Nauni varsity's centre ranked second in India

Tribune News Service

Solan,February 10

The centre of All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Post Harvest Engineering and Technology (PHET) of Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni, has been adjudged the second best centre for 2019-20 among 31 AICRP centres across the country.

The award was presented during the 35th annual workshop of the AICRP on the PHET held at Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Jabalpur. Research engineers and scientists of the AICRP on PHET centres from across the country participated in the workshop and presented their progress report.

Dr Devina Vaidya, Dr Manisha Kaushal and Dr Anil Gupta from the Solan centre also presented their progress report, shared new project proposals and machinery as well as process protocols developed by them during the meet.

The award was given on the basis of outstanding contribution in development of technologies, NAAS-rated publications in national and international publications.

The Solan Centre is in operation since 2004 in the Department of Food Science and Technology and is working on pome and stone fruits, kiwi, mushroom, ginger, aloe vera and some underutilised grains of the state. Last year, the centre had bagged the top slot in the ‘Best Centre Award’.

“The assessment for the award was based on the annual progress made by the centres in the field of development of process protocols, designing of machinery, pilot-scale testing of developed technology, entrepreneurship development and dissemination of developed technologies among farmers and scientific community. Several process protocols for the development of aloe vera-based products, mushroom-fortified products, the complete value chain for apple, gluten-free protein-enriched pasta, utilisation of ‘bichhu’ grass and ‘gethi’ for bakery and extruded products have been developed by the centre,” said Devina Vaidya, Principal Investigator of the centre.

Dr Anju Dhiman, Head of Department, Food Science and Technology, said the centre had signed MOUs with three entrepreneurs of the state and complete protocols developed by the centre have been transferred to establish their industries.

University Vice Chancellor Parvinder Kaushal, while lauding the efforts of the scientists, said the centre had been a consistent performer and it had also been recognised by the ICAR. The department has been making sincere efforts in developing efficient technologies and scientists have also ensured that the same is transferred to farmers and entrepreneurs of the state from time to time.