Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 3: A two days international seminar on ‘Environment, Energy, and Health: Emerging Challenges and Policies’, organized by Department of Economics in collaboration with the Indian Social Science Academy, began today at the University of Jammu.
Prof Naresh Padha, Dean Academic Affairs was the chief guest in the inaugural function while Prof Jasbir Singh, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences was the guest of honour. The key note speech was delivered by Prof Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, former Professor at Punjab School of Economics, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. The seminar coordinator Prof Falendra K Sudan briefed about the seminar goals.
Prof Sharanjit Singh Dhillon emphasized on the significance of energy transition for clean environmental mechanisms, and robust health of the people for which financial assistance from developed countries including international financial institutions become imperative to help millions of poor masses to move out of energy poverty.
Prof Jasbir Singh advocated the stronger application of data and use of statistical and econometrical modelling for developing evidence based sound policies focusing on environment, energy and health issues.
Prof Naresh Padha emphasized that the policies should be focused on innovative development of pollution free technologies. He also suggested disseminating the outcomes of the seminar through publication in journals and books for wider use by the Government and researchers alike.
Dr Shallu Sehgal presented the welcome remarks and Prof Aroon Sharma, Head of the Department, presented the vote of thanks.
A number of well researched papers were presented in the seminar. The main speakers included Dr Subah Singh Yadav, Prof Aswini Kumar Nanda, Dr Om Raj Katoch, Prof Sarita Parihar, Prabhjot Kaur, Prof Ahsan Ahmed, Dr Virender Koundal, Rinnie Mahajan, Prof Sunita Devi, Harleen Kour and Sukhleen Kour, Tsering Tashi, Vamika Pandey, Dr Sumitra Kumari, Bilques Fatima, Akanksha Sahu, Dr Indraneel Mandal, Chetna Rajput, Dr Rajeev Johari, Sujata Bharti, Insha Batool, Porf Aparna Negi, Bhumesh Kumar, Prof B N Singh, Dr Manoj Bhatt, Dr Shakti Singh, Dr Javid Ahmad Khan, Dr Asmi Raza, Dr Rita Mehra, Dr Amit Singh Thakur, Avishake Raina, Dr Kuldeep Singh, and Dr Prabhjot Kaur. More than 100 participants across the States and Union Territories of India took in the brainstorming sessions on the various seminar themes. Dr Tsering Yangzon and research scholars of the department were also present.