Symposium on lepidoptera conservation begins

Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 21

A three-day international symposium on ‘Asian Lepidoptera Conservation’ began at Punjabi University’s Human Resource Development Centre. While Dr Roger Kendrick, director, C and R Wildlife, Hong Kong, and Dr Kailash Chandra, Director, Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), shared details of contribution of their respective organisations at the national and international levels, Vice-Chancellor, Prof BS Ghuman presided over the symposium.

While responding to Dr Kailash Chandra and Dr Roger’s insight, Prof Ghuman agreed and proposed to sign MoUs and exchange programmes between the university and their organisations in the larger interest of students, scholars and faculty.

Dr Chandra said the ZSI, headquartered at Kolkata, constituted the biggest museum of Lepidoptera in Asia, housing almost all known species of insects and moths and having 16 centres across the country. The mega-diversity among the animal species, he said, helped a lot in balancing the ecosystem. He advocated the promotion of basic sciences, including zoology, which had been losing their shine.

Director of the workshop, Prof Jagbir Singh, said it was one of the biggest achievements of the department with five of its scholars — Dr PC Pathania, Dr Rifat Raina, Dr Rahul Joshi, Dr Manpreet Pandher and Dr Ranjeet Rana — had been selected as scientists in the ZSI in the pay scales of associate professors and assistant professors.

Prof BS Ghuman presides over event

While Dr Roger Kendrick, director, C and R Wildlife, Hong Kong, and Dr Kailash Chandra, Director, Zoological Survey of India, shared details of contribution of their respective organisations at the national and international levels, VC, Prof BS Ghuman presided over the symposium.