private institutes to curb the prevailing corruption and commercialization of education.
4. Recruitments of youth through School Management Committees and through outsourcing are frauds, and these processes should be abolished.
5. Sanskrit colleges in the state are in miserable conditions, therefore, they should be given ample attention.
6. Basic facilities in the colleges of the state should be strengthened.

The campus secretary of ABVP, Ankit Chandel said, the varsity does not hesitate in revoking suspension at the behest of students but takes years to arrive at decisions that are in the interest of students.

Students under the RUSA system are suffering due to irregularities and short-comings of the varsity administration, still, the varsity is not ready to take responsibility for it. The university is running without Controller of Examination for the past two weeks, which is adding to the suffering of the students.

Further, ABVP warned the varsity that if a decision is not taken on the restoration of SCA elections, protests would be launched against the state government at every level.