Biodiversity is life insurance for life: Dr. Kasturirangan

Biodiversity is life insurance

for life: Dr. Kasturirangan

Jobin K J

Anju V Padma

  “Sixty per cent of our ecosystem is under the threat of degradation, and the country should immediately take necessary steps to conserve it”, suggested Dr.K. Kasthurirangan, member of Planning Commission and the former Chairman of ISRO. He was inaugurating the 81^st annual session of The National Academy of Sciences India (NASI) at Kariavattom Campus. The theme of this three day National Symposium is ‘Sustainable Management of Biodiversity using Science and Technology’.

Kasturirangan inagurates the NASI annual session

  “We need to protect our forests, numerous variety of medicinal plants, wildlife etc. and should take necessary steps to prevent things like poaching”, said Dr. Kasthurirangan. It is three trillion dollars that we are losing every year through the declining biodiversity. By conserving nature, we are giving life insurance for our life itself, he added.

    Prof. M.G.K. Menon, advisor of ISRO, Dept of Space was the guest of honour. He reiterated the importance of the conservation of soil and water. “India is the hot spot of biodiversity, but often we get lost in the technicalities of sustainable development and forget human beings and nature. It is our duty to make sure that it is not lost”, Prof. Menon said.

    Prof. A.K. Sharma, president of NASI, in his presidential address talked about gene bank, wild life sanctuaries and biodiversities in Himalayan regions.

  In the second segment of the programme, awards were distributed to Prof. Kasturi Dutta, Prof. Balram Bharghava, Prof. Sudheer Majumdaar and Prof. Subhasheesh Chowdhary. Dr. K. Kasthurirangan, Prof. M.G.K.Menon, Prof. A.K.Sharma, Dr. Manju Sharma and Prof. A. Jayakrishnan were felicitated.

  In the following two days, 286 papers will be presented, under two sections- Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences, by various experts from all over the country.