J&K has opportunity to be torchbearer of ‘Viksit Bharat’: Dr Jitendra

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: “Jammu and Kashmir has an opportunity to be the torchbearer of Viksit Bharat”, said Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh on Friday.
The Minister was delivering the inaugural address at the first-ever 3-day International Conference on Traditional Medicine and Phytopharmaceuticals, and the 11th International Congress of the Society for Ethnopharmacology at CSIR-IIIM here.
The Conference is organised by CSIR-IIIM, in collaboration with the Society of Ethnopharmacology (SFE), Kolkata on the theme “Ethnopharmacology in Development of Phytopharmaceutical Drugs
A first-ever three-day international conference commenced with over 700 dignitaries, including 100 speakers from 20 countries in attendance.
Dr Jitendra said, it is for the first time since independence that J&K’s unexplored resources like Aroma and lithium are being tapped to boost India’s economy.
It is evidenced in the Aroma Mission and Purple Revolution which were born in J&K, with the cultivation of lavender in the townships of Bhaderwah in Doda and Gulmarg in the Kashmir Valley.
He said bio Himalayan resources like these will add hugely to the country’s economy in the next two decades.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, India has earned recognition as a propagator and a brand ambassador, with its traditional medicines and practices like Yoga becoming a panacea, adding that oriental methods of disease management and prevention are no more the only way for cure.
PM Modi is India’s brand ambassador who has popularised Yoga, millets and traditional Indian remedies across the world, he said.
Calling for collaboration among the emerging agri-start-ups and the industry, Dr Jitendra said now is the time for greater integration, adding that the era of silos is over.
He reasoned that India success stories, including Covid vaccine, Chandrayaan Mission and Aroma Mission, are the by-products of collaborative efforts between the StartUps and the industry, producers and the market.
The Union Minister said the government has created an enabling ecosystem which must be optimised, he suggested.
Complimenting the organisers of the conference, Director General CSIR Dr N Kalaiselvi said the present day need in health care systems and drug formulations demand an integrated approach wherein the manufacturing of the drugs should be in integration with utilisation of the natural sources of drug molecules derived from plants.
She emphasised that the conduct of the conference assumes much interest in light of the increased global alignment for use of phytopharmaceuticals.
Earlier, Director CSIR-IIIM, Jammu Dr Zabeer Ahmed said the institute has been spearheading the scientific study, validation, and legalisation of phytopharmaceuticals and organising a conference on the futuristic theme and Ethnopharmacology for Development of Phytopharmaceutical Drugs and represents collective aspiration to push the boundaries of knowledge and innovation in the realm of research on traditional methods of healthcare and drug development from phytopharmaceuticals.
“We reaffirm our determination to take a giant leap forward in our pursuit of transformative breakthroughs that will define the future of healthcare,” he said.
He said more than 100 speakers from 20 different countries including the USA, United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Ghana and India would be delivering their talks during the conference.