PASIGHAT, 3 Apr: Botany and Zoology departments of the JN College in collaboration with the College of Agriculture (CoA) in East Siang district, organized a national seminar on “Challenges and Prospects of Life Science Research in Northeast India” here on Wednesday.
A total of 42 research papers and 10 research posters covering various themes like ethnobiology, taxonomy, biodiversity, agro-horticultural sciences, conservation, etc. were presented during the seminar which was funded by the directorate of higher and technical education, GoAP.
CoA Dean Dr. A.K Tripathi, in his keynote address, said that setbacks like lack of infrastructure and lack of incentives to researchers limit the quality of research works.
He also talked about the prospects of new technology in agriculture sector and warned about the emergence of new diseases and pest with change in climatic conditions.
Reputed herbal medicine practitioner Padmashree Yanung Jamoh Lego said that “research should not be done as a mere academic exercise, but it should be done for the quest of knowledge that will actually benefit the society.”
“Arunachal Pradesh is very rich in traditional knowledge system and our ancestors have used this indigenous knowledge system in healing of ailments in human, crops and livestock since time immemorial,” she said.
JNC vice principal Dr. Leki Sitang said, “many birds and butterfly species which we used to see in abundance during our childhood are missing today. This must be due to the invasion of alien species, which show more aggressive colonization patterns as biotic communities.”
JNC principal Dr. Tasi Taloh stated that such seminars create a platform for scientists and research scholars from different institutions to come together and exchange academic proficiencies.
NEIAFMR (AYUSH) director Dr. Robindro Teron spoke on the need to “prioritize research works for social impact, rather than academic fame.” He said that Arunachal, with its rich biodiversity, offers many undiscovered aspects of nature, providing scopes for research and documentation.
“There are many similarities in the system of Ayurveda and traditional folk medicine, practiced by the tribal people in the entire northeast. Extensive research and validation of these rich indigenous knowledge systems is the need of the hour,” he added.
