Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 18: As part of the CSIR Skill Development Programme, a three-day training on Advances in Plant Tissue Culture commenced at CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) Jammu, here today.
The training program features interactive lectures, lab demonstrations, and mentorship sessions led by CSIR-IIIM scientists.
The event was inaugurated by Dr Zabeer Ahmed, Director of CSIR-IIIM Jammu, who underscored the program’s alignment with India’s vision of Viksit Bharat@2047. Dr V Verma, Ex-Dean of Biotechnology at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), Katra, and former CSIR-IIIM scientist, was the guest of honour.
In the inaugural address, Dr Ahmed highlighted the critical shift from isolated scientific endeavours to collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches. “The era of doing science in silos is over. Today, knowledge and innovation thrive through partnerships across institutions, industries, and geographies. CSIR-IIIM is at the forefront of this transformation, bridging gaps between lab research and real-world applications,” he stated.
Dr. Ahmed urged participants to leverage the program as a springboard for startups and entrepreneurship, noting, “Mastering cutting-edge techniques like plant tissue culture can empower you to create scalable agri-tech ventures, driving economic growth and rural employment.”
Dr Verma stressed the transformative potential of plant tissue culture in developing disease-resistant crop varieties and boosting secondary agriculture. “By producing genetically stable, high-yielding plants, this technology not only secures food security but also unlocks opportunities in secondary sectors like phytochemical extraction for pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals,” he explained.
Earlier, Abdul Rahim, Chief Scientist & Head, RMBD & IST/ Head IIIM Srinagar (Br), gave an outline of CSIR-IIIM Integrative Skill initiates, which aim to build a skilled workforce capable of addressing global agricultural challenges while contributing to India’s self-reliance goals.
Dr Dhiraj Vyas, HoD, Plant Sciences and Agrotechnology, also spoke on the occasion and gave insights into the Plant Sciences Division’s R&D and various societal contributions.
The inaugural session was attended by various scientists, researchers, technical staff & students of the Plant Sciences Division. Dr Srinivas Kota, Scientist and Coordinator of the Training program, delivered the welcome address while Dr Nasir Ul Rasheed, Senior Scientist and Nodal Skill Development, presented a formal vote of thanks.
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