Dr Dileep Agnihotri
Governor Anandi Ben Patel inaugurated the international e-symposia Our Solutions are in Nature and delivered her inaugural lecture. HE said that India is one of the seventeen nations with the richest bio-diversity, in fact we contribute 7% to the bio-diversity of the world. She also said that both India’s past and its culture understand the importance of bio-diversity. So much that that the atharvaved talks about several plants and herbs essential for human health and survival.
She said that the international symposia’s theme ‘Our solutions are in nature’ is extremely relevant and it is our duty to do whatever we can do help improve our biological diversity—e.g. planting as many trees as possible, as many herbs as possible. She welcomed all the speakers of the symposia and wished everyone the best. In the end, Her Excellency called out to the researchers present in the event to think how we as a University, as a city and as the public contribute to a greener city and maybe work towards achieving that, and measuring what changes have happened due to these efforts in the next year.
Anandiben Patel attended the following programs via e-conferencing at the University of Lucknow: Remote-laying the foundation stone for Girls’ Community Washroom Release of the 1st Covid-19 special interactive issue of the University newsletter The Chorus Release of the 1st ever bio-diversity index of LucknowInaugural of international e-symposia organized on the occasion of International Day of Biological DiversitySpeakers invited from US, Japan, France, Brazil, UAE etc. to deliver lectures at the international e-symposia from several countries were also present during the inaugural function.
At the beginning of the program, hon’’ble Vice Chancellor of the University of Lucknow, Prof. Alok Kumar Rai welcomed everyone and informed everyone of the work done by the University in the last five months, and specially during the lock-down period. He spoke on the following points: University of Lucknow is the first University in the country to start a unique 10 featured CBCS program.
- University of Lucknow is going to become the first University in the country to assess its carbon foot-print.
- University of Lucknow is the first University in the country to calculate a city’s bio-diversity index.
- University of Lucknow is probably the first University in the country to have Youtube channels of all its departments (barring 1).
- The University has prepared its new PhD ordinance that will be implemented once it is passed in the Academic Council meeting.
- The University has created a new Academic Cell to expedite academic activities in the University.
The University is starting new programs and schemes for students. It has already started the student OPD (our pupils’ day) and TREE (teaching, reaching, emboldening and evaluating) initiatives, and will soon be beginning the scholarship scheme of ‘chhatra kalyan’ and earn-while-you-learn scheme ‘karm yogi’ under the Poor Boys’ Fund which has been renamed ‘Student Welfare Fund’.The University is also starting new schemes for teachers, e.g. the uddeepan scheme for research promotion, the protsaahan scheme for new faculty, and the acclaim scheme for high quality ongoing research appreciation.
The University has created a Recruitment and Assessment Cell to look into these related matters and ensure speed and transparency in the same. The university is mulling beginning a scheme for retired teachers of the University so that under the ‘professor of eminence’ scheme, their expertise too can be harnessed.
The University has already applied for research funding of more than ten crores with several agencies and as per the wishes of the Hon’ble Her Excellency, is mulling logistics of starting a ‘yog and alternative medicine’ faculty as well as a new institute for teaching, research and training in handling infectious diseases like the Corona Virus.
The University has been running e-classes with its students based on the 3 C model: conduct in classes, connect with students and content creation.
The University has inked a technology transfer agreement for its indigenous sanitiser LUCHEM, it has created an immunity booster LU-Ram19, inked MoUs with the UP police for counselling of their servicepersons, and is currently on its way to signing a new MoU with the UP State Disaster Management office.
The University has been running its crowd sourced community kitchen since 6th April, and we have already fed more than 40,000 people. The University has made all arrangements to being the ‘garbh sanskaar’ program, in the University including a new program in the Institute of Women’s Studies.
Chancellor Madam then remotely laid the foundation stone of the Girls’ Community Toilet for which she herself has given the University a generous grant of Rs. 10 lakh. HE then released the interactive issue of the newsletter The Chorus, and the 1st ever bio-diversity index of Lucknow.
