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HomePosts Tagged "Dharmendra Pradhan"
AgroPolicy, India, R&D, Sustainability

The project is to be implemented with assistance from AOM Group and Centurion University

Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship flagged off Gabon’s first Agri- SEZ project from New Delhi. The project will be implemented by the AOM group with Centurion University as the technical and knowledge partner. In the first phase of the program, 30 farmers and 20 B.Sc./M.Sc. Agri and B.Tech/M. Tech Engineering students from the Gajapati district, which is an Aspirational district of Odisha, will be travelling together as agri-technical and technical consultants for the agriculture SEZ which is being developed under this project.

Speaking on the occasion, Pradhan said that the launch will add a new chapter to that relationship, he further added. He also expressed confidence that the establishment of an Agriculture and Food Processing Special Economic Zone in Gabon will be a significant milestone towards enhancing food security and self-sufficiency in the country.

Speaking about the India-Africa relationship, he said that, in the last 9 years, India-Africa relations have gone from strength to strength, recording more than 35 high-level visits from India and more than 100 similar ones from Africa. Anti-colonial solidarity, diasporic goodwill, and the principle of ‘South-South’ cooperation, among others, are also playing a significant role in strengthening the partnership between India and the African continent, he further added.

He also said that development partnership is a key pillar in India’s African policy. Being a trusted partner in the journey of socio-economic development, India has extended concessional loans of over $ 12.3 billion to Africa and $ 700 million of grant assistance with development projects in various sectors.

He said that Gabon and other African countries have a lot to learn from India’s development journey and recent initiatives like the Aspirational Districts Program.

He also spoke about India-Africa’s long-standing relations in the areas of education and skill development.

The project is to be implemented with

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Start ups, Sustainability

Guwahati Declaration encourages advancement in discoveries through sustainable routes

Guwahati Declaration was recently unveiled by Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education, Entrepreneurship and Skill Development and Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Assam during the recently held North East Research Conclave (NERC) 2022 at IIT Guwahati.

The Guwahati Declaration launched at the valedictory function of the conclave by Lok Ranjan, Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER), in the presence of Kailash Karthik, Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup is intended to create a set of guidelines, through which individual, as well as a collective responsibility to promote and encourage innovation at the grass-root level and strive to stimulate and execute indigenisation and entrepreneurship, can be taken up. It also encourages advancement in discoveries through sustainable routes.

At least 100 start-ups are expected to be incubated with around 100 doctoral students to be added within the next three years. The ecosystem support necessary for these developments will be provided for achieving their success. 

Under this declaration, a framework to achieve holistic and converging objectives and build targeted mission-mode collaborative efforts will be initiated. Progress on ten broad thrust areas will be initiated that would lead to sustainable socio-economic development, efficient bio-resources utilisation, automation of indigenous tools and technology, disaster management, and climate change aspects. 

These broad working areas include: 

1. Biomedical and environmental devices development and testing

2. Food processing technology

3. Advanced functional materials and biomaterials

4. Drug discovery from natural resources

5. Drone technology development and application

6. High altitude waste management

7. Fossil fuel and alternative energy utilisation and devices

8. Geo-spatial technology

9. Livelihood projects

10. Automation in agriculture, sericulture, pisciculture

The declaration requires individuals and institutions to build upon their strengths and expertise for promoting and nurturing innovation at the grass-root level, engaging individuals from an early level to inculcate the values of innovative thinking and collective growth. 

Institutes and universities across the northeast region and nation will have to be intertwined with various state and central government ministries, PSUs and industries and create a knowledge centre, facilitating the declaration objectives. 

Guwahati Declaration encourages advancement in discoveries through