National Symposium on “Biodiversity and Sustainable Development”
Aligarh: The Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) organized a National Symposium on “Biodiversity and Sustainable Development”. The country?s leading biodiversity experts and environmentalists delivered talks. On this occasion a book edited by Prof Wasim Ahmad and Dr M A Khan entitled “Microbes for sustainable Insect Pest Management” published by Springer Nature Switzerland was also released.
The inaugural session was presided by the AMU; Vice-Chancellor Prof Tariq Mansoor who remarked on India’s most biodiversity rich state of Manipur and the rise of various epidemics due to environmental degradation.
“Biodiversity and healthy ecosystems are a foundation for sustainable development”, Prof Tariq added.
The Chief Guest Dr Kailash Chandra, Director, Zoological Survey of India threw light on the scenario of biodiversity in India and emphasized on the mainstreaming of biodiversity research and also enumerated the role of ZSI in the primary job of collecting, identifying and classifying the fauna of Indian states the bio geographical and climatic Zone .
The AMU Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Akhtar Haseeb presided over the valedictory session discussed the need of taxonomists in environmental planning and survey of flora and fauna of local regions.
The Dean Prof Qayyum Husain thanked the guests and appreciated the status of the faculty of Life Sciences as being the first one in the country in life sciences.
The Chairman Prof Wasim Ahmad highlighted the history of the department and the research work on systematics of insect and nematodes being done in the Department. The Department of Zoology is known world over as centre for taxonomic research.
During lectures session, every one showed concern over loss of biodiversity and environmental degradation; Prof Venakataraman (former Director ZSI) in his humorous style, presented the history of exploitation of bio-diversity by the Britishers, Prof Emeritus C R Babu (former PVC, DU) discussed environmental regeneration through biodiversity parks in Delhi whereas Prof Jagbeer Singh (Punjab University) highlighted the importance of the Biodiversity with reference of Guru Granth Saheb and the current scenario in Punjab, Dr Asrarul Haque, (former Director, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) gave a lucid exposition of biodiversity in daily life and Prof Qudsia Tahseen (Dept Zoology, AMU) gave an overview of the greatly neglected below ground soil biodiversity and role of nematodes in soil processes.
At the end certificates to poster session awardees from Aligarh and Punjab were distributed.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Prof Mohammad Afzal.