Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 6: The School of Biotechnology, University of Jammu, in collaboration with Department of Botany, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, organized a Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India sponsored second workshop on Saffron Network Programme.
Prof R D Sharma, Vice-Chancellor JU, was the chief guest and he highlighted the immense importance of Saffron in economy of the State besides being a plant of high medicinal value. He appreciated the progress made by the Network during the last two years on various aspects of Saffron research.
Speaking during the workshop, Dr Meenakshi Munshi, Director, DBT, said that the Saffron Network has four major research groups involving six institutions namely University of Jammu, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, University of Kashmir, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, JNU and Institute of Bioresource Technology (CSIR), Palampur.
Saffron being an important cash crop is cultivated only in J & K State and the DBT has taken a major initiative for Biotechnological Interventions in this crop for increasing its productivity. She further said that the purpose of conducting the workshop on saffron and bringing all Principal Investigators together is to make sure that all networks are in place and evolve a joint strategy to move forward by taking all stakeholders on board.
Earlier Prof N K Chrungoo, Dept of Botany, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, touched various contours of Saffron Network Programme ever since its inception. Prof Manoj K Dhar, Director, informed that School of Biotechnology is executing three major research projects under saffron network and two of the four coordinators of the programme are from the School.
Prof Sikander Farooq who is the pioneer of Saffron Research in the State and Country and Prof R N Gohil, Member of the PMC, DBT also attended the workshop as experts.
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