Current Affairs

International Mountain Day commemorated at SKUAST-K

Published

4 years ago

December 12, 2020

Srinagar, Dec 12: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir organised an international webinar to commemorate the International Mountain Day.

Renowned agroforestry expert, Dr Swoyambhu Man Amatya, who is agroforestry coordinator of International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFO) conducted the webinar. His webinar was on case studies and personal experiences regarding successful plantation in the denuded and barren hills of Afghanistan.

The programme was organised by the university’s Faculty of Forestry in collaboration with Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana under World Bank-ICAR funded National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) for institutional development of SKUAST-K.

Vice-Chancellor, SKUAST-K, Prof Mushtaq Ahmad in his message emphasized celebrating the day for creating awareness about the importance of mountains in providing food and climate sustainability.

Director, Planning and Monitoring, SKUAST-K and PI NAHEP, Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai, who was the chief guest at the occasion cautioned about neglecting mountains in the wake of sustaining the ever-growing population and livestock. He stressed to have a holistic approach in planting uncovered hills for conservation and enhanced productivity.

Dean Faculty of Forestry Prof Tariq Hussain Masoodi talked about climate change and mountain ecosystem in the context of J&K. He gave a detailed account of vegetation dynamics in mountains of J&K under the prevailing climatic conditions. The participants had an interactive question/answer session with experts just after the talks were delivered. Dr Akhlaq Amin Wani, associate professor and Coordinator moderated the event.

The event concluded with the expert comments by Prof Sanjaav K Chauhan Deputy Coordinator IUFRO Agroforestry. More than 100 students and scholars from various universities and institutions from across the country, including SKUAST-K, PAU Ludhiana, University of Calcutta, Cluster University, Banaras Hindu University, Islamia College of Science and Tech, J&K Forest Department, Central Agricultural University, Bihar, Bihar Agricultural University and others participated in the webinar.

Others who attended the program include Prof AzmatAlam (Assoc Director SKUAST-K), Prof KN Qaisar (HOD, SAF), Prof PA Khan (HOD FBT), Prof MA Islam (HOD NRM), Dr PA Sofi, Dr GM Bhat, Dr SNZ Geelani, Dr Aasif Ali Gatoo, Dr Amerjeet Singh, Dr TA Rather, Dr AR Malik, Dr Sheeraz Saleem Bhat (ICAR-IGFRI), Dr Megna Rashid, Dr Shah Murtaza, Dr Amir Farooq, Dr Tahir Mushtaq, Dr NA Pala, Dr Maqbool Rather, AA Mir and Owais Bhat.

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Current Affairs

Darakhshan Andrabi granted MoS status

Published

2 years ago

April 8, 2022

BK Editor

BK News

Srinagar: J&K Waqf Board Chairperson Dr Darakhshan Andrabi has been granted the status of Minister of State (MoS) by the J&K Government.

Andrabi was last month appointed as a member of J&K Waqf Board and later elected chairperson.

“Sanction is hereby accorded to the grant of status equivalent to Minister of State (MoS) in favour of Dr Darakhshan Andrabi, Chairperson, J&K Waqaf Board,” an order issued on Friday by the Principal Secretary, GAD, Manoj Dwivedi reads.

“The Hospitality & Protocol Department shall make necessary insertion in the J&K Warrant of Precedence with the approval of Competent Authority,” it added.

Andrabi recently facilitated a successful meeting between Kashmiri business leaders with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

Andrabi is a national executive member of Bhartiya Janta Party and BJP state spokesperson for J&K.

Current Affairs

Kashmiri researcher to speak at UNGA Science Summit

Published

3 years ago

September 21, 2021

BK Editor

Srinagar, Sept 21: Dr Sheikh Fayaz Ahmad, a Kashmir-born Innovation Researcher, has been invited to speak at UNGA76’s second Science Summit (United Nations General Assembly UNGA76).

The UNGA Science Summit’s goal is to “increase awareness of science’s significance and contribution to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.” It will showcase efforts that will serve as examples for global science systems and activities supporting the SDGs, notably in the areas of science infrastructure and capacity building.”

Dr Sheikh Fayaz, a Kupwara resident, has been asked to speak at a session on ‘South-South/North Science Capacity Building and Research Collaboration for Advancing the SDGs,’ which will take place on September 22, 2021.

UNGA76 is seen as a unique and prestigious forum for science and development scholars to demonstrate “how policy and political leadership can benefit from innovation”. The second edition of UNGA76, Science Summit, is organized by ISC around the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA76) in New York in September 2021.

Dr Sheikh Fayaz is working as a full-time innovation researcher with the School of Management, Zhejiang University, one of the top public universities in China. He works on ‘secondary innovations’ and regional development. Sheikh Fayaz holds his M.Phil and PhD from the Centre for Studies in Science Policy, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi-India.

Prior to joining Zhejiang University, Dr Fayaz was a Visiting Scholar at the Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Portugal, under European Commission’s Crossing Boundaries Project funded by Marie Curie Actions, International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (2014), School of Management, University of Bradford, England (Oct- Nov 2014) and University of Sussex, London and Institute of Development Studies, Sussex, England, (2017). He is also a member of the Globelics community and is an alumnus of various Globelics innovation academies held in Finland, Kenya and Brazil.

The other speakers for the science summit include some of the world’s leading development practitioners, researchers, scientists, and politicians from different parts of the world. Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, President, International Science Council, George Church from Harvard University Wyss Institute, Dr Magdalena Skipper, Editor in Chief, Nature, UK, Prof. Intisar Soghayroun Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Sudan and Dr Marcia McNutt President, National Academy of Sciences, USA, joined the opening plenary session held on September 14, 2021.

Current Affairs

Sufi poetry collection ‘Ganji Asrar’ released

Published

3 years ago

April 15, 2021

BK Editor

Srinagar: A collection of Sufi poetry, ‘Ganji Asrar’, authored by Musadiq Alam, was released on Tuesday at a cultural event in Tagore Hall here.
The event was organised by Angel’s Cultural Academy in association with the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages.
The book is a poetry collection of the legendry Sufi poet, Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Dar Shutloohi. Dar has served for more than 40 years at Darbari Kashani Shalimar.

‘Ganji Asrar’ has been published by Sultania Book Depot Maisuma and will be available at all leading book shops of J&K.