Institutions should expand educational programs in accordance with the needs of society, says UP CM Yogi Adityanath

CM Yogi inaugurates three-day national seminar ‘BioNature Con-2023’ at Mahayogi Gorakhnath University
India lagged behind due to lack of innovation and research, educational institutions were limited to degree distribution centers: CM

By Our Correspondent

Gorakhpur: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Friday that instead of universities, colleges, or other educational institutions remaining isolated or on the sidelines, they should understand their responsibility towards society.

“Higher education institutions should enhance their studies according to the practical needs of society. Instead of relying solely on bookish knowledge to understand practical needs, it is necessary to gain experience in the field and focus on research,” he stated.

The Chief Minister was presiding over the inaugural session of a three-day national conference organized under the joint auspices of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences and Faculty of Pharmacy of Mahayogi Gorakhnath University and in collaboration with Translation Biomedical Research Society.

During the commencement of the conference on ‘Advances and Opportunities in Drug Discovery from Natural Products – BioNature Con-2023,’ the Chief Minister said, “Due to a lack of innovation and research, India lagged behind, and educational institutions here were limited to degree distribution centers. However, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last nine years, efforts have been made to improve in this direction, and positive results are now being seen.”

CM Yogi said that traditional medicine from natural resources is India’s gift to the world. Emphasizing mutual coordination among several departments to advance traditional medicine using natural resources, he mentioned that through the collaboration of departments such as Ayurveda, Pharmacy, Biochemistry, and Agriculture, medicine from natural resources could attain new heights. He expressed that people involved in agriculture could contribute significantly to the field of making medicines from natural resources.

He stated that along with focusing on the quality of medicines made from natural resources, equal attention must be paid to packaging. He emphasized that merely wrapping Ayurvedic medicines in pouches may not instill confidence in the patient, whereas presenting the medicine in tablet form enhances trust. Medicines need to be prepared and packaged accordingly.

“The government is building a pharmaceutical park on two thousand acres in Lalitpur. Along with this, work is progressing rapidly to develop the Medical Device Park”, Yogi added.

He highlighted the importance of data collection in the current times, stating that doctors and nurses can collect various data related to patients and serve it as a basis of major research.

During the national conference, the Chief Minister also shared his experience in controlling encephalitis. He mentioned that from 1977 to 2017, nearly 50,000 children died due to encephalitis. In Japan, a vaccine was developed in 1905, while in India, the vaccine became available in 2005, but its production was insufficient to meet the demand.

He stated that against the population of about three crores in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, only one lakh doses of encephalitis vaccine were being received. He explained that after taking charge of the state in 2017, the Health Department was made the nodal agency, and through inter-departmental coordination, the forty-year-old issue was addressed in just four years. The model of encephalitis control also proved beneficial in the successful management of COVID-19 in the state, earning praise for UP’s COVID-19 management.

On the occasion of the inaugural ceremony of the conference, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Chief Guest Dr. G. Satish Reddy, and Special Guest Dr. G.N. Singh offered floral tributes to the images of Bharat Mata, Goddess Saraswati, and Guru Gorakhnath.

On this occasion, Vice-Chancellor of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University Prof. Poonam Tandon, MLAs Mahendrapal Singh, Vipin Singh, MLC Dr. Dharmendra Singh, Principal of BRD Medical College Dr. Ganesh Kumar, Principal of Guru Gorakshanath Institute of Medical Sciences Dr. Manjunath NS, along with more than 250 scientists from 12 states, subject specialists, delegates, conference participants, teachers, and students attended the conference.

Souvenir and two books by Dr Pradeep Rao released

During the program, the Chief Minister, Chief Guest and special guest released the souvenir of the National Conference and two books ‘Pracheen Bharat Ke Rajya Karmchari’ and ‘Nathpanth: Vartman Upadeyta Ka Atihasik Paripekshay’ edited by Dr. Pradeep Kumar Rao, Registrar of Mahayogi Gorakhnath University.

Inauguration of the Skills Laboratory

Before attending the national conference, the Chief Minister inaugurated the Skills Laboratory at Guru Shri Gorakshanath College of Nursing. He inspected the laboratory and also observed the facilities here.