PREZ: NEED TECH TO FIGHT BAD AIR IN PUNJAB, HRY
Formally inaugurates International Gita Mahotsav-2022 and offers prayers at Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra
Expressing concerns over air and soil pollution in Punjab and Haryana, President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday urged technical institutions to develop technology to find solutions to these issues. She was speaking at the 18th convocation ceremony of the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra. She also hailed the contribution of Haryana and Punjab to the development of agriculture.
Expressing concern over air and soil pollution and depleting ground water in agriculture-dominated states of Punjab and Haryana, President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said that technology is needed to find a solution to these issues and help farmers of the two states which led the Green Revolution and provided food security to the country.
President Murmu is on a twoday visit to Haryana to attend various programmes. She made the comments during the 18th convocation ceremony of the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra. Earlier in the day, the President formally inaugurated International Gita Mahotsav-2022 and offered prayers at Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra.
“We know that Punjab and Haryana have played a key role in agriculture development in the country as progressive farmers of these states used modern technology and led the Green Revolution to provide food security to the country,” she said.
“Now, these two states are facing the problems of air and soil pollution. Even the depleting ground water table has emerged as a big challenge for the farmers. It is the responsibility of the NIT Kurukshetra to find out a technical solution of these challenges,” the President said, adding that technology should be for the welfare of the public and it not just a byproduct of science and engineering.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen how technology helped to make life easier as people adopt technology for the welfare of the people,” she added.
The President appreciated NIT, Kurukshetra for establishing a state-of-the-art ‘Siemens Centre of Excellence’ in which special emphasis is being laid on smart manufacturing and automation designs and e-mobility. She said that the establishment of this centre has led to increased collaboration with industry, academia and research and development organisations such as DRDO and BHEL.
The President also congratulated students at NIT, Kurukshetra, who were conferred degrees during the convocation ceremony and urged them to work hard to achieve their aim.
She said that it was the duty of everyone to work for the society and the country as salary packages should not be considered as a yardstick to measure success.
More efforts needed to promote teachings of Gita, says President
Earlier, during her her visit to Brahma Sarovar at Kurukshetra, the president offered prayers as she formally inaugurated the International Gita Mahotsav (IGM)-2022.
Speaking at the International Gita Seminar on ‘World Peace and Harmony’ at the Kurukshetra University, the president said that Gita is a universal Book for the welfare of the mankind and more efforts should be made to promote the teachings of Gita to every nook and corner so that people could imbibe its teachings in real life.
She expressed happiness that Lord Krishna has given her the opportunity to visit Kurukshetra and attend Gita Mahotsav. The President took a walk at the saras mela at Brahma Sarovar to take a look at different stalls.
Hailing the women of Haryana, she said she feels proud of the girls and women of the state who have taken a lead in several international competitions and she was excited about an interaction she was going to have with a group of such women of the state during her visit.
In the presence of Haryana governor Bandaru Dattatreya and chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the president launched e-ticketing system of the Haryana transport, Nirogi Haryana Scheme. She also virtually laid the foundation stone of a medical college in Sirsa.
Chief minister Khattar presented the first e-ticket to the President. He said that in the initial phase, the e-ticketing project will be implemented at 6 depots, namely Chandigarh, Karnal, Faridabad, Sonepat, Bhiwani and Sirsa.
On the occasion, the President was also presented with a replica of the National e-Mobility Card as the first ticket. By the end of January 2023, the project will be completely implemented in the remaining 18 depots.
Khattar said that under the Nirogi scheme, health checkups of the people of the state will be conducted.
The President also laid the foundation stone of Sirsa medical college and hospital virtually. The medical college will come up on 21 acres of land at a cost of about ₹ 950 crore. The 539-bed hospital will have 100 MBBS seats. On the occasion, Haryana governor Bandaru Dattatreya said that the day has become even more special and memorable for the NIT students receiving their degrees as an ideal teacher who has reached the highest constitutional post of the country by facing difficult circumstances has come to bless them.
He said that the Haryana government has worked to strengthen the infrastructure in the state to promote education.
Security personnel in the city had to face a tough time as there was a huge gathering at the Brahma Sarovar during the President’s visit.
The locals had to face inconvenience as police had diverted heavy traffic from roads leading to Brahma Sarovar.