Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Nov 29: Union Minister of State (Independent charge) DONER, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances,Pensions, Atomic Energy & Space, Dr Jitendra Singh has called for wider application of nuclear technology in everyday life.
He said the vision of the founding father of India’s Nuclear programme, Dr. Homi Bhabha was not to limit the nuclear research to the confines of the laboratory, but to take the technology to the outside world for the benefit of mankind.
He was addressing at a roadshow on Advances in Nuclear Food and Agriculture, organised by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), here today. The Secretary, DAE, Dr K N Vyas and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.
Dr Jitendra Singh said way back in the 1950s, when Dr Homi Bhabha said our nuclear programme is based on the peaceful use of atomic energy, the world did not believe us. But today we are running a successful and safe nuclear energy programme, he said.
The Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, Shri K. N. Vyas said that the conference aims at showcasing the societal applications that DAE is pursuing. He said that role of radio isotopes in industry and healthcare is well known.
During the day, various sessions were held on Nuclear Agriculture and Crop Improvement, Agri-Technologies for plant and soil health and Radiation technologies for food preservation. The topics ranged from crop improvement in oilseeds, BARC’s contribution in pulses, Mutation breeding in cereals and millets, radiation-based technologies for augmenting crop growth and water conservation, biopesticides and biofertilizers: technologies for improving plant and soil health, radiation processing of fruits and vegetables, radiation processing for microbial safety, among others. Plenary lectures were also held on challenges in seed production and deployment and Revival of traditional varieties using radiation induced mutation breeding.
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